January 25, 2016
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Opportunities in Geoscience: Student’s Stories of Exploration and Research

Created to inspire learners to get involved with geography and show how this and similar subjects can be used to tackle the environmental issues facing the world.

Come to see student’s accounts of climate change in Greenland, geological exploration in Tanzania and fieldwork on the glaciers and mountains of the Himalayas.

Presented by young expedition-organiser and geography student Cameron Mackay and his expedition team mates, you’ll hear all about how achievable it is to take big steps in geoscience in your careers after leaving school.

The film is screening on 11th February at 10.15 am, suitable for S3-S6. Booking can be accessed here. Alternatively, download the booking form and email your completed version to schoolbookings@glasgowfilm.org

FREE as part of Glasgow Film Festival Schools Week.

To find out more about Glasgow Film Festival please follow this link.

January 18, 2016
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Topical Science – Tim Peake makes historic spacewalk

Major Tim Peake, the first astronaut representing the UK to carry out a spacewalk, has described the experience as ‘exhilarating’.

Peake and NASA astronaut Tim Kopra ventured outside the International Space Station on Friday 15 January to replace a broken voltage regulator. The pair were outside the space station for almost five hours and managed to replace the broken piece of equipment, but the operation needed to be cut short after water leaked into Kopra’s helmet.

About four hours after becoming the first Briton to walk in space, Peake tweeted three pictures of the experience and shared his feelings on looking down and seeing Earth from space.

‘Today’s exhilarating #spacewalk will be etched in my memory forever – quite an incredible feeling!’

Watch the Twig film Man on The Moon: Part 1 to discover more about space missions. Alternatively, watch the Tigtag film Filtration on the ISS to find out more about life in space (a Glow login is required to access these videos).

Twig, Tigtag and Tigtag Junior are available to all educators and learners in Scotland via the Glow Launch Pad.

Keep up to date with Tim Peake during his 6 month mission on the ISS by following @astro_timpeake on Twitter.

January 14, 2016
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Scottish Learning Festival 2016 – Call for STEM-themed seminars

The call for seminars for the Scottish Learning Festival (SLF) 2016 is now open. The festival will host around 100 seminars over the 2 days and you are invited to submit proposals that are aligned to the conference themes.

SLF 2016: Promoting excellence and equity for all through:

school leadership and school improvement
assessing children’s progress and parental engagement
teacher professionalism

If you have a STEM-themed seminar you wish to share with a wider audience follow this link for further details.

January 11, 2016
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Our Environment Competition 2016

If you’re of primary or secondary school age and live in Scotland, we want to hear your ideas on how you would improve your local environment.

Present your ideas in any format, and submit it as an individual school class or group, and you win £1,000 if you’re the overall winner.

The closing date for entries for this year’s competition is 22 April 2016.

To find out further information about entry criteria and to gain inspiration from previous winning entries, click on the following link https://ourenvironment.scot/

January 10, 2016
by I. Menzies
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Cosmic classroom – link with Tim Peake live on the ISS!

Calling all teachers and pupils! Spend 20 minutes linked up LIVE to British ESA astronaut Tim Peake on the International Space Station. Sign up to take part and make it the world’s largest schools and space science event. Join Tim’s mission as he orbits the Earth.

The countdown to the cosmic classroom has begun.

In early 2016 The UK Space Agency will be simultaneously linking up schools across the UK with British astronaut Tim Peake LIVE on the ISS in its cosmic classroom. UK students will have live access to an astronaut in space! The UK Space agency will keep you updated in January 2016 with details of how you can get involved.

Interact with an astronaut! Register for the Cosmic Classroom today.

January 8, 2016
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Topical Science – Small cousin of the triceratops discovered.

A scientist who has been studying a dinosaur fossil found on the East Coast of North America says it is evidence that the continent was divided in half by a shallow sea 100 million years ago.

Dr Nick Longrich, from the Milner Centre for Evolution, has been studying the jaw fragments of a horned dinosaur about the size of a dog. It is believed to be the smaller cousin of the better-known Triceratops – both members of the Ceratopsia dinosaur family.

The jaw fragments are more slender than that of Ceratopsia found on the West Coast of North America, suggesting the dinosaurs evolved differently based on their diets.

Further information on this discovery and suggested resources are accessible via the Twig Newsdesk. Twig is available to all educators and learners in Scotland via the Glow Launch Pad.

You can also register to receive further e-bulletins from Twig Newsdesk and Tigtag Topical Science.

January 8, 2016
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Royal Institution STEM Enrichment & Enhancement Grant

The Royal Institu logo_STEM_home tion STEM E&E Grant Scheme offers UK-registered state schools a grant of up to £500 to experience a STEM activity taken from the STEM Directories. The scheme is designed to help integrate STEM Enrichment and Enhancement activities into school practice and to support teachers’ professional development.

For over 200 years the Royal Institution (Ri) has been at the forefront of public engagement with science and its mission is to encourage people to think more deeply about the wonders and applications of science. The Ri manages the STEM Directories, an online catalogue of STEM E&E (Enrichment and Enhancement) activities offered by organisations across the UK. The activities are described as Enrichment and Enhancement because they enrich or enhance (go beyond) the school curriculum. The activities are usually events or experiences that cannot be delivered with standard school resources.

The Ri receives funding from the Causeway Foundation to run and develop the STEM Directories and to enable wider access to its listed activities by offering the STEM E&E Grant Scheme.

What do the grants offer?

£500 towards any activity listed on the STEM Directories
This £500 can be used to cover fees and expenses of the activity provider as well as travel expenses incurred by the school. Any other expenses incurred by the school are not covered
All activities funded by this grant would need to be completed by the end of the 2016 summer term

What are the eligibility criteria?

In order to apply for a grant, you need to:

Be from a state-funded primary or secondary school, academy or sixth-form college in the UK
Be a member of the school staff who is involved in teaching a STEM subject in that school
Make contact with your activity provider before the application deadline

Please note that the assessment process gives priority to disadvantaged schools.

More information, along with how to apply, can be found here.

January 8, 2016
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Edinburgh International Science Festival – Careers Hive

Career eisf s Hive is a new flagship project by Edinburgh International Science Festival for all S1 to S3 students. This immersive event will focus on the vast range of exciting – and often unknown or underappreciated – opportunities available to those who study Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths (STEM).

This project will highlight that there are options available for everyone, irrespective of interest, in this rapidly expanding sector. By encouraging young people to discover where engagement with STEM could lead, Careers Hive will help address the rising tide of students not taking science from the end of the broad general education.

For more information, see the attached leaflet – Careers Hive

January 8, 2016
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Citizen Science & Curriculum for Excellence Guide

Want to discover a new quasar in deep space, count elephants in the Serengeti National Park from the comfort of your classroom or monitor invasive species in your local park? If so, then you will be joining forces with millions of people around the world who are discovering a passion for science through citizen science activities.

The new Education Scotland Citizen Science Curriculum for Excellence Guide is available to download from here.

Download it now to find out more about the many great local and national events you and your school community can be involved with. The guide also provides information about mobile apps that are available to help you bring science to life in your school and connect science learning to real-life issues in your community.

January 8, 2016
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TigTag Junior – Now accessible via Glow Launch Pad

A new tile has been added to the National Glow App Library by Twig World Ltd.

Discover jaw-dropping science resources for ages 4–6!

Tigtag Junior features hundreds of captivating short films, puzzles and games for younger learners.

Created specifically for use in schools, Tigtag Junior comes with support materials for teachers including ready-made lesson plans and topic background information.

You can add this free tile to your ‘My Launchpad’ for easy access to it at all times.

To add an app or tile to your Launchpad(s) you may find the following video useful:

https://glowhelp.wikis.glowscotland.org.uk/Adding+TigTag+Tiles+To+Glow