STEM Blog

A programme which empowers teachers with the confidence and skills to deliver inspiring and motivating STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) learning experiences for primary pupils has launched in the Western Isles.

RAiSE (Raising Aspirations in Science Education) and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar have seconded two Primary Science Development Officers (PSDO), Catriona Gilchrist based in Lewis and Harris and Fiona Macgillivray in Uist, Benbecula and Barra. They will develop and deliver professional learning, create STEM networks, and organise community events for the authority’s schools. Their work will build upon and provide a central point for the STEM education efforts already underway at the islands’ 20 schools.

Catriona said:

“We want to build upon a lot of the great work already underway, and provide a structure which ensures we’re all sharing best practice and benefitting from the wealth of STEM professional learning and teaching opportunities which are available.”

Fiona added:

“STEM skills are so important in terms of local employment and we want to nurture curiosity and confidence from an early age.”

William Macdonald, Director of Education & Children’s Services at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said:

“We are delighted to be the next local authority to join the RAiSE programme and recognise that it will bring many benefits to our schools in the strengthening of primary sciences for both staff and learners. We look forward to supporting the development of the project over the next two years.”

RAiSE is a programme of The Wood Foundation, Education Scotland, Scottish Government and participating local authorities. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is the 16^th authority to embark upon the programme which has delivered more than 50,000 hours of professional learning since 2016.

Gayle Duffus, National Education Officer, leads the RAiSE programme. She said:

“We are delighted to have reached this milestone in our engagement of Scotland’s local authorities. To have engaged half of the country in five years and for interest in the programme to continue to grow is testament to the commitment to, and appetite for, meaningful STEM learning experiences for our young people. We’re looking forward to working with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.”

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.

STEM Grants update

£400,000 of new funding has been made available for professional learning to help deliver inspirational teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects across Scotland. Applications are now open and close on 24 May. Find out more and apply: bit.ly/STEMGrants2021

Secondment Opportunity

We are recruiting! Could you help build a #STEMnation as one of our Regional STEM Education Officers?  We have an exciting 12 month secondment opportunity within @EducationScot #STEM Team. Closing date is 9 April. Apply here.

Geoscience outreach project

The University of Edinburgh and the Widening Participation team are holding a Geoscience outreach event.
Aimed at secondary school students aged between 15-17, the event will be a webinar where students will use existing knowledge to understand real world geoscience problems.
The webinar will take place on 9th April at 4pm.
Everyone welcome!
Geoscience – A career you’ve never considered?

TechFest’s STEM Next Essay competition

STEM Next – an essay competition exploring the future of STEM research open to all S5 and S6 pupils.  This is a solo project which will require independent research and writing.

FIVE ESSAY CATEGORIES:

1) Energy Transition 

2) Applications of Mathematics

3) Medicine & Life Sciences 

4) Technology & Computer Sciences 

5) Food, Drink & Agriculture

Online tutorials and webinars (including guidance on essay writing, how to reference and networking seminars) will be available to competing students.

All essays will be eligible for CREST awards and prizes.

Students wishing to take part should register interest no later than 26/05/21.

Apply here

Crest Discovery Day

A Discovery Day is an opportunity for learners aged 10-14 to learn about hands-on STEM projects. Primary and secondary learners can apply an open-ended, student-led project based learning approach with real world context to their STEM projects.

Teachers from eligible schools will take part in Teachers’ CPD training and online training on how to run a Discovery Day. The Discovery Days are to be run by the end of the 2020-2021 academic year.

Contact  Michelle@AllAboutSTEM.co.uk

Dates for your diary

World Earth Day 22 April

International Girls in ICT Day 25 April

Walk to School Week – 17 -21 May

Deaf Awareness Week – 4 -10 May

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.

My World of Work Live: Virtual Meet the Expert

As part of the My World of Work Live programme, SDS are offering virtual Meet the Expert sessions for young people.

Experts from a range of sectors are taking part in the 40-minute sessions where young people will get the chance to gain valuable insight to the role.

Here’s a list of what’s coming up:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

• 17 March 2021 – Virtual Meet the Expert: Fife Fabrication Ltd, Engineering Services – Hear from Managing Director John (who started off as an apprentice) and current Modern Apprentice, Hannah.
• 18 March 2021- Virtual Meet The Expert – Orbex – Space industries – Learn all about the exciting opportunities in Scotland in the space industry! Could you be working on launching satellites in the future?
• 23 March 2021 – Virtual Meet the Expert: Investment 20/20, Aberdeen Standard Investments and Franklin Templeton Learn more about Investment Management and ask our experts about their day to day tasks.
• 25 March 2021 – Virtual Meet the Expert – NHS – Healthcare Support Worker – Learn more about this vital role and ask our experts on how their roles support all aspects of the healthcare system.

Please pass this information on to colleagues and careers advisers in schools and encourage schools to join the live sessions.

If timetables don’t allow this, all sessions will be recorded and added to the My World of Work Live YouTube channel for viewing at a later date.

Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning

Full details of all of the opportunities below can be found  at: www.learningforsustainabilityscotland.org/connectingclassrooms/what-is-connecting-classrooms

1. New Online Partnerships offer:

• – LfS Scotland recently co-delivered a webinar about this offer with the help of Education Scotland’s Digital Team  – you can view the recording here.
• – More information about the Online Partnerships offer can be found here.
• – This offer is ideal for schools who want to bring digital literacy to life by collaborating online on the big issues that shape our world.

2. Take action on climate change in a Supported Partnership

• – In November COP26 comes to Glasgow, and LfS Scotland has a great new offer for schools who want to collaborate locally and globally on climate change.
• – This offer provides support and resources to help you learn about and take action on this vital issue.
• – Helping  you find partner schools and  supporting you to work together on a short-term project during the coming summer term.
•  – This offer is ideal for schools who just want support to collaborate with others without applying for funding.
• – Find out more and register your interest here by 22^nd March.

NASA in Aberdeen: Humans Exploring Mars – Schools Presentation

As part of the NASA in Aberdeen series, TechFest joined with Aberdeen Science Centre and the Institute of Physics to hold an interesting NASA in Aberdeen: Humans Exploring Mars event last Friday which was a very informative presentation.

As we were unable to have our usual schools presentation this year, we would like you to view the video of the presentation and then submit questions to our presenter Tim Browett, of the IOP Scotland so that he can answer then in a second video along with his IOP colleague Alison McLure, which would then be accessible on YouTube as a class resource.

We have posted the recording from Friday on our You Tube channel for you to watch with your class and then submit your questions to us by email before 18.03.21.

Once you have viewed the video please help us to improve the event for next time by completing our online survey – please click here to complete our feedback survey 

Please remember to like and share our social media channels and if you would like to hear more of our events then please subscribe to our mailing list – click here

University of Strathclyde is offering a newly developed online course: Engineering Fundamentals 

This free course fully funded by SFC and taught exclusively online aims to provide an insight into studying engineering and an opportunity to develop skills relevant across different engineering disciplines.

Combining online materials developed by the highly acclaimed departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Design Manufacturing and Engineering Management and Civil and Environmental Engineering the course aims to contextualise what it means to be an engineer, the impact engineers have on the industry and environment around them and seeks to nurture and develop engineering habits of mind.

To find out more and/or enrol please click on the flyer below:

eng fundamentals flyer 15032021

The NQ Sciences supported spreadsheets contains resource links for National 4 through to Advanced Higher for Biology, Chemistry, Human Biology and Physics and are being updated on a regular basis.

All subjects include:

• Teacher created resources – narrated PowerPoints; activities, formative assessment
• Practical science videos
• Links to recorded lessons for National 5 and Higher from West Online School and e-Sgoil
• A tab for recently-added links to BBC content
• Scholar content also available so teachers can access the full suite of supported resources in one place.

Updates to the Biology supported spreadsheet this week include:

• links to fascinating TEDEd and Amoeba Sisters videos
• National 4 and 5 Biology resource links including auto and teacher marked Google Forms which can be sued for diagnostic assessment

Updates to the Chemistry supported spreadsheets this week include:

• Past paper questions and answers for Units 1,2 and 3 at National 5 and Higher
• New PowerPoints for National 5 Units 1, 2 and 3
• Advanced Higher – homework with answers and past paper questions with answers

Updates to the Physics supported spreadsheets this week include:

• Activity on the IOP Scotland Shared resources sheet  https://www.shorturl.at/kruL2
  • Screencasts of uncertainties at AH level and Nat 5 past paper revision question banks
  •  a set of homework questions for AH for most units.
  • a good number of eSgoil videos which do require a Glow login
  • It’s always good to see suggestions on the public access ‘right hand side’ which are usually moved to the left ‘protected’ cells once they have been verified by IOPS coaches.  Sometimes this process can take a few weeks. As the sheet is nearly one year old some of the links may change etc. If you do notice broken links please get in touch with Matthew Burke (email on the first tab of the sheet) or Martyn Crawshaw

National e-Learning Offer

Two brand new interactive videos, created by the University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush Science Outreach Centre and Roslin Institute, show the laboratory techniques Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis. They have been designed to contribute to Education Scotland’s National e-Learning Offer, supporting Higher pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding of specific lab techniques. They also include real-life examples of how the techniques are used by Roslin Institute research scientists and technicians.

The videos are linked to the Higher Biology & Higher Human Biology Scottish Curriculum for Excellence and are accompanied by additional teaching materials including hands-on activities and pupil assessments.

You can also visit the EBSOC website directly to access these resources https://edin.ac/3osd7ZS

There are lots of other exciting additions to the Biology and Human Biology resources section of  NeLO this week including links to new videos from West OS and Meet the Scientist videos from MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM)  at the University of Edinburgh.

Did you know that farming contributes around 67,000 jobs and a GVA of around £1.3 billion to our economy!

And across many rural areas, crofting delivers valuable local benefits, providing jobs and income. A successful crofting sector helps our rural communities to thrive, and it can be at the forefront of developing new and innovative practices which support our progress to net zero carbon.

In recent years, Scotland’s food and drink industry has been one of our strongest economic performers, particularly for our rural economy. In 2014 the Scottish Government published the national food and drink policy Becoming a Good Food Nation. The policy set a new vision for Scotland: that by 2025 Scotland will be “a Good Food Nation, where people from every walk of life take pride and pleasure in, and benefit from, the food they produce, buy, cook, serve, and eat each day.” Promoting sustainable production of food and drink means farming and manufacturing it in a way that helps to preserve and protect the environment for future generations.

STEM in Scottish Farming – Precision farming in Scotland uses a huge number of technologies to improve our farming practices  from mapping fields and soil scanning, to crop protection, variable rate fertilising (which reduces potential for overuse of fertilisers and issues with fertiliser leaching from the soil to fresh water) and even using drones to thermal image crops!

Future of Food & Farming Scottish Context Resources – here are just a few resources that could be used with your pupils as they learn at home.

• The Royal Highland Education Trust aims to provide the opportunity for every child and teacher in Scotland to learn about food, farming and the countryside. Resources for teachers and pupils are updated regularly and include materials with a focus on seasonal food, reducing food waste and climate change.
• SASA (Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture) – monitor pesticides including impact on wildlife, do seed testing and certification, check seed potatoes to make sure they are free from disease and also certify new varieties and conducts a wide range of activities monitoring wildlife and the environment.
• FDF Scotland: A Future in Food aims to inspire young people to consider the food and drink industry as a career choice.
• The Love Food Hate Waste campaign by Zero Waste Scotland highlights why it is important to reduce food waste and how to get involved. Love Food Hate Waste education pack
• Royal Horticultural Society – Campaign for school gardening. This free online resource is designed to help schools make the most of their school gardens – I’ve also used it to help me with my home gardening!
• REHIS®, a Scottish charity that works to promote the advancement of environmental health through education and training. They have a number of courses for learners of all ages!
• Keep Scotland Beautiful Food and the Environment resources, and related Eco-Schools Scotland topic, supports people towards awareness of and action towards more sustainable food choices and systems.
• Food Standards Scotland works with the education sector in Scotland to provide support and resources that encourage healthy eating, good food hygiene practice and food safety knowledge.
• At Dumfries House in Cumnock, Ayrshire, children have the opportunity to explore food growing, farming and horticulture. Children can plant, nurture, harvest and prepare vegetables in the education garden, and find out more about where food comes from with a visit to the education farm. Parts of the estate are still open for socially distanced visits from families in the area.
• British Nutrition Foundation – The Remote learning area on the Food – a fact of life website is specifically developed to support pupils learning at home. The area comprises approximately 600 ideas, activities and resources around food, cooking, healthy eating, and where food comes from.

Do you work in Higher or Further Education? Does your sector/industry require an understanding of statistics, finance, project planning and/or mathematical modelling?

If so, you may wish to join us on Friday to discuss the SQA Higher Applications of Mathematics qualification being rolled out in 2021/2022. Members of Education Scotland’s STEM and Numeracy & Mathematics team will be joined by a range of HE and FE professionals and representatives from the SQA to discuss the new course. We will consider issues such as effective career information and guidance for school pupils, HE admissions relating to the new course, implications for gender balance in uptake of FE/HE courses and ways in which we may be able to support the development of professional learning opportunities and learning contexts/resources for practitioners in schools.

We are keen to seek representation from a wide range of faculties including STEM, social sciences, business, medicine, psychology and more.

• SQA Higher Applications of Mathematics – Virtual meeting with FE/HE
• Microsoft Teams
• Friday 15 January
• 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

If you are interested in attending please contact Hazel Gardner by email:

Hazel.Gardner@educationscotland.gov.scot

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.

National eLearning offer:  Resource spreadsheets for physics, chemistry, biology and human biology are available from our National e-Learning site: National eLearning Offer secondary resources – more details available here.

IOP Scotland CLPL: Mars 2020 – Perseverance and Ingenuity – a NASA in Aberdeen workshop

The NASA Perseverance rover is due to land on Mars on 18 February. Its mission is to look for signs of ancient life and to collect samples of rock and soil. Perseverance carries with it the Ingenuity helicopter drone, the first powered vehicle sent to fly in the atmosphere of another planet. Find out about suitable classroom activities associated with this major mission. This event is suitable for primary and secondary teachers across all of the sciences. The fifth in a series of space science online CLPL events is produced and delivered as part of the NASA in Aberdeen project #inspiringthenextgeneration

19:30-20:15, Thursday, 14 January 2021

Skills Development Scotland  – Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan: responding to
Scotland’s declaration of a Climate Emergency and targets to meet net zero emissions by 2045,
The Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan sets out a clear direction for the reorientation of our skills system, and signals the role that businesses, communities and individuals across Scotland will play in achieving this.

Food, STEM & Sustainability Online Teacher Training: The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), The Rowett Institute, Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Scotland and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) are offering teachers and educators online training opportunities highlighting the importance of food. The online training (endorsed by Education Scotland) covers four main subject areas –

Technology & Engineering, Health & Wellbeing, Math, Big Data and food and Food & Climate.

Webinars for each subject area will start with Technology & Engineering webinar focusing on the production of haggis, neeps and tatties on 20^th January at 3.30pm. The online training site will go live in February with webinars running in January, February and March. Register for online sessions and webinars here.

Creative Thinking Level 5 & 6 – The Pilot Programme : Working alongside Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College, Daydream Believers have created a level 5 and level 6 award in Creative Thinking, useful for STEM learning and Learning for Sustainability. The workshop on 29 January is open to anyone interested in piloting the award in the 2020/2021 academic session.

Register here

IOP Resource for learning at home

Throughout 2020, the Institute of Physics has been creating resources to support home learning – Do Try This At Home. Before the Christmas break, they developed a winter-themed activity pack for upper primary ages that contains experiments, activities and literacy-building features to help enrich the science curriculum and build science capital within the family.

To view the activity pack and the range of materials developed for Do Try This At Home, please visit: www.iop.org/AtHome

The Do Try This At Home pack and videos are based on some of the always popular Marvin and Milo activities.  All 155 can be downloaded from IOP Spark at https://spark.iop.org/collections/marvin-and-milo

Dates for your diary

2021 – The United Nations has declared 2021 as the International Year of Peace and Trust, the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, and the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables.

The World Health Organisation has designated 2021 as the International Year of Health and Care Workers

International Women’s Day 8 March 2021

British Science Week 5-14 March 2021

STEM Fortnightly planner 15/12/20