STEM Blog

Welcome to our fortnightly STEM blog post. Keep reading to find out more about exciting STEM developments across Scotland. Please feel free to share this post with colleagues and school partners.

Secondary Sciences Network

Join us as the Linlithgow Academy Science Team share their thoughts and experiences about how they have developed their BGE Science curriculum, their successes and plans for the future.

BGE Science Curriculum Rationale, led by staff from Linlithgow Academy, supported by the Education Scotland STEM Team.

Tuesday 2nd November 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Sign up via the Eventbrite link HERE

COP26 – Use Data Science to reduce your school’s carbon footprint

Just launched  – a new live lesson for learners P7-S4.

The free event ‘Use Data Science to reduce your school’s carbon footprint’ is on 9 Nov and aligns with COP26. Each live lesson focuses on a data science topic and brings together a YouTube livestream event with a series of guided web-based activities.  The first live lesson, ‘Defend the Rhino’, focused on machine learning (training cameras to spot poachers and save rhinos!).  The second ‘Data Selfie’ live lesson supports learners to explore data visualisation.

Access both lessons from the events page in the Data Education in Schools website: Events for data education – Data Education in Schools (dataschools.education)

STEM Online Resource

Spotlight on Professional Learning

As practitioners we need to keep up to date with what is happening in the STEM landscape.  Within this PL section we have selected reading material which can support you to deepen your professional knowledge and understanding and help you develop progressive and innovative practice. Here you will find policy documents and reports relating to STEM, Improving Gender Balance and equalities, Digital, Developing the Young Workforce and research demonstrating effective approaches to STEM education.

A professional learning offer from the STEM Education Officers at Education Officers is available and further details can be found in the section titled STEMedscot professional learning.

STEM Summary page

The STEM Summary page provides a summary of key information, resources, and exemplification relating to Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

This page aims to support policy makers and practitioners from all sectors with an interest in, or responsibility for, STEM-related learning.

Technologies Wakelet

With Computing Science, CDT, Home Economics and Business Education – there are materials stored online which can be used for each curricular area. The links take you to the National Improvement Hub, Glow, websites or YouTube – easy to access materials in one place.

Technologies – DigiLearn (glowscotland.org.uk)

National e-Learning Offer

The National e-Learning Offer complements the delivery of teaching and learning by schools and settings, local authorities and Regional Improvement Collaboratives in Scotland. You will find resources to support learning across the curriculum.

Dates for your diary

Secondary Science Network Linlithgow Academy  2 November

STEM in the North Professional Learning September 21 – June 22

COP26  Glasgow   1 November – 12 November

The Primary Science Capital Teaching Approach (PSCTA) project invite you to the launch of the brand new ‘PSCTA: Primary Teacher Handbook’. This free to use handbook and resources are the result of two years of collaborative working between researchers and primary teachers across England. The social justice oriented teaching approach works with any curriculum and provides a reflective framework for teachers to support science engagement among all their students.

This virtual event will introduce teachers, school leads, education professionals and policy makers to the new approach and resources. Attendees will get to hear from the UCL/KCL research team, the primary teachers who helped co-develop and trial the approach and the funders, PSTT and The Ogden Trust. Details will also be provided of plans for cascading the approach to regions and schools over the coming year.

Venue: Online

Date: 19 Oct 2021

Time: 4.00 – 5.30 pm

To attend the event register here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/primary-science-capital-teaching-approach-launch-event-tickets-17332702479

A STEM Pathway – Scottish Learning Festival Online 21 – 23 September 

As SLF 2021 fast approaches, please find below a suggested STEM Pathway through the SLF Online programme this year.

Tuesday 21 September SLF 2021 Programme Update 5

SESSION 3 14:00 – 14:45

Developing independent digital learners

Building learners skills for independent learning in a digital world – modelling, scaffolding and support for pupils to enable self-regulation. What might this look like as we move through primary->secondary, why is this important and what are the benefits?

Dundee City Council Pedagogy Team

SESSION 5 16:45 – 17:30

Building a STEM Nation through professional learning

A showcase of the professional learning programmes and approaches developed through Education Scotland’s STEM grants programme – covering all sectors.

Education Scotland STEM team

Wednesday 22 September SLF 2021 Programme Update 5

SESSION 3 12:30 – 13:15

Introducing the New Higher Applications of Mathematics

This session will highlight the new Higher, its benefits for students and how to access the support available. Practitioners will share their plans for delivering the course for the first time.

Working group Secondary practitioners from across Scotland

SESSION 5 15:45 – 16:30

Evolving Digital Thinking

An overview of the evolving digital thinking programme. Short and medium term groups of leaders at all levels are enabled to problem find and crowd source questions and possible solutions to digital issues in learning and teaching. Kirsty McFaul and Brian Clark, Education Scotland

Thursday 23 September SLF 2021 Programme Update 5

SESSION 3 12:30 – 13:15

Inspiring and developing young people through STEM

The Young STEM Leader programme is an exciting new award for all young people in Scotland. This session provides on overview of the award, its impact and how to get involved.

Jamie Menzie, SSERC

SESSION 4 14:00 – 14:45

Engaging families in literacy and numeracy at home

This session explores how developing positive relationships with families has supported literacy and numeracy learning at home during COVID-19. It will consider ways to build on this progress moving forward.

Primary practitioners

SLF Online website

Welcome to our fortnightly STEM blog post. Keep reading to find out more about exciting STEM developments across Scotland. Please feel free to share this post with colleagues and school partners.

Countdown to COP

Education Scotland is delighted to be working together with our partners to help practitioners and learners engage with COP26 through Countdown to COP ahead of the United Nations COP26 Summit taking place in Glasgow from 1 to 12 November.

Focusing on the key themes of nature, finance, energy transition, clean transport and adaptation and resilience, Countdown to COP provides a range of resources which practitioners can use to support their learners.

Visit our Countdown to COP webpage for more information.

Scottish Learning Festival 21 – 23 September

As SLF 2021 fast approaches, please find below a suggested STEM Pathway through the SLF programme this year.

Tuesday 21 September SLF 2021 Programme Update 5

SESSION 3 14:00 – 14:45

Developing independent digital learners

Building learners skills for independent learning in a digital world – modelling, scaffolding and support for pupils to enable self-regulation. What might this look like as we move through primary->secondary, why is this important and what are the benefits?

Dundee City Council Pedagogy Team

SESSION 5 16:45 – 17:30

Building a STEM Nation through professional learning

A showcase of the professional learning programmes and approaches developed through Education Scotland’s STEM grants programme – covering all sectors.

Education Scotland STEM team

Wednesday 22 September SLF 2021 Programme Update 5

SESSION 3 12:30 – 13:15

Introducing the New Higher Applications of Mathematics

This session will highlight the new Higher, its benefits for students and how to access the support available. Practitioners will share their plans for delivering the course for the first time.

Working group Secondary practitioners from across Scotland

SESSION 5 15:45 – 16:30

Evolving Digital Thinking

An overview of the evolving digital thinking programme. Short and medium term groups of leaders at all levels are enabled to problem find and crowd source questions and possible solutions to digital issues in learning and teaching. Kirsty McFaul and Brian Clark, Education Scotland

Thursday 23 September SLF 2021 Programme Update 5

SESSION 3 12:30 – 13:15

Inspiring and developing young people through STEM

The Young STEM Leader programme is an exciting new award for all young people in Scotland. This session provides on overview of the award, its impact and how to get involved.

Jamie Menzie, SSERC

SESSION 4 14:00 – 14:45

Engaging families in literacy and numeracy at home

This session explores how developing positive relationships with families has supported literacy and numeracy learning at home during COVID-19. It will consider ways to build on this progress moving forward.

Primary practitioners

SCDI Energy Quest Workshop

Embed learning about energy sources and energy transfer

Help students uncover engineering skills they didn’t know they had with Energy Quest.  This free 2-hour workshop challenges young people to put themselves in the shoes of engineers to design a solution to power a mobile phone.

The workshop is designed for secondary students aged 11 to 14 and is designed to fit into a 2 hour / double period time slot. Energy Quest unlocks students’ inner engineer as they explore sustainable energy sources. During an interactive workshop, they’re immersed in a real-life situation and challenged to save the day.  The workshop is fully linked to the curriculum, students gain an understanding of:

• A range of sustainable energy sources and the role engineers play in green energy/sustainable technology
• How to generate energy, and how they can work as a team to respond to a challenge
• How their skills and interest can lead to a career in engineering

Register here

A Scientist Just Like Me – Primary Science Teaching Trust

A Scientist Just Like Me is designed to raise awareness of diversity in science-related jobs and to provide illustrated examples of a wide range of science-based careers. It consists of a series of short slideshows, each one ‘telling the story’ of a particular scientist or person working in a science-related job. The people included share details of their work and their everyday lives, making their stories relatable to learners. They describe their job, what they like about it, and the challenges they have faced on their career journeys.

The resources focus on the skills, attitudes and habits that are needed to carry out the work, rather than on any expert knowledge, which may be daunting or seem out of reach to young learners. At the end of each slideshow, the learners are encouraged to imagine and discuss what it might be like to do that job.

The slideshows are intended to be used as discussion prompts, guided by a teacher. They can be used in different ways and for different purposes, for example,

• to show learners an example of someone from a particular ethnic background working in a science job
• to challenge gender stereotypes about science jobs
• as part of a science topic that relates to the work of the scientist
• as stand-alone fifteen minute discussion activities
• with a small group or the whole class, or in a whole school assembly

A scientist just like me | Primary Science Teaching Trust

Dates for your diary

Scottish Learning Festival   21 – 23 September

STEM in the North Professional Learning September 21 – June 22

COP26  Glasgow   1 November – 12 November

Glasgow Science Festival returns to the city throughout September with Glasgow Connects, offering a hybrid programme of events with a distinctly green tinge, inspired by the COP26 climate conference. The festival will showcase themes such as sustainability, health & wellbeing, and the environment.

Online Content
The digital programme, Science on the Sofa, features dozens of activities suitable for the classroom.
Created with partners, including the University of Glasgow, Strathclyde, GCU, UWS, Edinburgh,
The Open University and Manchester.

All content is designed to be self-led and readily available for you to engage with at your leisure.

Science on the Sofa is divided into four strands:

1. Hands-Online: dozens of experiments, activities, demos and workshops, covering a range of
subject areas including a COP26 feature. The activities are supported by instructional videos,
how-to guides and activity packs. Designed for use at home, in the classroom or community
settings, using readily available and inexpensive materials.

2. Citizen Science: introducing Spot a Bee and the Gulls Eye Project. Two citizen science
projects created by University of Glasgow researchers, inviting you to take part and help
collect valuable data.

3. COVID: Glasgow Responds: informal talks and resources exploring the contribution local
research teams have made to the ongoing efforts to tackle the pandemic.

4. Talking Science: talks on two themes, COP26 and Health & Wellbeing

In Person Events
Unfortunately, there is no specific schools programme this year due to the ongoing challenges. There are
however some public facing events,  including the programme at the Glasgow Botanic Gardens from 4 – 12 Sept, 11-2pm where there will be socially distanced activities in outdoor gazebos.

Open to the public, and most suitable for primary school aged pupils, the organisers would be delighted to welcome a school per day to this event .

All events and content are FREE!

The programme of live events and digital content is available at:

www.glasgowsciencefestival.org.uk

email: sciencefestival@glasgow.ac.uk

Welcome to our fortnightly STEM blog post. Keep reading to find out more about exciting STEM developments across Scotland. Please feel free to share this post with colleagues and school partners.

Learning for Sustainability Awards – nominations close 12 September

In November, the United Nations COP26 Climate Summit arrives in Scotland.  With 200 world leaders in attendance, it is hoped the event will result in an historic agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions and steer us clear of a climate emergency.

COP26 provides us with a unique opportunity to recognise and celebrate innovation in Scottish education and our commitment to Learning for Sustainability (LfS). Within Scotland’s curriculum, LfS is recognised as an entitlement for all learners; a recent international study showed our learners are world-leading global citizens.

The Learning for Sustainability Awards have been launched to recognise the commitment, professionalism and leadership that underpins this success.  Help us recognise the amazing achievements of Scotland’s people and the settings, schools and communities which have demonstrated passion and commitment to building a socially-just, sustainable and equitable world.

Remember – Nominations close on Sunday 12 September for the Learning for Sustainability awards.

More information and nominate here .

Scottish Learning Festival

Registration is now open for this year’s Scottish Learning Festival Online; for the first time ever the festival will be an entirely virtual event, taking place from 21 – 23 September.

Join us in a fantastic digital arena and enjoy our popular conference programme through a range of live and recorded sessions. Visit the online exhibition area and connect with exhibitors and network with colleagues – all from your own device.

Conference programme and registration available here.

Daily Discovery wall chart calendar

For 2021 the Humanist Society Scotland have produced a Daily Discovery wall chart calendar with a different scientific fact for each day of the year. The calendar is still available as a free digital download from their website.

Further information about their education resources can be found here:

www.humanism.scot/what-we-do/education/education-resources/

Northern Alliance ELC STEM network

STEM is a key part of the economy across the Northern Alliance and equally STEM skills and knowledge help us all make sense of the world around us.

This series of webinars will focus on STEM in the North and explore the inspirational experiences, connections and opportunities for all our learners.

The webinars are aimed at practitioners from early years, primary and secondary and CLD and primarily those who work within the eight Northern Alliance local authorities.

Please click on the EventBrite link to book your place on each session.

This series will be facilitated by members of the Education Scotland North Team – STEM, IGBE, Numeracy & Maths and Creativity officers and partners.

Sustainability Exchange – Using COP26 to engage students with climate change and sustainability

COP26, taking place in Glasgow in November, is an amazing opportunity to engage students with both the international climate change treaty process and wider climate change and sustainability action.

This online event, held on the 17th August 2021, explored how universities and colleges can engage students with COP26, and how we can create a sustainability legacy from COP26 within our student bodies.

This recording is aimed at student leaders, staff who run student engagement events, and teaching staff who are interested in embedding information on COP26 or wider sustainability information within their teaching. However it may be of interest to anyone in the sector – staff and students.

Using COP26 to engage students with climate change and sustainability

Dates for your diary

Climate Week Scotland   13th September

Scottish Learning Festival   21 – 23 September

COP26  Glasgow   31 October – 12 November

STEM is a key part of the economy across the Northern Alliance and equally STEM skills and knowledge help us all make sense of the world around us.

This series of webinars will focus on STEM in the North and explore the inspirational experiences, connections and opportunities for all our learners.

The webinars are aimed at practitioners from early years, primary and secondary and CLD and primarily those who work within the eight Northern Alliance local authorities.

Please click on the EventBrite link to book your place on each session.

This series will be facilitated by members of the Education Scotland North Team – STEM, IGBE, Numeracy & Maths and Creativity officers and partners.