TSN - Teacher Scientist Network - KIT CLUB NEWS ! TSNews · 2011-11-09 · TSN is a company limited...
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4 Teacher Scientist Network (TSN) Telephone +44(0)1603 450304, Fax +44(0)1603 450045, Email [email protected], www.tsn.org.uk Coordinator: Dr. Phil Smith, MBE Chairman: Prof. Keith Roberts, OBE TSN is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No. 4556366. Registered charity no. 1096208 Registered office: John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich, NR4 7UH Newsletter of the Teacher Scientist Network No. 31 Autumn 2011 TSN ews D ates for your diary .... 30 th November - Carol leaving TSN 7 th Feb. 2012 - Health & Life Science Y10 Convention, JIC 13 th Mar. 2012 - Westminster Education Forum 24 th Mar. 2012 - Science in Norwich Day, e Forum 18 th May 2012 - Fascination of Plants Day KIT CLUB NEWS ! Information about ALL TSN kits at www.tsn.org.uk, under Kit Club, or contact [email protected] - email is our preferred method of kit booking. Alternatively telephone Carol Hince on 01603 450619, (ursday - Friday inc.) Carol is leaving! We need your help ... New Biodiversity kit available now Talking Tortoise for Hire e Kit Club is working through a period of upheavel and we would appreciate your help and patience during this challenging time. In August our long-term volunteer Pauline died and now Carol, who has run the Kit Club so enthusiastically and effectively since her appointment 5 years ago, is leaving to embark on a new life in Somerset. is will mean several months when our ability to turn-around kit requests so quickly will be reduced and we would, more than ever, ask you to be on-time returning your kits in a well-checked condition. ank you. Carol’s final new addition to our stable of resources is a Biodiversity Kit based upon the hugely popular ‘OPAL’ resources. is kit is a timely extension for Key Stage 2 or 3 (or older) work on habitats following the International Year of Biodiversity which has highlighted some of the challenges to preserve our precious and diverse ecosytems and the biodiversity they support. See http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/natural/ biodiversity/ for a very recent report by DEFRA on England’s biodiversity and what can be done to prevent its decline. Here you will also find details of the BIG wildlife garden compettion running until May 2012 - perhaps the kit will help kick-start your activities? Finally, we have available for loan a ‘talking tortoise’ with interactive panels. His name is Shelley and has toured the UK with the RCUK Darwin exhibit, he is being retired out to grass in Norfolk. He is quite large (but friendly!) and provides links to adaptations and evolution. Regular visitors to TSN on ursday and Friday afternoons will no doubt have met our diligent and loyal volunteer, Ms. Pauline Burton (pictured below) who took such pride and worked so hard maintain- ing our (her!?) kits. Pauline passed away in the summer and she will be missed by many. Knowledge- able and enthusiastic, Pauline supported many teachers and scientists who sought ideas about how best to use the kits, based on many years teaching experience and a love of natural history and desperate desire to see Electricity taught well! In Memoriam - Pauline TSN was represented at this years Royal Norfolk Show thanks to colleagues from the JIC Entomol- ogy team. Our poster generated significant interest, HRH Princess Anne being one of the many visitors to the Centre for Contemporary Agriculuture’s tent. Our Master Class in June explored recent devel- opments in Reproductive Technologies and was enjoyed by over 30 teachers. Eminent green chemist, Prof. James Clark from the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence at the Univer- sity of York gave our keynote address, enjoyed by many, at the 2011 TSN Annual Meeting. TSN provided both wrien and oral evidence to the government’s Science & Technology Commiee as part of their inquiry into “Practical experiments in school science lessons and science field trips.” We were pleased that one of their key conclusions recognised that teachers’ knowledge and practical skills must be main- tained and developed in order for high-quality science education to be delivered: exactly what TSN does! In this issue .. Partnership Activities 2 For partners to aim towards ... 2 CarboSchools & Climate resources 3 GIFT 2012 & Olympics 2012 3 Free resources - OPAL and RSPCA 3 Kit Club news 4 In memoriam 4 New Members 4 Diary Dates 4 Postcards from TSN’s Summer New Members - Welcome Teachers Mrs. Janette Eyles, Admiral’s Junior School, etford Ms. Rosie Niescie, City College, Norwich Mr. Neil Shuttlewood, Cliff Park High School Mrs. Anne-Marie Steward, Surlingham Primary Sch. Ms. Sara McDade, St. omas More Primary School Mrs. Sarah Nhamo, Long Stratton High School Mr. Gary Hurd, East Norfolk VI th form College Mr. Julian de Best, etford Academy Mr. Neil Taylor, Stowupland High School, St’market Mrs. Sue Little, Broadland High School Mrs. Alexander Knight, Angel Rd. Junior School Mrs. Carolyn Johnson, SS. Peter & Paul Primary Sch Mrs. Sue McNeice, Holly Meadows School, K/Lynn Mr. James Lowden, Denes High School, Lowestoft Mrs. Amy Wood, Woodland Primary, Gt. Yarmouth Scientists Miss Joyita Deb, John Innes Centre Miss Carly Turnbull, University of East Anglia Mrs. Susan Duncan, John Innes Centre Mr. Hadrien Peyret, John Innes Centre Mr. Martin Sams, London Pharma, Norwich Mrs. Helen Brown, Institute of Food Research
Transcript of TSN - Teacher Scientist Network - KIT CLUB NEWS ! TSNews · 2011-11-09 · TSN is a company limited...
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Teacher Scientist Network (TSN)
Telephone +44(0)1603 450304, Fax +44(0)1603 450045, Email [email protected], www.tsn.org.ukCoordinator: Dr. Phil Smith, MBE Chairman: Prof. Keith Roberts, OBE
TSN is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No. 4556366. Registered charity no. 1096208Registered office: John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich, NR4 7UH
Newsletter of the Teacher Scientist Network No. 31 Autumn 2011
TSNews
Dates for your diary ....
30thNovember-CarolleavingTSN 7thFeb.2012-Health&LifeScienceY10Convention,JIC 13thMar.2012-WestminsterEducationForum 24thMar.2012-ScienceinNorwichDay,TheForum 18thMay2012-FascinationofPlantsDay
KIT CLUB NEWS !
InformationaboutALLTSNkitsatwww.tsn.org.uk,underKitClub,[email protected]
emailisourpreferredmethodofkitbooking.AlternativelytelephoneCarolHinceon01603450619,
(Thursday-Fridayinc.)
Carol is leaving! We need your help ... New Biodiversity kit available now
Talking Tortoise for Hire
TheKitClubisworkingthroughaperiodofupheavelandwewouldappreciateyourhelp and patience during this challenging time. In August our long-term volunteerPaulinediedandnowCarol,whohasruntheKitClubsoenthusiasticallyandeffectivelysinceherappointment5yearsago,isleavingtoembarkonanewlifeinSomerset.Thiswillmeanseveralmonthswhenourabilitytoturn-aroundkitrequestssoquicklywillbereducedandwewould,morethanever,askyoutobeon-timereturningyourkitsinawell-checkedcondition.Thankyou.
Carol’sfinalnewaddition toour stableof resources is aBiodiversityKitbaseduponthehugelypopular‘OPAL’resources.ThiskitisatimelyextensionforKeyStage2or3 (or older) work on habitats following the International Year of Biodiversity whichhashighlightedsomeofthechallengestopreserveourpreciousanddiverseecosytemsand the biodiversity they support. See http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/natural/biodiversity/foraveryrecentreportbyDEFRAonEngland’sbiodiversityandwhatcanbedonetopreventitsdecline.HereyouwillalsofinddetailsoftheBIGwildlifegardencompettionrunninguntilMay2012-perhapsthekitwillhelpkick-startyouractivities?Finally,wehaveavailableforloana‘talkingtortoise’withinteractivepanels.HisnameisShelleyandhastouredtheUKwiththeRCUKDarwinexhibit,heisbeingretiredouttograssinNorfolk.Heisquitelarge(butfriendly!)andprovideslinkstoadaptationsandevolution.
RegularvisitorstoTSNonThursdayandFridayafternoonswillnodoubthavemetourdiligentandloyalvolunteer,Ms.PaulineBurton(picturedbelow)whotooksuchprideandworkedsohardmaintain-ingour(her!?)kits.
Paulinepassedawayinthesummerandshewillbemissedbymany.Knowledge-ableandenthusiastic,Paulinesupportedmanyteachersandscientistswhosoughtideasabouthowbesttousethekits,basedonmanyyearsteachingexperienceandaloveofnaturalhistoryanddesperatedesiretoseeElectricitytaughtwell!
In Memoriam - Pauline
TSN was represented at this years Royal Norfolk Show thanks to colleagues from the JIC Entomol-ogy team. Our poster generated significant interest, HRH Princess Anne being one of the many visitors to the Centre for Contemporary Agriculuture’s tent.
Our Master Class in June explored recent devel-opments in Reproductive Technologies and was enjoyed by over 30 teachers.
Eminent green chemist, Prof. James Clark from the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence at the Univer-sity of York gave our keynote address, enjoyed by many, at the 2011 TSN Annual Meeting.
TSN provided both written and oral evidence to the government’s Science & Technology Committee as part of their inquiry into “Practical experiments in school science lessons and science field trips.” We were pleased that one of their key conclusions recognised that teachers’ knowledge and practical skills must be main-tained and developed in order for high-quality science education to be delivered: exactly what TSN does!
In this issue ..Partnership Activities 2 For partners to aim towards ... 2 CarboSchools & Climate resources 3 GIFT 2012 & Olympics 2012 3
Free resources - OPAL and RSPCA 3Kit Club news 4In memoriam 4New Members 4Diary Dates 4
Postcards from TSN’s Summer
New Members - WelcomeTeachers
Mrs. Janette Eyles,Admiral’sJuniorSchool,ThetfordMs. Rosie Niescie,CityCollege,NorwichMr. Neil Shuttlewood,CliffParkHighSchoolMrs. Anne-Marie Steward,SurlinghamPrimarySch.Ms. Sara McDade,St.ThomasMorePrimarySchoolMrs. Sarah Nhamo,LongStrattonHighSchoolMr. Gary Hurd,EastNorfolkVIthformCollegeMr. Julian de Best,ThetfordAcademyMr. Neil Taylor,StowuplandHighSchool,St’marketMrs. Sue Little,BroadlandHighSchoolMrs. Alexander Knight,AngelRd.JuniorSchoolMrs. Carolyn Johnson,SS.Peter&PaulPrimarySchMrs. Sue McNeice,HollyMeadowsSchool,K/LynnMr. James Lowden,DenesHighSchool,LowestoftMrs. Amy Wood,WoodlandPrimary,Gt.Yarmouth Scientists
Miss Joyita Deb,JohnInnesCentreMiss Carly Turnbull,UniversityofEastAngliaMrs. Susan Duncan,JohnInnesCentreMr. Hadrien Peyret,JohnInnesCentreMr. Martin Sams,LondonPharma,NorwichMrs. Helen Brown,InstituteofFoodResearch
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WearedelightedtoreportthatdataonatmosphericCO2levelsaroundMartham,Norfolkarenowavailableasaneducationalresourceforalltouse.ThedataareobtainedfromaVaisalaCarbocapprobelocatedontheroofofFleggHighschoolandsentdailytotheSchoolCO2webpages.Notesonhowtointerpetandusethesedatawithyourpupilsisalsoavailableonthewebsite(http://www.carboeurope.org/education/schoolsweb.php).Thedatashowsday/night(darkareasongraph)andseasonalfluxesinCO2levelsandisauniqueopportunityforpupilstoworkwithrealclimatedataandcomparewithotherinstitutionsaroundEurope.
Partnership Activity: A first time for everything - again! Gary Wortley (IFR) and Emma Court (St. Augustine’s Primary School)
Climate Science resourcesGaryadmitshewasscared.Hewasreturn-ingtoTSNmorethantenyearsafterhislaststint,butitwasn’tjust‘simplestagefright;’no,thereweretworeasonsforthisfear.First,becausehehadstoppedactivelydoingscience(heisnowalabmanagerattheInstituteofFoodResearch)andsec-ond,becauseatthefrontoftheclassthereweregoingtobeapairofeyeslookingupathisdad!
Bycontrast,EmmawasnewtoTSNandrelativelynewtoteaching,infactlastyearwasherNQTyear.AcolleaguehadorderedEmmaaresoursebox,andsoshewenttopickitup.EmmarecallsthisfirsttriptoTSN,“whilstIwasthereIwasof-feredthechanceofhaving‘myveryownscientist.’Iwasn’tsurewhatitmeant,butIwasn’tgoingtoturndownextrahelp!”Amonthorsolater,attheInductionmeeting,Philstressedthatthis‘extrahelp’was“notjustanotherpairofhands”andthefirstconversationsaboutthenewpartnershipbegan.“OnceI’dfoundoutmoreandwassetupwith‘myscientist,’wearrangedforGarytomeetthechildren,althoughhealreadyknewoneratherwell!”GaryandEmma’spartnershipwastobemainlybasedwithYear3atSt.Augustine’sPrimarySchoolinCostessey.“Insomewaysbeingnewtoteaching,meantthatIhadnopreconceivedideasabouthowthepartnershipshouldrun.”Andsotheyplannedtostarttheballrollingwithaget-to-knowtheclass/sci-entisttalkandsomemini-experimentalinterludesunderthegeneraltopicof‘whatisascientist.’Garysoonrealisedthiswastoomuchfree-reinashespenttoomanyeveningsagonisingoverwhattodo!
GIFT 2012 - WATER!TSNisonceagainpromotingtheGIFTworkshopforsecond-aryschoolteachersaroundtheUK.Thispan-EuropeaneventtakesplaceinparalleltotheEuropeanGeosciencesUnionGeneralAssemblyinViennanextAprilbetween22ndand25th.Itis2.5daysofsubjectknowledgecpddeliveredbyleadingscientists.Thetopicfor2012isWaterandtheworkshopwillcovereverythingfromdroughtandflooding,tovirtualwaterandwaterforlife.Furtherdetailsabouttheworkshopandtheshortapplicationprocedureatwww.tsn.org.uk/GIFT.htm
‘In the Zone’istheWellcomeTrust’smajorinitiativelinkedtotheLondon2012OlympicandParalympicGames.‘In the Zone’willengagethepublicwiththescienceofhowtheirbodyworksduringsport,activity,movementandrest.
Themajorelementsof‘In the Zone’are:•Kitsforschools–aphysiology-relatedexperimentforeveryUKchild,supportedbyscientificequipmentandteachingresources•Touringexhibition–ahigh-quality,interactiveandfunscienceengagementexperienceforover200,000people.
Thefreekitswillprovideexperimentalequipment,teachingmaterialsandre-sourcestoensureyouhaveeverythingyouneedtobringthescienceofthehumanbodytolifeinyourclassroom.Eachactiv-ityhasbeentailoredtomeetcurriculumrequirementsforScienceandPEforages4-19years.
Sign-upfortheresourcesathttp://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Education-resources/Teach-ing-and-education/In-the-zone
Flegg High School
Olympics - 2012
FearturnedtofunthoughasGaryrememberedthatkeepingitsimpleisoneofthegoldenrules.“Iturnedthefirstses-sionintoa‘learnaboutthescienceIhaddone,andwhatascientistis,”saidGary,“toemphasisethataskingquestionsisthemostimportantpartofscience.”Emmaremembersfondlyhowwellthechildrenresponded“WhenGarycameinforthefirsttimethechildrenlovedit,theyweresoexcitedabouthavingascientistcomein,thatitalmostdidn’tmatterwhathedid.Garymadeeachvisitveryinterest-ingandinteractiveforthechildrenandeachtimeheapproachedthetopicfromadifferentperspective,sothechildren’s
learningwasalwaysbeingextendedratherthanrepeated.Theyalwayslookedforwardtoseeingtheirscientistandtobedoingmanyhands-onexperiments.”EmmahasfoundhavingtheTSNboxesandascientistahugehelpforherfirstyearofteaching,“it’samazingtofindthesereadymadepackages,filledtothebrimwithtriedandtestedobjects,andideastosupporttheteachingofscienceatthelevelthat’sneeded.That’slikehavingcakeandeatingit.Andthentodiscoverthecakescomewithicingtoo!IamtremendouslygratefulforthemandIlookforwardtokeepingmyrelationshipwiththeTSNformanyyearstocome.”
GaryquicklydecidedthatY3werenotscaryatall;infacttousehisownwords“awonderfulclasswho,importantly,haveproventobeexpertquestionaskers.Everysinglechild,ineveryvisitI’vemadesince,hasaskedgoodquestions.SowhatisitlikereturningtotheTSNafteradecadeaway?“IstoppedbeinganactiveTSN-scientistpurelybecauseImovedawayfromtheUKforawhile;itwassomethingImissedthough.Despitemyinitialfears,it’sbeengreatoncemoreseeingthelookonthechildren’sfaceswhentheyunderstandsomething,thejoyatanswering(andbeingabletoask)ques-tionsandofcourseseeingthemhappilygetmessyforthecauseofscience.”
For partners to aim towards ...AscientistworkingwithBlacklawtonPri-marySchoolinDevonhashelpedprimaryschoolchildrendevelopanovelinvestiga-tionabouthowbeesperceivecolour.
ThechildrenworkedwithDr.BeauLotto,aWellcomeTrustfundedneuroscientist,andhavebecomethefirstintheworldtoplan,performandpublishtheirownscien-tificexperimentinapeer-reviewedjournal.
Thepaperiswrittenin‘kidspeak’andhasbeenpublishedintheRoyalSociety’spublication,Biology Letters. Thepapercanbeviewedatwww.tsn.org.uk/news.htm
This probe is now gathering data about atmospheric CO2 levels - here’s the first weeks’ data from Flegg High School ..
BUGS CountDoyouknowwhatbugsarelivingnearyou?TakepartinBugsCountanddiscovertheincrediblevarietyofinver-tebratesthatmaketheirhomearoundus.
FindasmanybugsasyoucaninourtimedchallengesandkeepaspecialeyeoutforthesixSpeciesQuestbugs.Yourfindingswillhelpscientistslearnmoreaboutthedistributionofinverte-bratesacrossthecountryandhowtheurbanenvironmentmaybeaffectingthem.Crawliesaren’tcreepy!
Bugs,orinvertebrates,areavitalpartofourenvironment.Theycanpollinateplants,recyclenutrients,andtheypro-videanimportantfoodsourceforbirdsandmammals.
TojoininthebugscountorreportyourresultsvisitOPAL’swebsiteat
http://www.opalexplorenature.org/bugscount
And,ifyoufindabugandyoudon’tknowwhatitis,getintouchwithanexpertbysendingaphototoiSpot-www.ispot.org.uk
IfyouareateacherorgroupleaderandwouldlikehelpwiththeBugsCountsurvey-getintouchwithyourregionalOPALrepresentative,RobColeman([email protected])
DidyouknowtheRSPCAoffersfree-to-ac-cessresourcesforteachersacrossallkeystagestodemonstratehowanimal welfarecanbeusedasacontextorfocusfordeliveringthenationalcurriculum?
Theyofferlessonplans,interactiveresources,andanimagelibrary.Withineachlessonideasanimalwelfareisakeyaspect,buttheresourcesaretrulycross-curricular.Formoreinformationsee,http://www.rspca.org.uk/education/teachers
RSPCA Resources
Insupportoftheirrecentlyopened‘atmos-phere gallery’theScienceMuseumnowhaveafullrangeofresourcesontheirweb-sitetosupporttheteachingofclimatescienceinyourclassroomeitherasdiscretelessonsoraspartofacollapsedtimetableday.ThisincludestheveryinteractiveCarbonCycleCaperactivity(withacollectionof
plasticballsthatrepresentcarbonatomsandteamsofstudentsrepresentingthedifferentprocessesbywhichcarbonmovesaroundthecycle),a3minuteanimatedfilmdescribestheactivity.Allresourcescanbefoundat,http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/educators/classroom_and_homework_resources/ks3/climate_science.aspx
