Whalsay school returned to the Shetland Science Fair at the Clickimin Leisure Complex at the beginning of term 2. S1 and S2 pupils attended to participate in a mixture of different activities to capture the interest of learners, presented by various groups within Shetland and by some visiting guests. As well as learning new information in the workshops, the pupils were using problem solving skills and taking part in groupwork throughout.
The Exploring Energyscapes workshop gave an insight into archaeology, run by Archaeology Scotland. Pupils learned about the use of Magnetometers, and how a dig site is chosen. Pupils then learned about mills found in the Quendale area and got to design and test their own water mill design. Pupils were also shown artefacts of archaeological finds from Shetland and Orkney.
Dynamic Earth returned to Shetland with their Portable Planetarium to deliver a stargazing show in our local sky, sharing some seasonal celestial highlights and space news. Many pupils reported that they enjoyed learning about space within the portable planetarium and that “they don’t know what some of the sky looks like and it’s names.”
The session from Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh highlighted the diverse careers at the Botanics and learners used hands-on activities to explore the varied skills and jobs that help improve biodiversity and combat climate change.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland ran an session involving a series of fun games and activities which included exploring artefacts they brought. The experts shared stories of local and global conservation, learning about our amazing animals, the issues they face, the actions their charity takes and what we can do as individuals to help them. Learners enjoyed learning about animals, specifically where a snail breathing hole is located – we wouldn’t want to mix that fact up…
The Dundee Science Centre ran an engineering workshop which focused on renewable energy. This workshop discussed electrical principles and the machines that use them, linking the learning to career pathways in electrical engineers and electricians. Pupils were involved in making a simple battery, setting up electrical circuits, and discussing energy transfer and storage. Pupils were highly engaged in this session, reporting that they learned “how to make electricity in different ways” and “that potatoes can make energy.”
Science Skills Academy launched an air pressure rockets session! Pupils worked together to build rockets which they launched indoors with an air-pressure rocket launcher. Competition was fierce to see whose rocket launched fastest!
Members of the SIC Climate Change Strategy Team ran hands on experiments for learners which focused on ocean acidification using sea shells and vinegar, an experiment involving albedo to demonstrate different heating qualities, and sea level rise using water and ice to show the effects of ice caps melting.
UHI Shetland ran two exhibits: The Marine Sector VR experience and A Day in the Life exhibition. The Marine Sector VR allowed users to experience typical workplace tasks from the aquaculture and fish processing industries in several scenarios. A Day in the Life was an interactive exhibition stand where learners explored what it’s like to work in the seafood industry. They explored microscopy, fish health checks and cage site tasks relevant to salmon farming. Pupils also had the chance to speak to Arnold Goodlad, an experienced fisherman from Burra. Arnold enjoyed meeting the Whalsay bairns and knew a lot of their Grandas. He shared stories and photographs about the progression of fishing over the years. This session was very popular among pupils!
Overall, the Shetland Science Fair was once again a huge success which was thoroughly enjoyed by all attending staff and pupils from Whalsay school. We were delighted to have the opportunity to experience relatable learning within the community from knowledgeable and experienced members in their respective fields. The pupils represented their school positively throughout and engaged with each of the exhibitions they attended. When asked if they would recommend the Science Fair to a friend they responded with “I would 100% recommend it to a friend because it was a very fun experience” and “it’s really interesting, it has lots of activities and lots of topics.” “We learned so much but we especially enjoyed learning about the renewable energy.” Everybody agreed they’d had a great time and when asked if they felt this visit was worth the journey and effort, the answer was a resounding YES!!
