Fairways School in Birmingham has recently celebrated British Science Week, with thanks to a grant from the British Science Association to get involved with extra curricula activities.
British Science Week is an annual ten day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths, which features entertaining and engaging events and activities for all ages.
Eager to get involved, Fairways School applied for a dedicated science grant which they were delighted to be awarded. With the funding, Fizz Pop Science, a company providing practical science workshops, visited the school to help young people get involved in some fun, hands on experiments.
The educational workshops took 3 forms; Lend me your ear, Transport and Crazy Chemistry. Each of the workshops were tailored to the students’ needs and as well as increasing their understanding of science, also helped with practical and social skills too.
The Lend me your ear workshop was based on sound, and helped pupils discover how sounds are made and how they travel. As part of this, each young person made their very own Kazoo and tested its noise level. This particular workshop was chosen by the school to help young people manage their sensory issues around unexpected sounds – a useful, practical skill for everyday situations.
The Transport workshop then focused on why hot air balloons rise and the launch process of a rocket. Young people were given the opportunity to get involved and create their very own straw rocket and paper stunt planes. The real highlight of this session for the young people was then being shown how a hover-board works.
The final workshop, Crazy chemistry, enabled young people to explore chemical reactions, from colour changing liquids to slimy putty. This session included a fun mini explosion at the end, ensuring a fantastic day of experiments literally went out with a bang!
As well as experiencing practical workshops onsite, the school also enjoyed an educational visit to Leicester Space Centre. This trip helped symbolise the ‘launch’ of the school’s new groups which are named after NASA rockets and also the new reward system put in place to recognise positive behaviour.
All of the students thoroughly enjoyed getting involved in the extra curricula activities for British Science Week. Not only did it increase their knowledge of the subject, it also provided a great opportunity to get involved with practical tasks, problem solve and work as a team with their peers.
