Out of This World
The Head of Science worked with The Science Museum and hosted this brand new show for the Outreach Team at The Science Museum. Information and activities included rockets to satellites, probes to landers. The team show-cased some out-of-this world objects as well as what it is like to live on the International Space Station.
Year 6 pupils from St Andrew’s for the show joined Palmers Green High School (PGHS) Year 6. Each pupil was asked to evaluate the show so that The Outreach Team from The Science Museum could further develop and improve the content.
After the show, the visiting pupils and their teachers spent a lesson in the laboratories, working with our Year 10 pupils and PGHS Science Teachers, where they learnt about the very different temperatures in space and how spacecraft is engineered to withstand such extreme temperatures. This was followed by extremes of temperatures on Earth and what can be done to keep warm in extremely cold climates. This was linked to penguins and their habits in trying to keep warm. Pupils measured change of temperature between huddled test tubes and a single test tube filled with hot water, used as a model to explain why penguins huddle in extreme temperatures. They collected data, wrote conclusions, drew a line graph and made accurate evaluations into their booklets.
Aims
Sharing of resources. Providing an opportunity to carry out an investigation in a laboratory.
Working collaboratively with the Outreach Team, sharing expertise with a local school and offering the opportunity to develop team skills between PGHS pupils and pupils from a maintained school.
Background
We discussed the partnership opportunity with the Outreach Team in order to develop a brand new show, with the assistance of pupils from both a maintained and an independent school. The show was followed by laboratory work where a lesson on thermal conductivity was investigated, Y10s worked with the visiting Y6s. At the end of the experiment, pupils were able to see and use Bunsen burners, which was a frightening but exciting opportunity for them.
The partnership was established two months prior to the event.
Resources
Laboratory equipment for the investigation.
Laboratory was set up ready to lead the teaching with the assistance of the Y10s who worked alongside the visiting pupils.
Impact
A very successful event enjoyed by all. PGHS Y10s benefited by leading group work in the laboratory. Assessment carried out by the marking of the tasks in the booklets. Pupils drew a graph of their results and wrote their own conclusions, all checked by the teacher as well as the Y10s working with the visiting pupils.
Pupil Involvement
As described above, our Y10s worked collaboratively with the visiting Y6s from a nearby maintained school.
They watched a very exciting show and took part in the audience participation activities. The last session was an experience of working in a laboratory and using equipment to investigate a scientific concept linked to the show.
Thirty 10 - 11 year-olds, sixteen male and fifteen female.
Frequency
To be repeated each year, but with a different show from the Science Museum.