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01. START BUGGING US!
 Know your germs and bacteria? Well, you're warmly invited to enter our new online brainteaser, the 'Bugs + Bacteria Quiz'. There are three sets of £30 Body Shop vouchers on offer - to subtly promote personal hygiene in the most pleasant of ways - and all you have to do is answer correctly 10 questions about all creatures titchy and microscopic... It's a bug's life! And you can find it here  |
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02. WEBSITE MAKEOVER (Just in case you missed it last week!) While you're in and around the PS website, check out our brand new homepage, and all the individual sections too. They've gone all groovy! Yes, even groovier than before. Animations and everything... The Sci-Teach area in particular has been designed to promote a chilled-out yet 'revelatory' state of mind - and the others are just colourful and funky. In fact reports are just coming in from internet cafes up and down the country of people having to be forcefully held back from licking their screens (which is bad news, as any Bug + Bacteria Quiz type will be well aware.) So, hope you like it... we did it for YOU! |
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03. ONLINE SURVEY - STILL OPEN And speaking of our ongoing quest for cyber-perfection, our online survey is still up and running. And if you've not yet taken this chance to air your views, please feel free to do so now. |
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04. PLANET SCIENCE - OUTREACH PROGRAMME Several months ago Planet Science invited applications from organisations with ideas for pilot Outreach projects, namely projects designed to target schools and pupils which do not normally get involved in additional science activity. Many thanks to everyone who took part in the process, and for all the completed bids. Applications have now been assessed by a panel of judges, according to a set of pre-defined criteria. And we can now announce that the successful pilot projects are: - Sport by Design - SCIENCE BY DESIGN A project targeting Year 9 pupils, teachers and parents in Birmingham in collaboration with the Thinktank science centre. - The Association for Science Education (ASE) - RED HOT SCIENCE Working with Sheffield Hallam University to target KS3 pupils, including through text messages, e-mail and the internet. - The International Centre for Life - SURPRISING SCIENCE Focusing on the transition between KS2/KS3 and KS3/KS4 at selected schools in the Newcastle area. - Lancashire County Museum Service - RENT-A-ROCK An earth sciences project for KS3 pupils and teachers in the Lancashire region. - The Open University - 'ROBOCUP' A robotics challenge for KS2 and KS3 pupils based in the Portsmouth and Havant areas. - The National Space Centre - E-MISSION 'OPERATION MONSERRAT' Using distance-learning technology to bring a simulation of a Challenger mission to Year 9 pupils. - Institute of Education - ENHANCING PUPIL MOTIVATION Using PGCE students as ambassadors to enthuse KS3 pupils at selected London schools. - Sheffield Wildlife Trust - THE NATURAL WORLD OF SCIENCE Using a nature reserve to improve teaching and learning in the transition from KS2 to KS3. The pilots for these project have already begun and will run to the end of the summer term. Full details will be posted on the PS website early next week. |
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05. DISCOUNTS, DISCOUNTS EVERYWHERE... A few weeks ago we mentioned the publication of a new booklet aimed at providing advice, ideas and practical help for parent-teacher groups in relation to their school science department. The booklet, 'Putting the Spark into Science', has been produced by Planet Science, the ASE and the NCPTA, and it has now been sent out to secondary Heads of Science in England, to secondary PTA members (via the NCPTA) and to readers of ASE's 'Education In Science'. If you don't fall into any of those categories, you can order yourself a copy anyway through the ASE's website (look on the homepage under Resources - and while you're there, check out their list of organisations that provide in-school and out of school events.) The booklet itself is great value as it's FREE, but what's more, Planet Science has negotiated deals on many of the pieces of science equipment listed within it. For example digital data projectors, data-loggers, software, electronic scales and posters. David Tasker, our in-house discount-deal-maker has burned many a jar of midnight oil in negotiating all these offers for you as part of the Planet Science Creative Classrooms initiative, so please make his day by checking out what's available via the link above. N.B. if you decide to order anything, make sure you mention Planet Science to ensure you get the agreed discount price. And keep an eye on the website as there will be more new offers coming up in the next few weeks... P.S. Any feedback from teachers and PTAs on how you use the booklet would be most useful - you can contact us through the ASE website. We are also particularly interested in collecting further case studies to display on the ASE website, and in finding out what your favourite piece of lab equipment is, so don't be shy! |
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06. FEELING PHOTOGRAPHIC? Anyone who's got a speck of DNA in their body should be aware by now that 2003 marks the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (hey some of us have even learned how to spell it of late!) All sorts of DNA-related events are underway around the world, and here's news of one that'll be of particular interest to both individuals and secondary school groups in the UK with an interest in photography. And the prizes aren't bad either - you could win up to £2000 of photographic equipment. The competition, 'Imagine' is being run jointly by the Wellcome Trust and the BBC, and what they're asking people to do is capture in an image their thoughts about an aspect of DNA and genetics, such as family relationships, identity or health. Schools are particularly encouraged to take part, and the organisers say, "Because DNA technology now affects everyone we are keen to encourage young people to think about how DNA has changed the way we see the world. For example, our DNA shows that we are genetically far more closely related to one another than ever imagined before. Not only have our beliefs been challenged to date, it is likely that the young citizens of today will continue to be faced with more moral and social questions in the future." This week all UK secondary schools will be receiving materials through the post to inspire classroom discussion about DNA, but there's also plenty of exciting stimulus material available online at: http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/imagine http://www.bbc.co.uk/genes. The closing date for entries is 30 June 2003. Winning entries will be displayed at the Royal Albert Hall and in an online gallery. And there's a huge range of mucho-desirable prizes... So what are you waiting for?! |
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07. CALLING ALL PRIMARY TEACHERS  Richard Hammond, BECTA’s Education Officer has been in touch to let primary teachers know about a free online event that may be just what you’re looking for… The Science Online Inset will run between 6 and 8 May 2003 and is aimed at Primary teachers, and you don’t need to be Science or ICT subject specialist to take part. Registered teachers will be able to take part in the online discussion and download an inset pack containing activities for use in the classroom with KS1 and KS2 pupils. (In fact, one of the online sessions is about using the Intel digital microscope which of course was issued to schools by Science Year). He says, “The pack is designed to show how ICT can be integrated into the teaching and learning of Science and to provide ideas for further development. Each topic module has several activities and each activity is referenced to the National Curriculum and the QCA/DfES Schemes of work for teaching Science. There will also be opportunities to join online discussions with colleagues and to view presentations from other experienced practitioners.” For further information and to register to take part, visit http://www.ictadvice.org.uk/primaryonlinescience And while you’re there, check out their Ask an Expert service - the May theme is Science and ICT. And you can link to it here http://www.ictadvice.org.uk/index.php?section=ae&page= future_theme&theme=47 |
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08. SCIENCE BEHIND THE NEWS blue Do fish feel pain? This was one of the big science stories this week, and Science Line have been finding out more about what the research really means. Here’s where to find it: http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/slup/CuttingEdge/May03/fish.html |
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| 09. RECOMMENDED WEBSITES OF THE WEEK First of all, for Dino-fans everywhere, but particularly for young people, check out the JURASSIC PARK INSTITUTE DINOPEDIA http://www.yahooligans.com/content/science/dinosaurs/r.html  It’s very well structured and full of factual information, arranged in such a way as to make learning more and more and more an easy trap to fall into! Not only is there overview information about every geological time period from before the dinosaurs, to Jurassic, Triassic and Cretaceous right through to after they expired … but there’s an extensive glossary and you can look up an online index card with information on more dino-specimens than you can shake a stick at (46 dinosaurs beginning with the letter A alone…) And when you’ve had enough dino-fun, try SKELETON ASSEMBLY http://www.qdixray.com.au/Skeleton.htm  A human skeleton that is – and it’s not as as simple as it may appear. It’s not too forgiving on wrong-positioning of bones, and it’s all too easy to end up with a bone or two left over that there just doesn’t seem room for… (NB ER fans may enjoy exploring the rest of the site, which features advanced diagnostic imaging and other high-tech medical devices…) |
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10. JOKE OF THE WEEK First of all, from Susan Lee: - What has four legs and an arm? - A Rottweiler Thank you Susan! And for kangaroo joke to kick off the weekend: A kangaroo kept getting out of his enclosure at the zoo. Knowing that he could hop high, the zoo officials put up a ten foot fence. He was out the next morning, just roaming around the zoo. A twenty foot fence was put up. Again he got out. When the fence was forty feet high, a camel in the next enclosure asked the kangaroo, "How high do you think they'll go?" The kangaroo replies, "About a thousand feet, unless somebody locks the gate at night!" |
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| 11. AOB And that’s all for this week… Please send any contributions for next week’s newsletter to Anne McNaught on anne@planet-science.com. Have a great Bank Holiday! |
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