STEM Blog

January 29, 2013
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Passeport pour la Francophonie and All U Need is Space

Education Scotland’s Passeport pour la Francophonie website resource, published in September 2012, takes you on a voyage of discovery through the French speaking world, through the eyes of children:Aude from France; Assouan from Egypt; Nyanga from Gabon; Menabe from Madagascar; Takakoto from Polynesia; with Angus from Scotland as our guide.

The sciences are explored through a number of learning journeys. In one journey, about space research and space junk, the children put forward their points of view which learners can use as the basis for debate “Space Research: is it worth it?”.

If you’re planning learning around space research or more widely with space as a context, the e-comic “All U Need is Space”, recently published by the European Commission, and accompanied by a website “Your Learning Space” may provide a stimulus for learning, along with useful information and videos to support and enrich learning and teaching.

This image is reproduced from the e-comic “All U Need is Space” published in Luxembourg by the Publications Office of the European Union Copyright European Union 2012.

January 11, 2013
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STEM Central and IDL

STEM Central contexts present ideal opportunities for an interdisciplinary approach to learning, and the learning journeys exemplify what IDL can look like in practice. STEM Central can be used in conjunction with Education Scotland’s recently published Curriculum for Excellence briefing on interdisciplinary learning to plan for meaningful and effective IDL in early years, primary and secondary.

What’s on STEM Central:

Contexts for learning with learning journeys, videos and interactives: Renewables, Water, Electric Transport, Energy-Saving House, Bioengineering, Sound and Games. Our new context “Rescue Vehicles” will be published soon.

December 16, 2012
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STEM Central and Electric Transport “Range Anxiety”

If you’re using the STEM Central Electric Transport context with your learners, videos from the Guardian’s Newton channel may be of interest. In this recent video “Electric car school helps motorist conquer ‘range anxiety'” , Physicist and science communicator Dr Melanie Windridge finds out more about the technologies of the electric car.

December 13, 2012
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Energy Security as a theme for learning in the Senior Phase

If you are planning learning and teaching associated with Energy Security for Physics in the senior phase, today’s news about fracking, reported by the BBC Minister’s approve shale gas fracking may be of interest. The BBC has also published a number of useful articles and video clips for understanding more about fracking.

What if fracking and why is it controversial?

Fracking: Untangling fact from fiction

Fracking: Lancashire villagers anxious after tremors

What is fracking? The process explained in 15 seconds

“UK will run out of gas without shale development”

Find our advice, guidance and exemplification around Energy Security on the Education Scotland website.

November 27, 2012
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Food Security: a context for learning at all levels

If you are using the advice, guidance and exemplification associated with Food Security for National 4 and National 5, or looking forward to the new STEM Central context on this theme, the Global Food Security blog may be of interest. Is food security only an issue for developing nations? Should we stop fishing? Lots of ideas to explore science and ethics.

November 22, 2012
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Forensic Rookies, Transition and the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust: Scottish Islands and Mainland ICT and Science project

We’ve been keeping you up to date with this inquiry based science project since last December, through STEM Central in Motion and a session at SLF2012.

The teacher materials associated with the project written by Susan Rodrigues, and practitioner participants in the project Janette Kean and Diane McMichael, are now available as a free downloadable ebook .

There have been a series of videos made using learners and practitioners and these will are available via the ScienceEdResearch channel on YouTube.

The individual vodcasts for each school:

Brae High; Blairgowrie; Coupar Angus; Inveralmond Community High; Urafirth; Westfield

November 20, 2012
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Food Security – a topical and relevant context for learning in the new NQs, and coming soon to STEM Central

If you are planning for learning and teaching for the new NQs in Science, Biology or Environmental Science, in the context of Food Security, then the BBC HARDtalk interview with environmental campaigner Vandana Shiva may be of interest. Discussion of issues such as do GM crops have a place in India’s future may provide a stimulus for learning, and provide material to explore the questions raised in our published resources for N4 and N5 on Food Security.

We’re also working on our Food Security context on STEM Central, due for publication in 2013. Exemplifying aspects of the science of food security, this ties in with our published Food for Thought resource which explores ideas for food as an interdisciplinary context. Look out in 2013 for this new context for STEM Central, including learning journeys for early to fourth level.

November 18, 2012
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STEM Central Sound Context and Chloe’s new ear

If you are working with the recently published STEM Central Sound context, the story of Chloe’s new ear from the Daily What news for schools in Scotland, including interactive diagrams might provide an interesting discussion point, or stimulus for related work.

November 14, 2012
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Oscar Pistorius at the University of Strathclyde to receive an honorary degree

Our STEM Central Bioengineering context, published in February 2012, highlights the work of the National Centre for Prosthetic and Orthotics at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Today Oscar Pistorius, the first double leg amputee to compete at both the Olympic and Paralympic games, visits the Centre as he collects his honorary degree (BBC News Report University honour for amputee Olympian Oscar Pistorius).

The STEM Central Bioengineering context offers opportunities to explore sciences and technologies for example through sports, or exploring the legacy of the Afghanistan conflict for those returning home as amputees, in an up to date Scottish context.

November 12, 2012
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Make a Splash! Junior Saltire Award for Children and Young People in Primary and Secondary Schools

Planning learning and teaching associated with the STEM Central Renewables context? This might be of interest.

To help to raise awareness amongst young people of the exciting developments and opportunities of marine renewables in Scotland, for the third successive year the Junior Saltire Award for primary and secondary school pupils is being organised.

The competition is managed by Skills Development Scotland in partnership with the Scottish Government and SCDI’s Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland.

 This award is open to all primary P5-P7 and secondary S1-S3 and S4-S6 pupils in Scotland. Working in teams of up to four, pupils will design and build a model marine energy device to operate under test conditions.

Schools can submit multiple entries provided each is registered separately.

Key dates

Registration of team(s) by: 21 December 2012

Submission of Design Blueprint by: 28 February 2013 (a grant of £50 will be made to the first 50 teams submitting design blueprints (max 1 grant per primary school and two per secondary school)

Submission of evidence of finished model by: 30 April 2013

After the closing date, a short listed number of schools (three primary and six secondary) will be invited to test their model in the Test Tank at the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Strathclyde University on Thursday 13 June 2012, followed by final judging at the Celebration of Engineering and Science at Big Bang Scotland on Friday 14 June 2013 at the SECC.

For more information visit the Skills Development Scotland website.

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