Led by Tim Harrison, Bristol ChemLabS School Teacher Fellow, and Professor Dudley Shallcross from the University’s School of Chemistry, with Professor Mustafa Erol from Bozok University in Turkey, the group will visit a number of schools including the Croft Primary School in Painswick, Gloucestershire, to observe the different types of mobile science teaching.
During the visit, the team will have the chance to see a Bristol ChemLabS science workshop, whereby a classroom is transformed into a science laboratory. The workshop enables year 5 and 6 pupils to try out a range or ‘circus’ of experiments designed to improve measuring, problem-solving and teamwork skills.
The team will also take a look at the University’s (AIMS and Bristol ChemLabS) Mobile Teaching Unit in action at Cam Woodfield Junior School in Dursley, Gloucestershire. Dr Lauren Hughes, AIMS CETL Teaching Assistant from the University’s Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, will be delivering a number of workshops on aspects of human biology that have proved to be popular with younger children.
The team will also look at the online primary science quiz and Chem@rt competitions that have been hosted by Bristol ChemLabS for the past three years. The Chem@rt competition uses images that have been generated as a result of chemistry outreach or research activities. Each year a gallery of images is made available to schools to help stimulate poetry and composition. The teachers then nominate the best entries, which are certificated by Bristol ChemLabS.
Further information on the University’s Bristol ChemLabS science engagement activities is available at the following links: www.chemlabs.bris.ac.uk/outreach/primary/ and www.bristol.ac.uk/cetl/aims/.