STEM SUSSEX

RSPCA - Why is Animal welfare education important?

RSPCA - http://www.rspca.org.uk/education

• We all live and interact with animals
• Young people find it an interesting and accessible subject
• It encourages responsible attitudes
• It develops life skills
• Young people need to know the law relating to animals

The aim?

To prevent cruelty and promote kindness amongst young people

The RSPCA Education mission statement:
To support teachers to develop responsible, caring, informed and active citizens

Animal friendly schools guidance:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/Page/TeachersPortalPublications&cid=1109267167452&page=TeachersPortalPublicationsPage

Did you know that the RSPCA can offer free resources to schools and Universities?

As well as providing schemes of work for teachers (created by Education advisers who were once teachers themselves) Education advisers can come into the classroom and support teachers deliver the topic of their choice.

Topics include:

Primary – pets,animals and us, minibeasts, habitats, developing your school grounds, farm animals and local democracy.
Interactive resource on how the RSPCA as a charity works:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/Page/TeachersPortalHome&cid=1086091844592&page=TeachersPortalHomepage

Secondary – Animals and the law, the role of media, farming, biodiversity and animals used in research. These can link in with PSHE, Citizenship, GCSE Science and RE Philosophy and ethics.
Interactive resource coming soon!

INSET can also be provided free of charge, in school or at another agreed location to train groups of teachers on a topic of their choice. It also brings teachers up to date on the new Animal Welfare Act 2007 and how the changes in the law affect young people. Not to mention providing teachers with their own cpd on animal welfare education and how it fits into the curriculum.

We can work with School Councils on any of the above topics or on a topic of your choice including litter or what’s in your lunchbox?

Click here to see our ‘animal friendly’ scientific investigation which involves studying woodlice in their natural habitat:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=TeachersPortalResource&resourceId=1091004147614

Don’t forget to register on the Education website and you can order all of the photopacks online for free:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/Page/TeachersPortalPublications&cid=1109267167452&page=TeachersPortalPublicationsPage

Downloads

• RSPCA-animal-friendly-schools-generic.pdf
• RSPCA-guidance-for-schools.pdf
• RSPCAleaflet-education.pdf
• RSPCA-poster-education.pdf

Contact us:

http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?cid=1086875180101&page=TeachersPortalContactUs&pagename=RSPCA%2FPage%2FTeachersPortalContactUs

Nicola Sanger:
East Sussex and Brighton and Hove

07921 494352

Catherine Arnold
West Sussex

07715 540623

A set of short popular instructional science mini-films with Jonathan Hare

A set of short popular instructional science mini-films with Jonathan Hare explaining such things as how to generate electricity from wind-power, how to make a battery from a potato, what are Bucky Balls? (c60), nanotubes and fullerenes?

See the videos here: http://www.vega.org.uk/video/subseries/27

A very popular series for primary school teachers explaining in a set of short videos on solids, liquids and gases.

See the videos here: http://www.vega.org.uk/video/subseries/30

The Energy MC2

There is a lot to learn about energy and Rob Farr: The Energy MC2 offers a range of Energy Workshops for Primary, Secondary and Adult audiences that help make Energy Issues easy to understand.

Details of workshops at http://www.theenergymc.com

The Great Gumball Ramp Challenge

Institution of Civil Engineers, Civil Engineering Presentation and The Great Gumball Ramp Challenge

A great planned lesson activity for your students. 

Download Activity Briefing Sheet for Teachers

If you would like ICE to deliver this activity in your class please contact Rebecca Rayner - or call 0118 986 8896.

Sussex Wildlife Trust - Education Web Pages

Sussex Wildlife Trust education web pages hold great information about the educational activities being run by the Sussex Wildlife Trust.

For more information see:
http://www.sussexwt.org.uk/education/index.htm

Sussex Wildlife Trust

•  Is the major Conservation charity for Sussex (West, East and Brighton and Hove)
• Has a large environmental education department teaching over 19,000 children per year
• Has 3 main centres for school visits, at Woods Mill, Henfield; Seven Sisters Country Park, near Seaford; and Ashdown Forest Centre, Forest Row
• Teaches in schools through its Outreach programme
• Leads Forest school sessions throughout the County
• Gives advice on school grounds development for wildlife and teaching
• Gives Inservice training/CPD through courses and Inset days at schools, especially on using school groundslearning in the outdoors 
• Runs a programme of events for families and young people
• Provides a large range of courses for all ages

For more details call Filma Dyer on 01273 497561 or go to http://www.sussexwt.org.uk

www.whynotchemeng.com

If you are a teacher, use this area to find out more about resources available to you and about the exciting opportunities Chemical Engineering opens up to your students including:

• Excellent job prospects on graduation and beyond
• High earning potential
• Variety and challenge
• Opportunities to travel and see the world
• The chance to make a real contribution to a sustainable future

www.whynotchemeng.com/uk-and-ireland/teachers

SCORE- Practical Work in Science

Score have developed a Practical Work in Science Project, with resources that will be launched in January 2009.

Practical Work in Science ...involves hands-on experiences that prompt thinking about the material and natural world; ...includes two types of core activity:

• Scientific techniques and procedures, both in the laboratory or the field, and
• Scientific enquiries and investigations.

Each of these includes both physical and mental processes - the practice of scientific skills and the understanding of the purposes of scientific procedures and enquiries in order to develop knowledge and conceptual understanding. In addition, there are directly related activities, and activities that complement practical work in science, but are not ‘practical’. Directly related activities include teacher demonstrations and modelling, while complementary activities include computer simulations, group discussions and role play.

For more information about SCORE visit the website http://www.score-education.org

Future Morph

The Future Morph website, http://www.futuremorph.org, is now live, following a successful launch on Tuesday 4 November. 

Future Morph is a new web-based resource for students, teachers and parents which aims to redefine perceptions of the careers arising from studying science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).  The web site will show students that science and maths can be valuable for their future, whatever that might be. 

A New Leaf in Time - free downloadable science books

David Walker FRS, is Emeritus Professor of Photosynthesis at the University of Sheffield. He is a pioneer of the field of photosynthesis, and his many papers and books have made a major contribution to present knowledge of plant biochemistry and physiology. He’s also a grandfather and the author of some unique stories that aim to make science more accessible to bright young minds. 

They are downloadable from his website http://www.oxygraphics.co.uk/ or available to be purchased in CD format. 

A New Leaf in Time is beautifully illustrated by his family. “A book about photosynthesis and how green creatures have shaped the world. For readers between nine and one hundred and nine.” The content includes hyperlinks to all the background information a budding scientific mind might need. 

You can download A New Leaf in Time directly from here http://www.oxygraphics.co.uk/anlit.html but take some time to look at what else is on offer! 

Teaching resources - Team QinetiQ Learning Zone

Ben Fogle and James Cracknell, as Team QinetiQ will be taking part in the first race to the Geographic South Pole since Scott and Amundsen’s legendary duel nearly 100 years ago.

The race covers over 400 miles across one of the harshest environments in the world and takes place during the short Antarctic summer of December 2008 and January 2009. Scientists are working hard to prepare the Team for this epic journey, helping them with nutrition, teamwork and physical fitness. To help you enrich science into the classroom we have developed the Team QinetiQ Learning Zone.

We are delighted to announce that the Learning Zone is now live, so go online at http://www.TeamQinetiQ.com/learningzone , register your school, and gain access to:

• A FREE wall chart
• Teaching aids to help you enrich your science lessons
• Profiles of the team QinetiQ experts to support careers advice
• Opportunity to do a new BA CREST Bronze Award project (Wrap up Warm), which on completion, will allow you to enter a competition to win a visit from Team
• QinetiQ during National Science and Engineering week in March 2009
• FREE Quiz download for fun learning
• Interesting facts and fun quiz about Antarctica

Register now at http://www.teamqinetiq.com/school_registration/ and start the new academic year at a bone chilling -50°C (in the comfort of your own classrooms!).