March 23, 2014
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The Minister for Learning, Dr Alasdair Allan, recently put in place a package of support to help secondary schools to deliver the new National Qualifications. This support included new route maps through assessment and these have now been published on the Education Scotland website. Developed by Education Scotland, in partnership with the SQA, these provide a sequenced list of main messages and links for National 4 and National 5 Sciences.
March 21, 2014
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Education Scotland is delighted to announce that schools can access Tigtag – the award-winning online science resource for primary schools – free of charge through Glow.
We have agreed a 12 month national education licence with Twig World which allows Scottish schools to have unlimited access to this great resource.
There is no need to ask for a free trial or subscribe to the site if you are already a glow user.
Simply, click on www.tigtagonglow.com
You will see a box labelled Glow User. Put in your glow user name and password and start using this fabulous resource.
Alternatively, if you have entered a search for Tigtag and gone through http://www.twig-world.co.uk/tigtag/ click on the tigtag image in the top right hand corner and you will be taken to the Tigtag home page.
You will then see this image
Click on Log in with Glow and input your user name and password to start using the resource.
Remember there is no need to click free school trial if you are an existing Glow user.
You can use Tigtag straight away to enhance and support your science learning and teaching.
Tigtag provides access to:
• background information, relating to the key concepts identified in the science organisers, and quality films to support and enhance teaching and learning in the sciences.
• planning resources, investigation sheets, practical challenges and succinct clear lesson plans, providing a range of contexts for learning which draw on important aspects of everyday life and work.
• interactive lesson packages to help stimulate the interest and motivation of all learners and support staff in planning challenging, engaging and enjoyable learning and teaching activities.
• a “What Happens Next?” and “Scientific Enquiry” section to encourage learners to engage in dialogue, developing their investigative and inquiry skills.
March 20, 2014
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7th May 2014, Dundee Science Centre, 1615 – 1830 including refreshments
Are you planning learning and teaching in sciences for early to second level? Or thinking about revamping your early, first and second level sciences? Are you an experienced teacher, PT, depute or head teacher looking for a model of staff mentoring and cluster working? Or a student or newly-qualified teacher looking to learn from the practice of others? Are you looking for inspiration for learning and teaching on body systems, cells and inheritance? This is a professional learning session you won’t want to miss!
On 7th May, teachers from primary schools in the Perth High School cluster, Perth and will be joining us to describe how they went from a desire to plan for progression in sciences in the primary schools throughout the cluster, to a successful implementation of a series of rich tasks for all lines of development in sciences, incorporating skills.
At this session you’ll be able to choose from two workshops, including hands-on sciences, led by teachers from the Perth High School cluster, and the Dundee Science Centre Science Learning Institute team.
Workshop A: choice of
Workshop B: choice of
Charitable funding is available to support your attendance at this session. For more information, see our website. To book your place, or talk to us about this learning opportunity, contact learning@dundeesciencecentre.org.uk or telephone us on 01382868609.
We look forward to seeing you there!
March 20, 2014
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Welcome to the Greenpower Education Trust
Promoting sustainable engineering to young people http://www.greenpower.co.uk/
If you’re a teacher or lead a group of young people such as Scouts, Youth Groups or a private team, then we’d love to get you involved.
We’re all about inspiring engineers so we need enthusiastic people like you to run a team in any one of our four categories. There’s a way to get involved whatever the ages of your group:
IET Formula Goblin (9-11 years old)
IET Formula 24 (11-16 years old)
IET Formula 24+ (16-25 years old)
Corporate Challenge (16+)
We want to encourage as many young people as possible to consider engineering as a possible career path. To help you run the best team you can we offer support in the form of our online forum and Q&A section, our test days and we are always happy to talk to you by phone or by email.
Click here to see what other team leaders think.
March 20, 2014
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Science Resources for the Nationals
Following the SQA/ Education Scotland joint publication of Past Paper Guidance for N5. Education Scotland has published copies of the identified questions for Chemistry and Physics on Sciences Glow 365 site, in the N5 folders for each subject. This compliments the previously shared N5 Biology questions. Further support materials for N5 will be published in the near future.
Shared on the Sciences Glow 365 site class spreadsheets for tracking assessment standard passes at National 4. Look in the N4 folder in your subject.
March 18, 2014
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Delegates attending our fourth conversation day at Bucksburn Academy identified three key themes for improving science education.
Discussions focussed on:
Priorities for sciences education
Identifying partnerships that work
What does great learning in the sciences look like?
Education Scotland is keen to hear your views regarding the third theme, addressing what great learning in the sciences looks like.
What does great learning in the sciences look like?
Science education is important for every child and not just for those who may be headed toward a scientific or technical career.
Great learning in the sciences encourages young people to make sense of the world around them, to be scientifically literate. It develops skills enabling them to analyse, evaluate, think critically, justify conclusions and be creative and innovative; skills required to thrive and succeed in an increasingly globalised and technological society.
Delegates identified factors contributing to great learning in the sciences:
The final part of this discussion addressed the question, how do we get it right for every child and young person? Delegates’ suggestions included:
March 17, 2014
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30th April 2014, Dundee Science Centre, 1630 – 1800 including refreshments
Are you planning learning and teaching in sciences for early to second level? Or thinking about revamping your early, first and second level sciences? Are you an experienced teacher, PT, depute or headteacher looking for a model of staff mentoring and cluster working? Or a student or newly-qualified teacher looking to learn from the practice of others? This is a professional learning session you won’t want to miss!
On 30th April, teachers from primary schools in Perth and Kinross, and from Perth High School, will be joining us to describe how they went from a desire to plan for progression in sciences in the primary schools throughout the cluster, to a successful implementation of a series of rich tasks for all lines of development in sciences, incorporating skills.
Join us to hear how they got started, how they went about it, how they tied it into national resources and guidance, the view of staff on the experience, the pitfalls, and the successes. Teachers will also share some of their rich tasks, implemented in 2013/14, sharing their reflections from the perspective of learners’ experiences.
Charitable funding is available to support your attendance at this session. For more information, see our website. To book your place, or talk to us about this learning opportunity, contact learning@dundeesciencecentre.org.uk or telephone us on 01382868609.
We look forward to seeing you there!
March 16, 2014
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Tuesday 18th March sees the culmination of three months of work by over 320 in Fife on the ‘What’s out there? Explore our amazing universe’ project.
Around 320 P6/7 children from 10 schools will join Dundee Science Centre at the University of St Andrews to celebrate their learning in the ‘What’s out there? Explore our amazing universe!’ science and literacy project.
This Dundee Science Centre and Fife Cultural Trust project, delivered in collaboration with the University of St Andrews, has been running since January 2014. The initiative has included professional learning for teachers and visits to Dundee Science Centre for children, where they have had the opportunity to discover the wonders of our solar system and beyond, and enjoy some hands-on exploration of how we use invisible light to understand what’s out there.
Children have been working on the project within and outwith school, using Dundee Science Centre’s ‘Travellers on Spaceship Earth’ loan box resources to create their own myths around star constellations and hunt for exoplanets – planets beyond our solar system. Each child received a copy of one of the series of science adventures, written by Stephen and Lucy Hawking. Children have been designing and launching rockets, writing letters to Stephen Hawking, contacting the International Space Station, learning to code in binary and lots more. Each teacher received a copy of ‘Why we are Not Alone: Why We Have Already Found Extraterrestrial Life’ by local astronomer and author, David Darling, who is joining the celebration to share his own journey and adventures in science and writing with the youngsters.
The children will share their work with each other, as well as David Darling, Louise Smith, CEO of Dundee Science Centre, and University of St Andrews student ambassadors. The children’s work is also on display for the public at Dundee Science Centre on Sunday 16th March as part of the Fife Science Festival Family Fun Day. You can see more on the progress of the project, and children’s work including videos and pictures, by following us on Twitter @DundeeSciLearn.
We are delighted to have been running this project, working in partnership with Fife Cultural Trust, and with the help of the University of St Andrews. By the feedback from children and teachers in participating schools, this has had a positive impact in the classroom, and on learning. Children, teachers and families have embraced the project, and the opportunities it offers, taking it in many diverse directions, led by the creativity and interests of the children. We are really excited about sharing the children’s learning with the public at Dundee Science Centre, and having the opportunity to celebrate their learning with them.
March 14, 2014
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National Science & Engineering Week (NSEW) is a ten-day national programme of science, technology, engineering and maths events and activities across the UK aimed at people of all ages.
Anyone can organise an event or activity and the British Science Association supports organisers by providing
Our new activity packs include:
This year organisers can celebrate anything related to science, technology, engineering and maths. The sky is the limit!
However, for schools, Explore the Future will be the common theme across competitions, new resources and online projects, to encourage teachers and other educators to look forward to the world their students will lead.
For further information :
http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/national-science-engineering-week
March 12, 2014
by K. McFaul
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“Engineering turnover has grown 2.2% over the past four years to £1.1 trillion in the year ending March 2012. 5.4 million people are employed across 565, 320 engineering enterprises but we need many more engineers!
Engineering companies are projected to need 1.86 million people with engineering skills between 2010 and 2020. This mean we need double the numbers of engineering related apprentices and graduates coming out of college and universities.”
Facts from Engineering UK 2014 – http://www.engineeringuk.com/View/?con_id=441
Within Engineering Science National 4/5/Higher the engineering contexts and challenges unit is an opportunity to bring engineering to life and to deepen the learners understanding of how engineering plays a part in their local community.
We have an opportunity for one group of learners studying national 4 or 5 or Higher to work with Edinburgh Trams and to see engineering in a real world context, in and out of the classroom.
http://www.edinburghtrams.com/
This will be based on a first come first serve basis, if you are interested please contact kirsty.mcfaul@educationscotland.gov.uk for more details.
