Ideas for 'enrichment' around physics and engineering

[VeronicaVanHoopen]

A lot is being made at my DC's school of the importance of demonstrating extended interest in and commitment to your intended university subject. Does anyone have examples of what their children have done to do this around physics/engineering?

I was an arts student (and a long time ago when university entry wasn't so competitive!) so this is all like a foreign language to me.

Any ideas/suggestions would be welcome.

Flying Start Challenge?
Astronomy club
Build a home observatory (!! but covers both aspects )

I don't know if it is helpful in terms of uni applications, but I'm a physicist and my y11 ds comes with me to our local Institute of Physics lectures - they vary in suitability but he seems to get something out of all of them in some way. There are still a lot online and listed at IOP events as well as in person locally.
Do they read New Scientist weekly? That is always good as a jumping off point to learn more about things and being able to have a discussion, as is following groups like CERN, DESY etc on Twitter. DS and I were looking at 3D printed in copper components for CERN yesterday which then sparked conversations about the internal design, modelling them etc

Those lectures look amazing CMOT- does one need to join IOP, and are they available online too, or in person only? (Only venues near me are quite distant (IYSWIM)).

@haba some are online, but for the public ones you don't need to be an IOP member. The filters on the website aren't great so you have to go into each event listing to find out more. My local group have an email you can sign up to in order to get the event stuff sent to you and they rotate around 3 locations roughly IRL as its a big area.

Thanks CMOT (I think we're actually the same area roughly, from previous conversations) My DD would definitely be interested in many of these, but traveling after school a) takes forever due to traffic, b) not ideal due to tiredness, online is usually best.

Thanks for these - will look into them - some great ideas!

This is worth a look

www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/

My DD is studying physics at university - she started with a subscription to New Scientist and then researching areas of interest from there.

There are lots of online lectures, local science festivals, our local universities sometimes run outreach programmes or open sessions.
DD did work experience at an observatory organised by UK ATC and had the most amazing week.

One low cost option would be learning to program. There are lots of free tutorials online. Physics courses and many stem jobs benefit from coding skills.

isaacphysics.org

Run by Cambridge

Try and think about which branch of engineering. If you look at all the various professional Institutions, eg civil, Structural, Mechanical, Electronic, Aeronautical, Automotive (there are lots of them) you might find ideas for 6th formers. How are they promoting engineering and do they have taster days?

You don’t necessarily have to do expensive enrichment. You could see if any construction sites are opening for the Open Buildings scheme. The Elizabeth line used to, for example.

Make things! Often the old skills of repairing a car or even a lawnmower are overlooked. Ask if DC can spend a day with an engineering consultant to find out about what they do. Getting informed is always worthwhile. Then decisions can be made about which course.

Www.researchinschools.org

It’s a charity that links up students and schools with university-level research projects that they do while still at school.

These are all great. Lots to research. Thank you!

These are mainly re engineering though some will apply to physics too. Some of them may serve more as 'appetite whetters', or finding out where your interests lie in the earlier years before deciding on uni subject. You can easily find the relevant websites

Through ks3/4 do Go4Set and Crest awards, go to BigBang fair type things...whatever the school has to offer.

Do a relevant tech gcse if possible, and/or comp sci (my DD did CS and Electronic Products pre-reform)

Do a Smallpeice course

Participate in coding and/or robotics clubs eg the Vex competition - possibly helping run them for younger kids when they're in the sixth form.,

Compete for an Arkwright award. This one does take some commitment - there's an exam, they have to complete some sort of practical project and then present it and have an interview, but it's extremely well worth doing for any kids who are getting serious about engineering or physics in ks4.

Do a relevant EPQ (which may be an 'artefact' eg designing a robot rather than writing an essay. ) .

Maybe do a Headstart course to help confirm the choice of uni course.m

And do other relevant stuff for fun (DD set herself the challenge of building an object-avoiding robot without using any microprocessors in the summer between GCSEs and A levels)

Sadly for engineering DC lots of schools have next to nothing. Anyone who wants architect or civil engineering really won’t be catered for. Teachers will have no idea because it’s not product based.

@VeronicaVanHoopen

A lot is being made at my DC's school of the importance of demonstrating extended interest in and commitment to your intended university subject. Does anyone have examples of what their children have done to do this around physics/engineering?

I was an arts student (and a long time ago when university entry wasn't so competitive!) so this is all like a foreign language to me.

Any ideas/suggestions would be welcome.

Sent you a pm

Check some of the outreach at your nearest university - School of Engineering/Physics/Astronomy. Perhaps not all year round, but there may be public lectures, Summer Schools, initiatives relating to under represented people in research etc.

You may get to link to some web-based networks or public outreach projects as well. This is one example and there are ongoing YouTube channels that keep up with some of the research: www.qmul.ac.uk/spcs/engage/outreach/general-interest/outreach-research-highlights/

@TizerorFizz

Sadly for engineering DC lots of schools have next to nothing. Anyone who wants architect or civil engineering really won’t be catered for. Teachers will have no idea because it’s not product based.

Unfortunately true - electronics/robotics/computing and possibly a certain degree of mechanical is a lot more accessible than those engineering branches.

We did as a family learn a bit about various branches including quite a lot of structural in a very entertaining way (well, we all though so) via some 'Great Courses' DVDs by a professor (who is also a US general). I don't often recommend products but these are imo really good, and greatly enhanced our enjoyment of Rome and Ancient Greek structures to boot.

www.thegreatcourses.com/professors/stephen-ressler/

Another vote for Smallpeice trust and also Headstart courses. My DC had experiences of several different aspects of engineering through these.

Gresham College?

e.g.

www.gresham.ac.uk/watch/?subject=science&subcat=astronomy&files=video

Thanks so much everyone. So helpful to an airy-fairy arts grad who has somehow produced a scientist!

My DS applied for a Crest award with a group of friends at school through designing and building a drone. They received a Gold award. The school he went to enters teams for Flying Start and Formula One challenge. If your DC is a DD there’s Girls Get Set as well. The sixth formers themselves run an engineering club in lunch times for other sixth formers, building bridges out of balsa wood, lolly sticks etc, and arrange visits to local engineering firms. Running their own club is good PS material. There’s a physics club as well run by another group of sixth formers. (Also politics club, medics club etc)

My NatSci DDs did outreach science events including local science festivals and going to local primary schools when in Y11/6th form. They did work experience in related fields. They didn't help out with school science clubs as they were both heavily involved in music at the same time, but it didn't do either any harm.

My school currently has 6th formers helping with junior science clubs, robotics, F1 in schools and the like.

@mykitchenruler

https://isaacphysics.org

Run by Cambridge

Isaac Physics was hugely beneficial for DS:

• Weekly mentoring throughout Y12
• Senior Physics Challenge
• Residential summer school at Cambridge
• Problem-solving skills which equipped him for the admissions test and interviews

@SmallGreenStripes

Www.researchinschools.org

It’s a charity that links up students and schools with university-level research projects that they do while still at school.

DS took part in an IRIS research project throughout Y12, analysing data from a space telescope and presenting the group's findings at a science fair. He learned useful skills from this.