Primary science IS real science
Education coordinator Heidi Dobbs presented to primary teachers in Birmingham, as part of a programme of activities run by all our education coordinators, aimed at making primary teachers aware of the chemistry teaching resources available to them.
I was invited to present at a Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) cluster meeting in Birmingham, where I gave teachers from six different primary schools a lightning-speed overview of the resources that the Royal Society of Chemistry has to offer. The session was held at Clifton Primary School in Balsall, and was organised by Kate Redhead, the PSTT regional mentor for Birmingham.
Both parents and teachers of primary school aged children can sometimes feel that the science delivered in primary schools is somehow not ‘real science’. In addition primary science teachers don’t tend to think to come to us, as they don’t associate themselves specifically with chemistry.
They are however always interested to discover the range of resources that we have available, and the day was a great opportunity to give them a taster session.
In the space of an hour and a half we managed to fit in seven experiments, and every delegate had a quick go at each activity. I took the activities from a range of Royal Society of Chemistry resources, mainly from the primary science demonstration videos and the primary science ideas webs, which highlight the science learning opportunities in cross-curricular topics such as Ancient Greece.
We did everything from "invisible fire extinguishers" – putting out tealights with carbon dioxide – to testing Viking nappies to see how good they are compared to modern nappies. Some of the experiments just teach really simple concepts like “How do we use a weighing scale?”
We look at delivering science as science, but we also look at delivering science within other curriculum topics. For example I’ve delivered sessions looking at the primary science in art and clay, and I’m planning a session linked to the Tudors, in association with a Tudor Manor! Quite often when teaching science within other topics, people can feel as if the science is being hidden, so we talked about how we could increase engagement by highlighting the science around us, rather than hiding it.
The feedback from the teachers was amazing. Comments included "Lots of ideas to take back to the classroom and to colleagues", "Excellent ideas and information!", and "It was very interesting and I learned a lot".
What a great RSChem session @RSC_MidsEd with @CliftonPrim @NMandelaSch @AndertonPark and many more! Super hands on activities 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/ylhrc9Uv0H
— Kate Redhead (@RedPSTT) March 7, 2018
Further Information
If you're a primary teacher looking for ideas, check out our learning resources for primary teachers, or contact the Primary Science Teaching Trust in your area.
Tell us your story
If you've been involved in an event or activity, or just have an interesting story to tell, we want to hear from you! Please get in touch with us by email.
Press office
- Tel:
- +44 (0) 20 7440 3351
- Email:
- Send us an email