Join us after school on Friday 24 May for a first-look around Age of the Dinosaur. Explore the whole exhibition before it opens to the public, and take a tour of our teaching laboratories. A full list of our dinosaur-themed workshops can be found overleaf.

Price: FREEAttendees will also receive a complimentaryfamily pass to visit again free of charge.

Book your place now by calling (0191) 243 8223 or emailing info@life.org.ukPlease feel free to recommend the preview to interested colleagues.

April - July 2013

Dear colleague,The winds of change don't follownormal meteorological rules; alltoo often after expending a lot of energy, one ends up backwhere one started.

It's a good thing that someaspects of STEM education aregoing to remain constant. Weknow that practical involvement,creative thinking and emotionalengagement are all important inensuring that students don't justmemorise, but really learn. TheLife Science Centre team areworking hard to make sure thatwe continue to offer hands-on,minds-on, hearts-on activitieswhich cover all aspects of therevised Curricula for all agesfrom Early Years to GCSE, as wellas specialist support for manytopics at A level and beyond.

We look forward to opening ournew Age of the Dinosaurexhibition and are sure that this,along with the Curiosity Zone, willmake for a stimulating day outfor students of all ages.

Noel Jackson, Head of Education

Workshop + Science Centre visit: £7 per pupilScience Centre visit only: £5 per pupilWorkshop only: £3 per pupilPresenter-led planetarium show: £3 per pupilPlayful Science (Early Years session): £5 per pupilMathstastic session: £5 per pupilDNA Masterclass: £150 per class (£75 half class)Outreach: £300 per dayTeachers: FREE

Bookings: (0191) 243 8223Information: (0191) 243 8211 education@life.org.uklife.org.uk/education

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To receive a copy of our Education Newsletter, please email education@life.org.ukor call (0191) 243 8208. We like to save paper where possible, so if you wouldprefer to recieve this newsletter electronically please let us know.

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Dinosaurs are coming to Life in time for summer half term in our new Age of the Dinosaur exhibition from the Natural HistoryMuseum. With real specimens and giant animatronic models, visitors will journeythrough the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceousperiods. An underwater area depicts Jurassicocean life as animals, fish and ammonites swim past. At the Cretaceous watering hole,

strange sounds and realistic surroundings setthe scene for a dramatic stand-off between aprotoceratops and a velociraptor.

Price: included in Science Centre visit (£7 per pupil with workshop of your choice, £5 per pupil without)

Supported by:

Exclusive Teacher Preview Friday 24 May

The 2013 North East School Awards, which highlight theamazing work taking place in the region’s classrooms, takeplace this July. Life will be sponsoring the Head Teacher of theYear category for the seventh year running. To find out moreand to make a nomination, visit journallive.co.uk/schoolawards or email ashleigh.smithson@trinitymirror.com

newsletterEducation

They’re back!Opens 25 May 2013

The education department is pleased to welcome an enigmatic new member to the team. His name is Richard and he is a Royal Python Python regius. RoyalPythons are native to Africa andare the smallest African python. Richard is very friendlyand will be joining us in workshops in the very near future.

Maker Faire inspires, educates and entertains all at once. It celebrates arts,crafts, engineering, food, green design,music, science and technology and bringstogether communities who embrace theDIY spirit. From Texas to Tokyo, MakerFaire is a global phenomenon. The UK version was launched by the Centre for Lifefour years ago and has fast become ahighlight in the region’s cultural calendar.This year, 300 makers will be presenting interactive projects and inventions over asingle weekend.

Price: £8.25 adult, £6.45 child,£24.10 family

Visit www.MakerFaireUK.com for information and to book.

Maker Faire

Life, supporting North East head teachers

Saturday 27 - Sunday 28 April

Introducing ournewest recruit

Search for suitable workshops by Key Stage online at life.org.uk/education/workshops Bookings: (0191) 243 8223 - Information: (0191) 243 8211 education@life.org.uk life.org.uk/education

DNA Masterclasses

Curiosity’s new homeTo make way for the dinosaurs, the Curiosity Zone has joinedour other permanent exhibitions in its new home at the front ofthe Science Centre. It’s bigger and brighter than ever, and stillfull of exhibits that get students questioning, testing,experimenting, and thinking like real scientists.

Price: included in Science Centre visit £7 per pupil (with workshop of your choice)£5 per pupil (Science Centre visit only)

Mathsplosion Tuesday 25 JuneBuilding on the success of our first Festival of Maths in February,we’re pleased to offer another maths-based special event aimed at raising the number of students achieving A or A* gradeGCSE mathematics qualifications. Mathsplosion employs games,puzzles, challenges and teamwork to give promising Year 10students the skills and motivation to achieve excellence inmathematics.

Places for Mathsplosion have now been filled, but to registeryour interest for future maths-based special events, please call(0191) 243 8211 or email education@life.org.uk

MathstasticKS2: Tuesday 4 – Friday 21 JuneKS3: Wednesday 8 – Friday 24 MayDuration: 2 hours (morning and afternoon sessions available)

Mathstasic sessions allow a whole class to work together to findthe fun in maths. Watch and participate in the Maths TheatreShow, explore maths in the world around you on the Maths Trailand test your problem solving abilities in the Maths Circus.

Price: £5 per pupil (Mathstastic session only) £10 per pupil (includes full Science Centre visit)

CPD for teachersMaking science and maths exciting

We now offer CPD sessions in practical science and hands-onmaths. Our aim is to explore progression through curricula andgive lots of practical examples that teachers can use in school, promoting an approach that both staff and students find entertaining, engaging, informative and memorable.

Each CPD day is tailor-made to explore topics relevant to your school.

Price: £120 per person per day (includes lunch and refreshments)

Fantastic FossilsDuration: 1 hour

Dinosaur-themed workshops

Maths activities

Available on demand Available on demand

We can come to you!If you are having difficulty bringing your class to Life, wecan come to you.We offer outreach for £300 per day and will travel anywherebetween the Tweed and the Tees.

Amongst our most popular outreach workshops are:

Inflatable PlanetariumSuitable for all ages.

Stamp RocketsA ’design and make’ workshop differentiated for KS 2-4.

Animal AdaptationAn engaging show suitable for KS1 and 2.

MathstasticA circus of puzzles and activities and a more in-depthexploration of probability, symmetry or shape and pattern.Suitable for Upper KS2 and KS3.

Understanding ElectricityA longer series of connected activities for Upper KS2 or KS3.

Fantastic Fossils: KS1Explore what we mean by a fossil,dig for dinosaur bones and makea true-to-life dinosaur with ascientific name of your choosing.

Fantastic Fossils: KS2Find out how palaeontologists work out what dinosaurs ate byexamining their teeth and use this information to build up foodchains. Sort fossils into groups and make a fossil cast to take home.

Fantastic Fossils: Upper KS2Make a dinosaur adapted to aspecific habitat and food source,identify real fossils, dig for bones to recreate a dinosaur and make a fossil cast to take home.

Fantastic Fossils: KS3Explore your own theories on theformation of fossils and investigateerosion, deposition andsedimentological processes.Undertake a stratigraphic exerciseto discover what we can learn from fossils.

NEW

Life’s purpose-built genetics teaching laboratory containsthe specialist equipment required to give students a hands-on experience of DNA techniques including bacterialtransformation, micropipetting and gel electrophoresis. All DNA Masterclasses are fully linked to GCSE Biology, A-level Biology and BTEC Applied Science specifications.

Introductory Masterclasses: Able KS3, KS4 and Post-16Duration: 1.5 hours

Mammoth DNAGenetic EngineeringForensic DNADNA and SpeciesHalf day Masterclasses: KS4 and Post-16Duration: 2.5 hours

Bacterial EvolutionDNA FingerprintingFull day Masterclasses: Post-16Duration: 5 hours

A Question of Taste (PCR)Price: £150 for a whole class (24 students)£75 for a half class

For information and to book, please contact the educationdepartment on (0191) 243 8211, or email education@life.org.uk

Watch this space!We’re currently developing a new dinosaur-themed workshop for Early Years Foundation Stage which will be ready when Age of the Dinosaur opens. To register your interest please call (0191) 243 8211 or email education@life.org.uk

Price: £5 per child (includes workshop, visit to Young Explorers’ Zone and other activities)

Price: £7 per pupil (includes one hour-long workshop plus full Science Centre visit)£3 per pupil (workshop only)

NEW

For more information please contact the education department on (0191) 243 8221 or email education@life.org.uk

To discuss availability, or make a booking, please contact our education department on (0191) 243 8211.