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Welcome to the October edition of Primary Science Update. As part of the team developing the PLAN primary science assessment resources, if you've used them, we'd be really grateful if you would complete the survey below. There is also information about how CREST SuperStar challenges map to the KS2 topics in the National Curriculum for England, grants for CREST Awards for underrepresented audiences and for outdoor learning training and resources, live lessons about the preservation of coral reefs, a wearable tech design competition, resources for World Space Week, and the latest conferences and courses that we are delivering.
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Help make the PLAN science assessment resources even better
The team that have developed the PLAN science assessment resources would like to find out which of the resources are used, for what purpose and with what impact, so they can make them even better.
If you've used the resources, we'd be very grateful if you could spare 5 minutes to complete this survey (closes 18 Oct).
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Looking for activities linked to KS2 topics that pupils can do independently?
If you are looking for activities that pupils can do independently, while you work with others who need further support to meet Science National Curriculum objectives, you might want to look at some of the CREST SuperStar challenges. They were initially designed for science clubs, and selected specifically because they involve limited resources and are easy to set up. They come with a pupil activity sheet, which clearly explains the task, enabling pupils to get on with the activity with very limited teacher input. This document links each of the CREST SuperStar challenges to the most relevant KS2 topics in the Science National Curriculum for England. Some of the SuperStar challenges cannot be linked to a National Curriculum topic, but they may be useful for whole school activities.
For additional ideas, you might want to look at 'The Big Question', 'Problem Solver' and 'Mission Survive' activities in Explorify.
CREST Awards grants for underrepresented audiences now open
The British Science Association have announced a new round of their CREST Awards grants for underrepresented audiences. The scheme aims to provide as many young people as possible with the experience of behaving like a scientist or engineer by leading their own projects. Applicants can apply for up to £600 towards running CREST Awards. This breaks down into two categories: up to £300 to cover CREST Award registration fees; and up to £300 to spend on support costs for running the Awards, such as CPD for school staff, supply teacher cover, CREST link schemes or a delivery partner, consumables or equipment. For more information, visit the CREST Awards website.
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Local School Nature Grants
The Local School Nature Grants programme, run by Learning through Landscapes, allows schools to apply for free packages of training and up to £500-worth of outdoor resources that can be chosen from a mix of over 100 different products.
The packages of outdoor resources are customisable and offer a wide mix of products to appeal to a broad range of ages, enabling infant, primary and secondary schools to choose resources that best suit their learners and their setting.
The programme is funded by the Postcode Local Trust, which receives funding from players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, and is open until 22 November 2019. To apply for a grant, visit the grant application page on the Learning through Landscapes website.
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Coral Live 2019 - 11-15 November
Coral Live 2019 offers schools a series of interactive, live lessons to help pupils learn about the preservation of coral reefs by engaging with frontline researchers. This year’s lessons, hosted at the CARMABI Marine Research and Biodiversity station in the Caribbean, takes place between 11 and 15 November. These live lesson offer a unique way to explore – through the geography and STEM curricula – the restoration of endangered coral species and vulnerable ecosystems.
You can register for any of the 25 free, live lessons which explore the themes of corals and restoration, ecosystems, threats to the reef, climate change and ocean acidification, and adaptation. You are encouraged to sign up for the live investigations, interactive interviews with experts and the ask-me-anything sessions. Each broadcast has supporting resources from activities and lesson plans to galleries which can be accessed when registering. Classes that book first will be given priority with their pre-submitted questions, so book early!
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BP Ultimate STEM Challenge: Wearable Tech 2019/20 - open for entries
The BP Ultimate STEM Challenge is open to pupils aged 9-14. It is a national competition that invites young people to get creative and design a new piece of wearable tech that will improve lives in the future.
There are prizes up for grabs, including an all-expenses paid Hackathon day at BP’s Upstream Learning Centre where students will discover more about the world of wearable tech and work with scientists, coders and designers to bring their own ideas to life. Plus, two schools will also each win £750 to spend on STEM learning equipment or field trips.
You can download packs, including two lesson plans, homework activity and competition entry forms, from the BP Education Service website. The closing date for entries is 14 January 2020.
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Free edition of Association for Science Education's Primary Science magazine
Look out for your free edition of the Association for Science Education's (ASE's) magazine Primary Science which is coming to all schools courtesy of Wellcome.
Primary Science includes articles about teaching, learning and assessing science, and aims to help practitioners keep up to date with curriculum developments and new resources.
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World Space Week - October 4-10
The European Space Education Resource Office for the UK (ESERO-UK) has produced a free guide that supports primary schools in planning and running their own Space Week. It provides ideas for activities for pupils in EYFS and primary schools, as well as links to many resources to support teachers in planning a week of engaging learning experiences. The guide describes everything you need to do to have a space-themed week in your school and also gives tips for the next steps to really develop space education across your school.
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British Science Week 2020 (6-15 March) theme announced
The theme for British Science Week 2020 is 'Our diverse world'. Start planning your activities for the Week and look out for further announcements soon from the British Science Association and download the activity pack when it is published.
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Free KS1 Plants lesson plans and activities from Hello Trees
The Hello Trees website has a resources section with free lesson plans that provide you with everything you need to deliver the KS1 Plants topic requirements that pupils must be able to identify and name common deciduous and evergreen trees, and identify and describe the basic structure of trees.
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BioArtAttack Competition - applications now open!
BioArtAttack is an art competition for biology enthusiasts, run by the Royal Society of Biology. Pupils can enter anything from drawings and sculptures to models and collages of any scale. Pieces of art can be entered by an individual or by a group. Anything and everything creative is eligible for submission, just send in photos of your masterpieces. The deadline for entries is 13 October.
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Continuing profession development opportunities
There are a number of STEM Learning primary science conferences and courses taking place over the next few weeks and months that we are contributing to. They are set out below with the links for further information and how to book your place.
Conferences
Click on the links in the table below to book your place.
| Date |
Title |
Organised by |
Location |
Click to book |
| 4 October 2019 |
South West London Primary Science Conference |
STEM Learning |
The Exchange, 75 London Road, Twickenham, London TW1 1BE |
To book, click here. |
| 11 October 2019 |
Primary Science Conference |
STEM Learning |
Newstead Wood School, Avebury Road, Orpington BR6 9SA |
To book, click here. |
| 30 October 2019 |
Primary Science Conference |
STEM Learning |
Alexandra Park School, Bidwell Gardens, London N11 2AZ |
To book, click here. |
| 15 November 2019 |
Essex Primary Science Festival |
STEM Learning |
Chelmsford City Racecourse, Chelmsford CM3 1QP |
To book, click here. |
| 26 November 2019 |
Primary Science Conference: Up and Atom! |
STEM Learning |
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, Beechwood Road, London E8 3DY |
To book, click here. |
Other CPD courses
Click on the links in the table below to book your place.
| Date |
Title |
Organised by |
Location |
Click to book |
| 15 October 2019 |
Developing the role of the science subject leader |
STEM Learning |
Haggerston School, Weymouth Terrace, Hackney, London E2 8LS |
To book, click here. |
| 29 October 2019 |
Designing an effective primary science curriculum |
STEM Learning |
Haggerston School, Weymouth Terrace, Hackney, London E2 8LS |
To book, click here. |
| 6 November 2019 |
Assessment and progression in primary science |
STEM Learning |
Haggerston School, Weymouth Terrace, Hackney, London E2 8LS |
To book, click here. |
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