25 March 2003
Celebrities line up for schools
As part of new forensic science project
Leading popstars Ms Dynamite, Busted, Blazin?Squad and S-Club, England footballer James Beattie and world class BMX rider Zach Shaw, have all signed up to be participants in ?he Planet Science Whodunit.?
Over 500,000 students (8-14 years) are expected to take part in the project, which runs from 12 May ?20 June in schools across England.
The Planet Science Whodunit centres around a fictitious crime scenario featuring the celebrities as the suspects and victim. Using specially created forensic kits, students can solve the case by conducting authentic forensic tests on mock crime scene evidence, to determine which celebrity is the dastardly culprit!
The investigation will culminate in a staged courtroom trial where the celebrity culprit will receive a fun and salient punishment.
Ms Dynamite said: ?The Planet Science Whodunit is a fun way to learn about science and I think the kids will love it.?
Ruben Meerman, who created the Whodunit project concept, added: ?he Planet Science Whodunit is a unique and entertaining opportunity for students and their teachers to try experiments commonly used by police and forensic scientists. Having such fantastic support from our celebrity suspects makes the activities as fun as they are educational?
Teachers wanting to take part in the Planet Science Whodunit should register on www.planet-science.com to ensure they receive a FREE forensics kit (numbers are limited) in time for the event. Full details and guidelines are available on the site.
Ruben Meerman is available for interview.
Images of the celebrity participants, including individual pictures and a group line-up, and the Planet Science Whodunit logo are available to download from the Whodunit press office on www.planet-science.com/whodunit or by request.
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Notes to Editors
- The fictitious scenario and celebrity roles will be announced on 12 May
- The Planet Science Whodunit is based on an original concept and idea by Ruben Meerman, who ran two similar projects in Australia in 1999 and 2002
- Each class must register the results of their forensic tests on the www.planet-science.com. Classes which have correctly identified the culprit will be entered into a prize draw to win some exciting prizes. Winners will be announced at the staged courtroom trial and posted on the website
- The Planet Science Whodunit is only applicable to schools in England teaching key stages 2 & 3 (teaching 8-14 year olds). Limited number of kits available
- There will be a dedicated WhoDunit area on www.planet-science.com with competitions, quizzes, teaching resources and forensic activities for students, teachers and public
About Planet Science (formerly Science Year): Planet Science is managed by NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts) on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills. It aims to raise awareness of science among young people and their key influencers - parents and teachers.
From September 2002 ?July 2003, Planet Science will continue to work with teachers, industry and the Government, to build on the wide range of activities, initiatives and programmes delivered by local and national organisations during Science Year from September 2001 ?August 2002.
Planet Science seeks to highlight the many creative opportunities that exist in the workplace today for young people with a science qualification, together with the importance and the impact that science has on our everyday lives.