If you have an interest in Education and particularly Science please read.....

[Beetroot]

Can I ask for you help?

If you interested in Science and Education would you send an email to Jim Knight MP, Secretary of State for DSCF. ? or perhaps it might be good if you send to local MP and get them to contact the Jim Knight or ideally do both!!

A template for this email is below - obviously it would be perfect if you changed it slightly so that they are not all the same.

Dear

?I am aware that there has been a problem for a number of years with inspiring young people around the ages of 11-14 with science at school. This is having a knock on effect on numbers taking ?A? level science subject especially Maths and Physics and therefore in University and Industry uptake for Graduates. Please can you let me know what action the Govt is taking with support for specific projects to try to address this issue at this Key Stage 3 level. ?

Jim knight?s email is: [email protected]

Thank you for you time

The exciting demos etc are fantatisc for motovation. But they tend not to help the science stick IME

they may make the kid get so excited they want to know why, but seeing the demo doesn't give them the why. It is the explanation after that does that.

Flashes and bangs lead them to remember the flashes and bangs, rather than the explanation

(And I did a reserach project on this during my PGCE)

I'm all in favour of exciting stuff, but my main problems are with what I teach on a day to day basis.

(sorry, sorry, the comment about my nails was addressed to mb, about being more forgiving of boring teaching, nothing to do with the show)

LOl!

My nails are dreadful!

On reflection, and a quick scan of the KS3 curriculum shows me that in biology we do cell structure in years 7, 8,9 and 10. And then we do it all over again in the lower sixth!

Now granted this is a corner stone of biology, but every year for 4 years is a bit much!

But there is hardly a minute in any of those 4 years to let them have enough time with a good enough microscope to learn that much.

[sigh]

I'm depressing myself now!

And I've got marking to do in a minute

of course we follow up the flashes and bangs - that is the point.

In the ten years that my dh has been doing road shows such as these he has had loads and loads of teachers thanking him to helping the kids get inspired.

Many a scientist or engineer will tell us that they first became interested in Science after seeing a science roadshow like the one we are trying to promote.

I am a ST in small independent girls' school. I find that the girls are still very keen through years 7 and 8, and they are starting to go off the boil once they get into year 9. I have tremendous fun in my KS3 classes, and I think the girls do too (I got good feedback from parents, so they are obviously talking about science at home).

I think what makes the difference for me is that I have small classes (10 in Yr7, 14 in Yr8, 13 in Yr9). It means that I can really build up relationships with each of the girls, and that we can do practicals properly. Girls only makes a difference too. And then we don't have to stick rigidly to the NC.

We are doing the Edexcel 360 course for GCSE, and I really like it. I prefer it to the AQA one, although there is not that much of a difference. I think you have to challenge yourself to come up with good How Science Works scenarios, but it's worthwhile, and it fits with my value system as a Science teacher.

I'm really excited about teaching the new A-level Physics course (we are going with Edexcel).

I'm not sure how I feel about the current crisis of getting students into HE courses. There is a lot more choice now of courses, much of which is a good thing (I don't agree with the real mickey mouse degrees, but I think choice in general is a good thing). Obviously if there is more choice, there is going to be a dilution for the traditional subjects. But the country does need scientists...

And I wholehearedly agree!

I see them as wonderfully motivational.

But in the end the kids have to come back into the classroom, wherer they get (atm) the same old, same old dull stuff.

1 brilliant day vs a curriculum that can bore the arse off them that they get 4 times a week in year 10 and 11. The crap curriculum will help to undo all, or most of the great work that a road show will do.

Which is why I feel we need both. The whizzy bang motivational stuff and a curriculum that motivates them and provides them with the tools to think.

ST please email

ST, we do 360 and I feel it is the best of the current crop,

MB of course MB but I can do nothing about the curriculum - however I can do something about live shows helping to support teachers and motivate students

well, if we are all going to write to our MPs, we might as well make it a long email!

go for it then!!!

i am a chemistry teacher who will be returning from mat leave in may. I went on mat leave just as I finished teaching the Core science to y10s.

On a side note, can anyone tell me if the Additional Science sucks more than the Core Science? All that guff about concrete made me want to put my eyes out. I also found it depressing as a chem teacher that the only time atoms came up was a quick 'atoms, yup, they exist'.

O dear god it's all coming back to me now

The biology is marginally better.

I've been teaching the chemistry on the Science for the 21st century, and they can make combustion of fossil fuels last for a whole module. It involves going 'Gosh , look soot on the walls, must be a busy road'

While you *still don't really teach them how to balance and equation.

sounds like you are doing AQA, chibi

i am doing aqa. I did a fairly crummy job of being inspiring last year due to swollen ankles and assorted pregnancy whatnot but I dimly recall that the topics were fairly unexciting too. It seemed a mishmash of material science (without any real background into why materials behave as they do/understanding of how structure influences physical properties) and the sociology of science.

now that I have hijacked the proceedings, has anyone had a look at the new A level stuff? Has anything come through yet?

The Biology A level isn't so very different in its content. (OCR)

Some of the stuff that used to be in AS is now in A2, there are a couple of new things.

The various boards have been grovelling all last term, showing off their new courses. The govt dictate about 90% of it, so I can't imagine there is a lot to choose between them.

We are going with Edexcel in each of the three sciences. The courses look good - industrial visits in Physics and Biology, meaning that industrial applications are in the forefront. The same exam for both concept and context approach means that we can switch between the two as we see fit. The only trepidation is to do with the admin skills of Edexcel

I've seen the same in Edexcel Physics, MB. Apparently it's the government's doing. They have dictated what is in AS and what is in A2. The stuff I taught last term in AS (rectilinear motion, ie speed, distance, time) is moving into A2.

Lovely to have initiated chat - BUT write a bloody email

Please

Lovely to have initiated chat - BUT write a bloody email

Please

more emails pleasse

Email sent to Stephen Hammond and Jim Knight.

MB, DS is in year 9 and his school started the GCSE curriculum this year (they do it over 3 years). He gets top marks in Physics and Chemistry, but much lower in Biology. DW told him it was a girls subject. Can you suggest any remedial action to inspire him in Biology? Any good books we could give him?

Thanks

more emials please