Talk Science

BBC Class Clips

Beth — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:24:19 GMT

This is an excellent new resource from the BBC!

The BBC learning zone has created a fantastic library of over 5,500 video and audio clips from their programmes. Each clip has been handpicked by teachers and mapped to the curriculum.

It is really simple to search for clip either by subject or topic. Alongside each clip is a full description written by a subject expert together with simple ideas on how to use the material in your lessons.

The clips can be played via interactive whiteboard or can be played as a hyperlink into a presentation.

Well recommended!!

World Air Traffic Video

Beth — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:28:52 GMT

This video on the Grand Illusions website shows all the large aircraft flights in the world, over a 24 hour period. Each aircraft is shown as a little yellow dot. The video has been speeded up, so that 24 hours takes only 2 minutes on your computer screen!

The video would be an excellent way of introducing how air travel might be a contributory factor to Climate Change.

You can see that it is summer in the northern hemisphere from the sun's footprint over the planet. You can see that the sun did not quite set at the north pole, and did not rise at all at the south pole.

At the start of the video, you can see all the air traffic heading overnight from the US to Europe. Later on, as it becomes light in the US, you can see all the planes from Europe heading west towards the US.

It was originally created by the Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (ZHAW) in collaboration with the Swiss Technorama Science Centre in Winterthur, Switzerland. You can see the original here - http://radar.zhaw.ch/

BBC Science and Nature iPlayer

Beth — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:21:43 GMT

All of the BBC's Science and Nature TV and radio programmes avaialble on BBC iPlayer.

A good resource for starting a discussion.

A teachers' guide to exploring controversial issues

Beth — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:14:51 GMT

A resource devloped as part of the Citizen Science project at @ Bristol for teachers on how to get the most from facilitated classroom discussion, with tips, tricks and debate format ideas.

Cloning Quiz

Susannah — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:13:58 GMT

What connects singer Dolly Parton with cloning? From cute cats to the world’s most famous sheep test your students by downloading this fun PowerPoint quiz on cloning. A blank answer sheet is provided for students to use.

Use the quiz as a starter activity to get students talking and thinking about a topic. An ideal first task for the ‘expert’ groups when using the marketplace technique.

Download the Quiz pdf presentation here.

Download the Student answer sheet here.

Mystery Boxes

Susannah — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:42:48 GMT

In this activity students have to work out what’s inside six 'Mystery Boxes' without opening them. You can download a handy instruction booklet, as well as an At a Glance fact sheet, a PowerPoint presentation and a student observation sheet.

A mock science conference is held to discuss different groups’ ideas and build a consensus about the content of each box, based on the students’ evidence. Students will want to know what is in the boxes, but this is never revealed.

The boxes are an analogy for science – scientists are unable to ‘open the box’ to find a definitive answer as to whether or not their ideas are correct but instead form theories based on evidence from their research, which are open to further revision.

Learning outcomes

Skills used: discussion, developing an argument, observation,
negotiation and teamwork

• Scientists generate scientific theories based on evidence, but they do not
find definitive answers.

• Scientific knowledge and ideas change over time and are open to further
revision as our understanding of the world around us evolves.

• Science is a social and creative activity.

NC links

KS3 Science QCA (2007): 1.2, 2.2 and 23

KS3 Science QCA APP (2009): AF1, AF3

KS4 Science QCA (2007): (How Science Works) 1a–d, 2a–d, 3a–c, 4c

QCA Personal, Learning & Thinking Skills (PLTS)

Antenna - Science News from the Science Museum

Beth — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:42:09 GMT

The Antenna website is an excellent science news resource. It is divided into 3 main sections:

Bite Size -gives an overview of a science news story, with images and scientist viewpoints.

Bumper and Feature - provide more detailed infomation on a science news issue.

There is also an extensive archive of science news stories.

Science Issues from the Royal Society

Beth — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:24:14 GMT

Some excellent links to topical science issues.

Wellcome Trust - Animations

Beth — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:31:14 GMT

The Wellcome Trust have excellent short animation clips on a variety of topics.

There are animations about:

Tuberculosis - how the human immune system attempts to contain a tuberculosis infection, and how the bacteria are transmitted to new people.

Lifecycle of HIV - How the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replicates inside white blood cells integrates with human DNA, and produces new viruses.

DNA Sequencing and the Malaria Life cycle.

21st Century Science

Beth — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:30:14 GMT

This website has some interesting links to current reseach from a wide range of areas, including science, technology, environment, robotics, space, gadgets, cars and much more. There are short introductions to the key issues and links to find out more.

Behind the Headlines

Nora — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:14:45 GMT

NHS guide to health stories in the news. Articles provide you with a good overview and evaluation of media coverage of topical health news stories.

Science Careers

Nora — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:07:51 GMT

Future Morph is the Science Council's website designed to provide information for young people, their parents and teachers about careers available to those who choose to study science and maths.

Genetics and Evolution Web Resources

Nora — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:02:47 GMT

This booklet is a comprehensive overview of the online genetics and evolution resources you can find using Intute - a free Internet service designed to help students, lecturers and researchers find the best that the web has to offer for education and research. You'll also find links to online tutorials that have been developed to help students to improve their internet research skills.

Why Science?

Nora — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:16:12 GMT

This film and blog project run by a science teacher is a collection of thoughts about why science is important. Contributors include working scientists, science writers and science teachers.

dana model

admin — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:19:19 GMT

dana model

admin — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:19:16 GMT

dana model

Mystery Boxes

Andrew — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:26:26 GMT

In this activity students have to work out what’s inside six 'Mystery Boxes' without opening them.

See the trailer here.

Learning outcomes

Skills used: discussion, developing an argument, observation,
negotiation and teamwork

• Scientists generate scientific theories based on evidence, but they do not
find definitive answers.

• Scientific knowledge and ideas change over time and are open to further
revision as our understanding of the world around us evolves.

• Science is a social and creative activity.

NC links

KS3 Science QCA (2007): 1.2, 2.2 and 23

KS3 Science QCA APP (2009): AF1, AF3

KS4 Science QCA (2007): (How Science Works) 1a–d, 2a–d, 3a–c, 4c

QCA Personal, Learning & Thinking Skills (PLTS)

Clone Quiz.pdf

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:25:15 GMT

Clone Quiz Answer Sheet.pdf

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:25:07 GMT

Superbugs Quiz Answer Sheet.pdf

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:22:43 GMT

Superbugs PowerPoint Quiz

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:18:00 GMT

A highly contagious activity. Test your students' knowledge of bacteria and bugs by downloading this fun quiz on hospital superbugs.

Click here to download an answer sheet.

Why not use the quiz as a starter activity to get students talking and thinking about a topic? It is an ideal first task for the ‘expert’ groups when using the marketplace technique.

IVF Debate Kit

Beth — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:08:03 GMT

This debate kit helps students learn how to structure a debate, back up their opinions with facts and consider other points of view.

Developed by the team that brought us I'm a scientist get me out of here.

Carbon Footprint Calculators

Nora — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:07:03 GMT

Access numerous carbon footprint calculators and useful tips on how to reduce your footprint here. This list of Web resources was compiled by IGLO (International Action on Global Warming). IGLO raises worldwide public awareness about global warming and the particular ways that the Polar Regions profoundly influence the Earth’s climate, environments, ecosystems, and human society.

Cloning Guide

Nora — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:45:07 GMT

Guide to cloning produced by the Genetic Science Learning Center at the University of Utah. This site features teacher resources and an interactive zone where you can clone your own mouse!

Energy Ninjas Game

Andrew — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:28:28 GMT

Help the Energy Ninjas reduce carbon dioxide emissions and put a break on climate change in this humorous game developed for the Energy Gallery at the Science Museum.