Nov 2, 2014 | Business, Secondary
This is a summary of my keynote speech at the Nuffield Research Placements Celebration Evening at BAe Systems, Rochester, hosted by MEBP on 16 October 2014. I was invited to speak as founder of Young Scientists Journal and was delighted to address the students, their parents, teachers and the placement providers about the importance of science communication. The Importance of Writing Have you ever wondered where we would be if writing had never been invented? Animals can communicate: bees do their wiggle dance, dolphins click,...
Oct 19, 2014 | Primary, Secondary
Role model? I’m often asked about this, as a female physics teacher. I’ve been one of 4 women in a physics department fortunate enough to have 7 full-time specialist teachers. You’d think that would encourage the girls to shrug off the oily overalls image and believe in the shiny spacesuit of A level physics? But no – in this co-ed setting, we seldom had more than 25% girls in sixth form physics classes. So what’s the problem? Do girls have different brains? Or is it a nurture problem? Are we unable to shield our girl physicists from...
Sep 28, 2014 | Primary, Secondary
You can use these with any age group, from 5 to 18. These are all quick and inexpensive, but some of the physics is quite involved. The usual regard to health and safety! Thanks to friends & colleagues over the years for these ideas 1. Impossible box Big cardboard box with a heavy weight taped securely into one corner. Carry it across the room, struggling theatrically, and put it down on a table, with just the weighted corner resting on the tabletop. Let go and watch the surprised faces! KS1/2: what’s in the box? KS3/4: let’s talk...
