PRIMARY ACTIVITY PACK - CONNECTIONS
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10-19 March 2023
CONNECTIONS
PRIMARY
ACTIVITY PACK
A range of activities to be
run with pupils aged 5-11
britishscienceweek.org
Delivered by Supported by
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY
10-19 March 2023
This activity pack is a one-stop
shop to support you during
British Science Week, and you
can use it all year!
W
hen developing this pack, Share your brilliant activities, vlogs
we looked for activities or images on social media! Join
which promote cross- the conversation or see what’s
curricular learning and break down happening during the Week by
the stereotypes surrounding science, tagging British Science Week on
technology, engineering and maths Twitter (@ScienceWeekUK ) and
(STEM). We therefore encourage you using the hashtag #BSW23.
to use British Science Week as an
Find an activity near you
opportunity to link STEM to other All activities (excluding links) have
curriculum subjects and to your pupils’ been health and safety checked Last year more than 100,000 people
own backgrounds, lives and interests. and include a list of ‘Watch out’ participated in activities around the
instructions for pupils to follow. UK. Help us make British Science
We have included activities for pupils to Find out more information at: Week 2023 even bigger and better!
complete in any setting, whether that’s britishscienceweek.org/plan-your- Visit sciencelive.net to find
their school, a club, an organisation or activities/activity-packs . science activities in your local area.
at home with their families.
STEM
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 2
We want to hear from you!
Tell us what you think of the
2023 activities using our survey…
CONTENTS
Visit bsa.sc/activitypacksurvey
4 Introducing the theme
5 Making the most of volunteers
6 British Science Week at home
7 Gathering resources for classroom or home
8 Beyond the Week
9 Unlocking skills
10 Bridge blunder
11 Take it home: Fantastic fingerprints
12 Protecting habitat connections
14 Making a moon dial
17 Plant your pants!
19 Invent like a Victorian
20 Yeast growth and temperature
21 Sustainable soap
22 Noisy neighbours
23 Good vibrations
25 Build your own barometer
27 See & eat vegetables
29 Nature connections
32 UNBOXED: Draw a scientist
35 Immunotherapy darts
37 Build a penetrometer
39 Poster competition CONNECTIONS
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 3
2023
INTRODUCING
THE THEME
CONNECTIONS
T
he theme this year for British Try a game, give an audio-visual Here are some other ideas to
Science Week is ‘Connections’! presentation, explore a mystery include at the beginning of British
Introduce the theme to pupils or special object or create a pop- Science Week:
in a fun, imaginative way to get them up display which communicates
excited about the Week ahead. You the theme of ‘Connections’. These Tell pupils about the plan for
can check out some ideas on how to activities are great to use as fun the Week and give them a
do this below: warm-ups, and are a fantastic challenge related to the theme.
way to start British Science Week. If you are sending home a family
Ask pupils to design a poster experiment, maybe you could
Engage pupils by discussing how
based on this year’s theme introduce or demonstrate it at
connections are made between
and enter it into our poster your school first.
people, plants, animals, materials,
competition for the chance to
countries and other things in their Connections are all around
win some fabulous prizes. Some
everyday lives. What are good us. Where has the topic of
of the activities in this pack can
examples of connections? connections been in the news
provide inspiration, simply look
or your local area? What are
out for the activities marked Invite a special guest or someone
examples of good and bad
with the paintbrush symbol from the school community to
connections? Is there any way
shown below! The theme for share with pupils their own
you can encourage conversations
this year’s poster competition experience of connections
about this with pupils?
is ‘Connections’, and you can (for example, how they have
find more information on how made connections with other
to enter on page 39 and scientists and learned from
at britishscienceweek.org/ them), showing how connections
plan-your-activities/poster- between people can help the
competition . study of connections in science.
See page 5 for information on
how to get volunteers.
4
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 4
2023
MAKING THE MOST
OF VOLUNTEERS
Face-to-face engagement is a great
way to get pupils involved and excited
about a volunteer speaker and their
topic, but don’t forget that there are
still opportunities to get volunteers and
presenters to engage with pupils online.
S
TEM Ambassadors are volunteers You could also try some of the a difference in the world, or an
who offer their time and following things: anecdote of a science activity
enthusiasm to help bring STEM they loved to do as a child.
Schedule two or three different
subjects to life, and to demonstrate
guests for careers talks during Book your visitors early (as many
their value to young people. It is now
the Week, if possible, to get pupils speakers get booked up during
possible to request both in-person
anticipating who the next guest will British Science Week). Have a
and remote STEM Ambassador
be and what they do. These sorts clear idea of what you want them
support, meaning that Ambassadors
of experiences can inspire pupils to to do and communicate this with
from across the UK can inspire young
think about what they want to be them ahead of time.
people wherever they are.
in the future. Remember, they are
Volunteers come from a range
never too young to explore their
Find out more and make a request of careers and experiences, from
career options!
for STEM Ambassador support here: engineers, designers and architects
stem.org.uk/stem-ambassadors/ Where available, choose to scientists and technicians, so
find-a-stem-ambassador . volunteers/Ambassadors who get pupils looking forward to
challenge stereotypes about inspirational career talks which
You can also look for presenters and scientists the pupils might broaden their choices and develop
volunteers via Science Live have absorbed, and promote their job interests!
(sciencelive.net ) or ask parents positive attitude towards science,
and carers if they work in STEM- like female engineers. Let Visit the Inspiring the Future website
related jobs to describe what they do the volunteers/Ambassadors (inspiringthefuture.org ) for
in more detail. share how their job is making some helpful ideas for using volunteers.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 5
2023
BRITISH SCIENCE
WEEK AT HOME
Do you want to help pupils carry on
participating in British Science Week at home,
but are not sure how? Here are our top tips for
engaging parents and carers with the Week.
Make the most of parent Get parents and carers thinking Send an experiment idea home
newsletters, the Parent-Teacher about how their own jobs might during the Week to perhaps spark
Association (PTA), chat group and link to STEM subjects and mealtime discussions around
text messaging services, if you encourage them to chat with science. Try to make it as low-
have them. Let all the parents their children about this. You resource as possible. It can help if
and carers know at least a month could do this via a newsletter or it’s something the pupils have tried
in advance of the Week what you send pupils home with activities or seen at school first so that they
have planned, and how you’d they can do with their families, feel like the ‘experts’ when they
like them to be involved. They which may then lead onto further do it at home with family, allowing
might be able to collect or donate conversations. them to lead the learning. Some
materials for use during the of the activities in this pack have
Encourage exploring outdoors, in
Week, and if you want them to been adapted to be easily run at
the community or in local cultural
get involved in any experiments home, so they are a great place
spots. This could be anything from
at home they may need time to start! There are also a range
going on a nature walk around
to plan and collect materials of science-based home activities
local parks, to spotting STEM
themselves. The PTA may be able requiring few resources in the
in action on the streets around
to support you financially to run CREST Home learning collection:
children’s houses. You might want
activities during the Week or help bsa.sc/collectionslibrary-
to check out the free resources
to drum up parent volunteers. crestawards-low-resource .
available through CREST Awards.
The Star and SuperStar activities
have been designed for primary
school pupils and many can be
done in an outdoor setting. Check
out the CREST primary challenges
collection: primarylibrary.
crestawards.org .
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 6
2023
GATHERING
RESOURCES FOR THE
CLASSROOM OR HOME
I
f you can, try to collect materials Take photographs when out and
throughout the year for use during about and share these with the
British Science Week. Alternatively, pupils to foster discussion and
check to see whether there is a raise their level of understanding
scrap shop/store/club open in about the connections happening
your local area. These places are all around us, in plants, building
often membership based and can structures and so on. The more
be a brilliant, inexpensive or free colourful, the better! The photos
resource for card, fabric and other can be a reference point for future
bits of material. Salvaged materials activities, for example a version of
can be turned into spaceships, trees, the guessing game ‘I spy’, where
sea creatures and more; you name you can describe your observation
it - the kids will think of it! Look at of a connection and the pupils can
childrensscrapstore.co.uk to find attempt to guess it.
a UK directory of scrap stores.
Collect story books and reference
books around the theme of
‘Connections’ to create a
themed library.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 7
2023
BEYOND
THE WEEK
Exploration and curiosity don’t have to end once
British Science Week is over!
S
ome of the following ideas could Consider sharing your British Science
help you to expand the learning Week learnings by running a Continuing
beyond the Week. Professional Development (CPD) session
for other teachers in your school or,
Have pupils take part in a CREST where relevant, academy chain. Think
Award. CREST is a scheme that about incorporating the Science Capital
encourages young people to think and teaching approach into your methods:
act like scientists and engineers. Pupils ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-
can complete eight activities to achieve centres/departments/education-
a Star or SuperStar Award, which will practice-and-society/science-capital-
see them receive a certificate and research/science-capital-teaching-
badge. Older pupils could also work approach .
towards a higher-level CREST Award.
Take a look at the different primary If you have the opportunity, consider
CREST challenges here: running a STEM club or curiosity lab.
primarylibrary.crestawards.org . You can find supporting resources at
stem.org.uk/stem-clubs .
Look out for the ‘Inspired? Find out
more about CREST’ logo, shown
below, on some of the activities in
this pack. This logo indicates that
this activity is a perfect jumping off
point for designing your own CREST
Awards project!
OUT MOR
FIND
E
INSPIRED?
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 8
Imaginative
2023 Observant
UNLOCKING
SKILLS
Curious
A fantastic way to encourage pupils to take an
interest in STEM is to introduce transferable skills
used by those working in STEM-related jobs.
T
hese skills will strengthen Get pupils leading the way Ask pupils to research how
positive attitudes and reduce connections have influenced the
A great way to encourage STEM
stereotypes of those working in way we live our lives today and
interest in young people is by letting
the field. then write a report for the school
them lead the way. Here’s how you
newsletter or website.
can help them along:
You could, for example, engage pupils
Encourage pupils to design and
in this STEM Person of the Week
Encourage pupils to run their create their own display, such as
activity from NUSTEM at Northumbria
own activities during British a display of scientists through
University. Ask pupils to identify what
Science Week. They could either time. This could be a photo exhibit
attributes people working in STEM
run activities for other members that emphasises the diversity
need. These might include being
of the class or run some CREST at of scientists, and which helps to
observant, creative, patient, good at
home activities with their family, overcome the ‘scientist in a white
communication, or curious. Look out
taking photos to present back to lab coat’ stereotype.
for the skills unlocked tags for each
their class. Check out the CREST
activity in this pack.
SuperStar activities for inspiration:
bsa.sc/primarylibrary-
See the table below for the complete
crestawards-superstar- Collaborative
list of skills developed by NUSTEM
homelearning .
to use as a talking point or to share
with other teachers. Or, as a little bit Get pupils to run their own
of motivation, why not award each CREST projects and then use
of the students with a certificate for them as inspiration for a mini
a STEM skill which they demonstrate science fair in class. There are
very well during the Week? lots of handy CREST resources
on the website:
library.crestawards.org .
Observant Open-minded Committed Curious Logical
Creative Imaginative Patient Self-motivated Collaborative
Resilient Communicator Passionate Hard-working Organised
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 9
2023
BRIDGE BLUNDER
This activity is designed to get you thinking about the
connections between weights, forces and measures.
Check out our video demonstration here:
bsa.sc/YouTube-CREST-Bridge- 10
blunder-demonstration
Can you build a model bridge
that supports heavy weights?
45 – 60 minutes
Skill set: Creative, Imaginative, Logical
Kit list Instructions Watch out
You are going to test the best design for a Avoid weights falling from a height.
A4 paper bridge. Think about which shapes are the
If bridges are high, you will need a bucket
strongest.
Weights or other of sand or cardboard box filled with
equipment to act crumpled paper underneath to catch
1 Using paper and a small amount of tape,
as ‘weights’ (like falling weights.
make your bridge. You can cut, roll, or fold
coins, blocks) the paper if you wish. This is not your final
bridge, just a way to try out your ideas! Next steps
Blocks or similar
to create the gap 2 Test your bridge with weights. Think This activity is one of the CREST SuperStar
for the bridge – or about how to make this a fair test; does it challenges. Why not try some of the other fun
gap between chair matter where you put the weights? activities here: primarylibrary.crestawards.
and tables org/#SuperStar .
3 Record the maximum weight your bridge
could hold. What could you change to
If you are an adult wanting to run CREST Awards
Sellotape make the bridge stronger?
with your pupils, visit the website for advice on
4 Using your findings from the first test, how to get started: crestawards.org .
E O AV
VID A make one final model and test with the
weights again.
IL
At home
A B LE
5 Show your bridge to the rest of the class.
What did people in ancient times use to build
You could take pictures and add notes
bridges? How does this compare to bridges
about what you think might make your
built today?
bridge stronger and more stable.
Career options
Architects design bridges and buildings, if
you are creative this could be the job for you!
Engineers work out how to bring these
designs to life. This could be a great
career if you like problem solving and
are good at making things, such as the
models in this activity.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 102023
Take it home:
FANTASTIC
FINGERPRINTS
This activity is designed to get you thinking about
fingerprints. Check out the video demonstration here:
Whorl
bsa.sc/YouTube-CREST-Fantastic-fingerprints-demonstration
Find out if everyone’s fingerprints really are different.
45 – 60 minutes
Skill set: Curious, Observant, Patient
Loop
Arch
Kit list Instructions Next steps
You will be comparing different fingerprints and This activity is one of the CREST SuperStar
Dust (flour, chalk,
seeing if you can identify any patterns. What do challenges. Why not try some of the other fun
talcum powder,
you know about fingerprints? Look at your own activities here: primarylibrary.crestawards.
cocoa powder)
fingerprints using a magnifying glass. org/#SuperStar .
Soft pencils
1 Now you are going to take your fingerprints. If you are an adult wanting to run CREST
Blank paper (white Rub a pencil onto a piece of paper or Awards with your pupils, visit the website
paper for pencil sprinkle a small amount of dust on a table. for advice on how to get started:
and cocoa prints; crestawards.org .
2 Now put your thumb on the pencil
black paper for rubbing or in the dust. Then place your
white powder thumb firmly on the sticky side of a piece At home
prints) of sellotape.
Look for fingerprints on surfaces such
Sellotape 3 Stick your sellotape onto a piece of paper. as glass (e.g. drinking glasses, mirrors or
You should be able to see your fingerprint. windows). Can you identify who made them?
Scissors Experiment to see what works best to get
clear prints. Can you find out other ways of identifying
Magnifying glasses individuals?
4 Look at your fingerprints, are the patterns
E O AV like the ones at the top of the page?
VID A Career options
5 Compare your prints with other people.
IL
A B LE
Are they all different? Can you work out Forensic scientists will collect evidence
which are yours? from crime scenes and take it to a
laboratory for testing. These tests, like the
6 Can you find other ways to collect
activity you have just done, help police
fingerprints?
identify who committed the crime. If you
have a lot of patience and like solving
Watch out problems, this could be a career for you!
Check if anyone has wheat or nut allergies
before using flour and cocoa.
Remember to keep fingers out of your mouth
and eyes during this activity and to wash
your hands thoroughly at the end of the
session. Do not use permanent markers.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 112023
PROTECTING HABITAT
CONNECTIONS
Why do scientists wait around in old buildings in the
middle of the night? They are protecting the connections
in a food web which keep the habitat around the building
healthy. In this activity you will explore what happens if
these connections are broken.
30 minutes
Skills unlocked: Observant, Patient, Organised
12
Kit list Instructions
2 species sheets What do you know about food chains and
(see next page) food webs? BBC Bitesize has a good video
and quiz to jog your memory!
Large piece of paper www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zx882hv/
articles/z3c2xnb .
Scissors
1 Cut out the species cards.
Access to the
internet or 2 Write FARM at the top of your poster
reference books paper. Watch out
3 How many different food chains can you Use scissors safely.
Pen or pencil make? Draw arrows between the species
to show the connections. You may need to
Lined paper Next steps
look some up.
Research how scientists are protecting these
4 Which species fit into more than one
habitat connections.
food chain?
5 Can you make a food web? Note to teachers: The Bat Conservation Trust
OUT MOR
FIND 6 Barn owls and bats roost in an old barn
has lots of information about bats here:
www.bats.org.uk .
E
INSPIRED?
on the farm. What will happen to them if
the barn is knocked down?
At home
7 Remove the bats and barn owls from your
food chains or food web. Find out what a bat surveyor does. Draw a
picture of a bat surveyor at work. What times do
8 Write a short letter to the farmer to tell
they work? What equipment are they using?
them what will happen on the farm if
the barn is knocked down. What should
they do? Career options
Ecologists study how animals and
plants interact with their environment,
investigating the connections between
species in a habitat, and helping
to protect the environment and
natural resources.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 12PROTECTING HABITAT CONNECTIONS
SPECIES CARDS
Apple tree Barn owl Hawk Beans
Bee Farmer Ladybird Cow
Clover Sheep Oats Midges
Moth Beetle Grass Grasshopper
Bat Blue tit Sheep Aphid
Earth worm Blackbird Cabbages
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 132023
MAKING A
MOON DIAL
In this activity you will be finding a book about
the moon, then making your own moon dial to
track the phases of the moon. You can use your
school library, or go to your public library and ask
a librarian to help you find the right book.
1 hour
Skills unlocked: Curious 14
Kit list Instructions Next steps
A copy of the moon 1 Find a book about the moon. This could At Reading Sparks, they love making
dial discs printed be a picture, non-fiction (information) connections between books and STEM. Some
onto thin card or story book. You might find a book on Reading Sparks groups of young people have
(see next 2 pages) space with a chapter about the moon. been making films about books they read.
Have a browse and see what you can find. Have a look and find out more at:
A paper split pin
www.readingsparks.org.uk .
2 Read the book and see if you can find a
Scissors picture of the moon in the book. Was it a
full, quarter or crescent moon? Use Disc 1 At home
A pencil and some
(see next page) to help you decide.
modelling clay Some people talk about “the man in the
(to make a hole) 3 You can now make your own moon dial moon”, others see a rabbit. What shape(s) can
to help you track through the different you see on the surface of the moon?
Access to a library phases of the moon.
4 Cut out Discs 1 and 2 Career options
(see next 2 pages).
Books are a great way to share your ideas
5 Place some modelling clay under each of and stories. People involved in creating
the blue dots then use a pencil to push books include:
through and make a hole.
authors who write
6 Place Disc 2 on top of Disc 1 and put
illustrators who draw
the paper split pin through the holes to
secure the discs together. You can now publishers who make everything
track the phases of the moon! into a book for us to read
librarians who help make these books
freely available for you to enjoy!
Watch out
Take care when you are pushing the paper
split pin through the card.
Use scissors safely.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 14Moon Dial Template (Disc 1)
MAKING A MOON DIAL
MOON DIAL DISC 1
First Quar ter
Wa
ous xin
bb g
G i C
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sc
xin
en
Wa
t
New Moon
Full Moon
Wa
us
nin
o
bb
g
i
C
G g re
n s
ni
c
en
Wa t
Thi r
YOU CAN
KEEP ME!
© 2021 The Reading Agency. Registered charity number 1085443 (England & Wales)
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 15Moon Dial Template (Disc 2)
MAKING A MOON DIAL
MOON DIAL DISC 2
YOU CAN
KEEP ME!
© 2021 The Reading Agency. Registered charity number 1085443 (England & Wales)
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 162023
PLANT YOUR PANTS! Watch out
Ask for permission before you dig up
Humans are connected to soil. We depend on soil for lawns and playing fields.
food (for us and other animals), plant-based fibres like
Dig carefully. Look out for any
cotton and linen, for some building materials and even for
litter, glass or sharp items in the soil.
medicines. Healthy soil locks up carbon, holds water and
is full of life. Use your senses to explore soil and discover Wash your hands carefully after
what it can do! touching soil.
30-45 minutes, plus follow up in 8 weeks Once you have dug up your underpants at
the end of the 8 weeks, dispose of in non-
Skills unlocked: Observant, Curious, Patient
recycling rubbish.
Next steps
To find out how to record and share
Kit list Instructions your findings, when to dig up your pants,
and other ‘plant your pants’ worksheets
1 Choose 2 locations with different soil.
and activities, go to
Spade or trowel • Use a trowel/spade to remove the countrytrust.org.uk/plantyourpants .
Tray surface layer of soil and then lift a
spadeful of the soil underneath into At home
“Hands in the the tray.
Soil” sheet Find food or clothes that started their lives
• Inspect the soil, using the “Hands in in soil. Look in ingredient lists and clothes
(see next page)
the Soil” sheet. labels. What would life be like without soil?
Water
2 Soil-dwelling creatures digest food (other
Career options
2 pairs of clean creatures and plant matter) in the soil.
cotton underpants or Good soil has more life in it. To find out Soil scientists study how soil impacts our
other 100% natural how much life there is in your 2 soils, you lives including: food production, water
fibre clothing or are going to bury some cotton pants! storage, nutrient cycles, carbon capture
material and waste disposal.
• Describe and draw what you are
Colouring pencils burying; think about their colour, Agronomists work with farmers to help
texture and weigh them. them grow healthy crops.
Weighing scales
• Bury pants in each location. Put a Wildlife and Environment Officers look
marker in the soil so you can find them after wild plants and animals.
OUT MOR
FIND
later! Horticulturists grow food, flowers and
vegetables.
• You are going to leave the pants for 8
E
INSPIRED?
weeks. Predict what might happen. Will
they have changed? How?
3 After 8 weeks dig up your pants. Were
your predictions correct? Why might they
have changed?
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 17PLANT YOUR PANTS!
HANDS IN THE SOIL WORKSHEET
Soil is a mixture of rock minerals, fungi, millions of tiny Think about which locations a farmer might prefer to
living creatures (from bacteria to earthworms), dead grow crops and why.
and decaying organic matter, air and water. Different
Which location do you think has the better quality soil?
soils have different amounts of each of these. Get your
hands in the soil and explore it with your senses to see What do you think humans can do to change the
if you can work out what makes soil good and healthy. soil quality?
Soil location 1 Soil location 2
Describe the location
Is it sheltered or in the
open? Is anything growing
there? Do people regularly
tread on it?
Colour
Colour in the box to show the
colour of the soil.
Treasures
What is in the soil?
e.g. roots, stones, minibeasts,
earthworms, leaves, pine
needles, seeds
Smell
e.g. fresh, damp, sweet, sour,
mouldy, earthy
Appearance
e.g. gritty, clumpy, fine, coarse,
lumpy, stony, shiny, dry, wet,
sparkly, soft, hard
Sound
Rub a little of the soil between
your fingers next to your ear.
e.g. silent, quiet, gritty,
squeaky, loud, crunchy
Texture
Add a little water and roll the
soil into a ball.
e.g. sandy, clay, chalky, spongy,
slippery, soapy
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 182023
INVENT LIKE A
VICTORIAN
The Victorians were keen inventors. Everyday people
used their own life experiences to design new
inventions. Connect to these inventors and ideas from
the past and develop your creativity and problem-
solving skills. Channel your inner inventor and design
something to make life at home easier.
1 hour
Skills unlocked: Creative, Observant, Imaginative
Kit list Instructions
1 Create a mind map of problems you
Coloured pencils may have in your own home that could
or pens be solved by an invention. These could
be related to cooking, cleaning, heating,
Paper sleeping, getting dressed, getting out of
bed, gardening, losing things etc.
2 Visit The National Archives’ webpage
OUT MOR
FIND
on some of the weird and wonderful
inventions designed by ordinary people
E
INSPIRED?
in the Victorian era that were intended
for use in the home and garden:
blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/the-spirit-
of-invention-in-the-victorian-home/ .
3 Inspired by these Victorian designs, use
coloured pencils or pens to draw an
invention to solve a problem in the home.
Draw in as much detail as you want!
4 Don’t forget to include views from
the front, rear and side, as well as
measurements, materials and colours.
5 Include a sentence about what your
invention does, why it is unique and why
you decided to design it.
Career options
Next steps The inventors whose ideas are captured
Submit your design online for the chance to in the design registers used their
have your design displayed in ‘The Spirit of imaginations to solve problems in their
Invention’ exhibition at The National Archives, or own lives and work.
even brought to life by a talented maker!
They were surgeons, gardeners, farmers,
www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/SubmitInvention .
tailors and veterinarians. Lots of STEM
careers require the creativity and
problem-solving skills used in this activity,
not just inventing and engineering!
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 192023
YEAST GROWTH AND
TEMPERATURE
When baking bread, yeast is added to dough as a raising
agent to make it rise. The ‘bubble’ structure that can be seen
in cooked bread is caused by a gas (carbon dioxide) that yeast
produces as it consumes sugar and grows. This activity tests at
which temperature yeast grows best.
1 hour
Skills unlocked: Observant
Kit list Instructions Watch out
(per experiment) 1 Weigh 30g yeast and 30g sugar and place A mixture of hot and cold water is needed
in a bottle. to obtain the correct water temperature.
90g dry yeast
You should not work with water over 45°C.
2 Repeat step 1 for the other 2 bottles.
90g sugar To avoid this risk, ask a teacher/adult if
3 Measure 30ml of water using a mixture of they can prepare flasks of water for you.
3 small plastic bottles hot and cold water. Use a thermometer to
Be careful not to get any of the yeast
with lids obtain 3 different temperatures for each
mixture in your mouth or eyes. If you do,
bottle: 15°C, 30°C and 45°C.
3 water containers rinse immediately with water.
4 Add the water to the mixtures of yeast
Do not store beyond the end of the
3 balloons and sugar in the 3 bottles.
lesson, pour yeast/sugar/water mixtures
Weighing scales 5 Put the lids back on bottles and shake all down the drain with lots of water.
3 bottles to mix.
Thermometer
6 Take lids off the bottles and attach Next steps
Flexible tape balloons to the top of each bottle
Head to the BBC Teach website to see a short
measure immediately.
film about this investigation:
7 Leave each bottle for 10 minutes. bsa.sc/bbc-what-temperature-does-yeast-
OUT MOR
FIND
grow-the-most-video-demo .
8 Use a tape measure to measure around
the widest part of each balloon.
E
INSPIRED?
At home
9 Record the results in a table that shows
the water temperature and circumference Find out what yeast needs to grow. Why
of each balloon. do bakers need to check their yeast is alive
before they use it in baking?
10 The larger the balloon, the more gas is
being produced and the more the yeast
has grown. Career options
Bakers and chefs need to understand how
yeast grows to help their baking and cooking.
Fermentation scientists study
fermentation (which involves yeast) and
use this knowledge in food and medicines.
Chemists explore how different chemicals
react when mixed together and under
different conditions.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 202023
SUSTAINABLE SOAP
In this activity you will compare solid and liquid
soaps. You will think about whether they are both as
effective at washing hands, and whether one is more
environmentally friendly.
Watch out
1.5-2 hours, plus 4 weeks of observation
Mould spores can exacerbate lung
Skills unlocked: Curious, Patient conditions such as asthma. Once the
bread is sealed in the bag do not open it
again.
Once the investigation is complete, seal
all of the bags of bread in another sealed
bag before disposing in the the non-
recycling rubbish.
Kit list Instructions Do not store bread beyond 4 weeks.
1 Get into a group of 3.
Adults may need to warn colleagues that
Fresh white bread 2 One person will wash their hands with the you are deliberately growing mould so that
Clear new liquid soap, one person will use the bar of the investigations are not thrown away too
sealable bags soap, and one person will not wash their soon. primary.cleapss.org.uk/Resource-
hands. File/P006-Growing-fungi-on-food.pdf .
Pen
3 Each group member should pick up and
Liquid hand wash handle a piece of bread.
Next steps
4 Next, seal your piece of bread in a clear
Bar of soap This activity is taken from CIEC’s ‘Sustainable
plastic bag. Label your bag to show which
stories and solutions for our planet’ resource.
Access to hand type of soap was used.
CIEC would like to thank Innospec for adding
washing facilities 5 Put the sealed bags of bread somewhere new activities in 2022, and to Thomas
warm and dark. Make sure that they don’t Swan and Co. Ltd for funding the initial
get too hot, or they will dry out. development of this publication, which can be
OUT MOR downloaded free of charge at ciec.org.uk/
FIND 6 Look at the bread through the bag every
few days and record what happens.
sustainability.html .
E
INSPIRED?
After a while you should see mould
start to grow. At home
7 Do you notice any differences between Have you ever thought about how much more
the amount of mould growing on the volume there is in a bottle of hand wash
bread? What does this tell you about the compared to a bar of soap?
importance of handwashing? What does it
tell you about how well different types of What other liquid products do you have at
soap work? home? How many of them do you think
would work in a solid formulation?
Career options
Companies like innospecsustainability.com
are helping us to live more sustainably by
developing a wider range of solid products,
such as shampoo.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 212023
NOISY NEIGHBOURS
This activity explores how sounds travel and begins
with an everyday common experience.
This is then followed up with hands on activities so you
can experience hearing sounds in different ways.
15 minutes to 3 hours
Skills unlocked: Creative, Communicator, Collaborative
Kit list Instructions Watch out
1 Discuss the following questions in groups: Be careful when poking holes in
Paper the paper cups.
• Have you ever heard your neighbours
Metal coat hangers in the next house or flat? Next steps
• Was the door or window open? Extend this activity by using different
2 pieces of
60cm string • How do you think the sounds travel lengths of string.
from your neighbour to your ear?
Paper cups Note to teachers: This activity is based upon
2 Draw labelled diagrams of how you heard the primary science capital approach, which
20m of string (kite your neighbour(s), indicating all the uses children’s experiences to enhance their
string/fishing line different materials the sound had to travel learning and enables them to become the
is best) through to get to your ears. experts. Further information can be found
here: explorify.uk .
3 Tie one piece of 60cm length string to
A compass one side of a metal coat hanger and the
second piece to the other side of the At home
hanger. Wrap the other end of each piece
Why do some animals have larger ears than
of string around each forefinger and then
others? Find out by making a cone with A3
put your forefingers in each ear. Listen
paper. Try listening with and without a cone.
as you gently swing the coat hanger so
it hits an object like a desk. How did the
sound travel to your ears? How does the
sound differ when you repeat this without Career options
putting your fingers in your ears?
Sound is everywhere. Sound engineers
4 Investigate string telephones – poke and technicians are needed to ensure
a hole in the bottom of 2 paper cups, good sound quality at concerts. They help
threading a piece of string 20m long make TV and radio programmes, design
through each cup, and knotting the quieter machines and buildings, as well as
ends to stop it pulling through the cup. voice-activated devices.
Ensuring the string is taut, get a partner
Audiologists test people’s hearing and fit
to talk into the cup whilst you listen. What
hearing aids.
can you hear?
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 222023
GOOD VIBRATIONS
In 2020, most countries imposed a lockdown. It was
difficult for people to connect with others and less
movement made the world quieter. This was good
for scientists investigating connections between
underground vibrations (seismic waves, similar to
sound waves). Learn how scientists measure seismic
vibrations by making a simple seismometer.
45 minutes
Skills unlocked: Curious, Collaborative, Resilient
Kit list Instructions Watch out
1 Look at the diagram on the Take care when making holes in the box
A cardboard box following page. and the cup. You might want an adult to
(a shoe box is ideal) do this for you. You might prefer to use
2 Remove the lid of a shoe box.
tape to attach the different parts.
A paper or
3 Make slits on opposite sides of the
plastic cup Paper will need to be pulled slowly
box, so paper can be threaded slowly
through the box.
A felt tip pen through at the bottom.
4 Make one hole in the bottom of the Next steps
Scissors
cup and push the tip of a felt tip pen
To find out more about seismic activity, you
String through this hole.
might like to read PSTT’s I bet you didn’t
5 Make 2 holes on opposite sides of know… article, ‘What happens underground
Tape
the rim of the cup and tie some string when humans stay indoors’. You might like
A long strip of paper to each hole. to try other related activities described in the
associated Teacher Guide. Both can be found
6 Attach the other end of each string to
here: pstt.org.uk/resources/curriculum-
the top of the box so that the cup is
materials/cutting-edge-science-primary-
OUT MOR dangling inside the box and the pen is
FIND resting on the paper strip.
schools .
E
INSPIRED?
7 Now you are ready to measure seismic
At home
events. Remember - the larger the
movement of the box (caused by Where can you see or feel vibrations in your
seismic activity), the larger the pen home? What causes them? Can you record
scribble. these vibrations using your seismometer?
8 You could investigate seismic activity
created through jumping on a PE Career options
mat. Which types of jumps create the
Seismologists measure vibrations
greatest seismic activity?
travelling underground to help to find
9 Have someone slowly pull the paper out where there is significant seismic
through the bottom of the box, whilst activity and to predict where potential
you jump on the mat. earthquakes might happen.
You could visit PSTT’s resource - A
Scientist Just Like Me – to find out about
other science-related jobs: pstt.org.uk/
resources/curriculum-materials/ASJLM .
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 23GOOD VIBRATIONS
BUILD A SEISMOMETER
String
A cardboard box
(a shoe box is ideal)
A felt tip pen
A paper or
plastic cup
A long strip of paper
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 242023
BUILD YOUR OWN
BAROMETER
Antartica is like the Earth’s barometer: what happens
there tells us how the world’s climate will change in the
future. A barometer is used to measure atmospheric
pressure. This influences rainfall, temperature, winds
and storminess. In this activity you will make your own
Watch out
barometer to measure the atmosphere around you.
Take care when using materials,
1 hour
particularly when cutting the plastic bottle
Skills unlocked: Observant, Creative, Collaborative and using glues and tapes.
Ensure the equipment you make is used
safely and responsibly.
Kit list Instructions
Store somewhere secure and not liable to
1 To build your own barometer: being knocked over.
A 2-litre see-through
plastic water bottle • Cut off the curved upper part and neck In the interest of hygiene, choose one
(empty) of the bottle. person to suck water through the tube
rather than passing this around.
Clear plastic tubing • Fix the ruler on the inside with the
(approx. 50cm) numbers going up. Next steps
Ruler and pen • Tape the tube inside the bottle a few The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) is
centimetres from the bottom to allow a unique charity working to help everyone
Sticky tape and water to be sucked through it. Secure discover, understand, value and protect
blu tack the tube near the top of the bottle Antarctica. They care for 6 historic bases
using tape, making it in line with the on the Antarctic Peninsula representing the
Water birthplace of British climate science on the
ruler. The rest can be left to hang loose.
Food colouring continent. Find out more at
• Fill the bottle up to the halfway mark www.ukaht.org .
Scissors with water and add food colouring to
make it easier to see.
At home
• Suck water halfway up the tube and
OUT MOR You can make your own barometer and carry
FIND trap it with your tongue. Use blu tack
to seal the end of the tube and lock the
out your own weather monitoring at home.
E
INSPIRED?
Do you get different measurements at home
water in. You are now ready to measure! compared to school?
2 The water level will rise and fall depending
on the air pressure. When there is higher Career options
pressure, the water will rise. This means
Lots of different types of people are needed
there is increased chance of clear weather.
to monitor and protect the climate in
When air pressure lowers, the water
Antarctica:
will fall. This means there is increased
likelihood of clouds and rain.
Biologists, geologists and meteorologists
3 Monitor the changes for a set period of collect and study data.
time – this could be a week, a month or
Conservators, carpenters and electricians
a whole term. Make a note of what the
look after the historic bases.
weather was like following the reading.
How good is your barometer at predicting Architects, engineers and inventors design
changes in the weather? new buildings and equipment.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 25BUILD YOUR OWN BAROMETER
DIAGRAM
Blu tack
Clear plastic tubing (approx. 50cm)
Sticky tape
A 2-litre see-through plastic
water bottle
Ruler
Water with food colouring
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 262023
SEE & EAT Watch out
VEGETABLES Please follow your school’s guidelines
when using electronic devices for the
research activity.
In this activity, you will explore the connection between
Use scissors carefully.
how vegetables grow and how they end up on your
dinner plate. You will see the field to fork journey of one
Next steps
vegetable – broccoli – and create your own storyboard
about a different vegetable, showing the different Visit seeandeat.org for more activities to
stages of its journey from field to fork. help you learn about vegetables and where
they come from. Download the See & Eat
1+ hours
vegetable ebooks or use the Our Story 2 app
Skills unlocked: Observant, Creative, Curious to make your own ebook about a vegetable’s
field to fork journey.
Plant vegetables in the school’s garden and
Kit list Instructions use these for cooking activities.
1 Look at the activity template (see next
Paper/card page) that shows the 6 steps of broccoli’s
At home
field to fork journey: growing, harvesting,
Pencils or paint shopping, preparing, cooking and eating. Why not visit a farm to see how vegetables
grow, or go to the supermarket to see all the
Scissors Optional for teachers: Visit seeandeat.org
different shapes, sizes and colours vegetables
to see broccoli’s field to fork journey in
can be?
Glue pictures and share this using your interactive
whiteboard.
Craft materials Career options
(e.g. junk, felt, 2 Choose another vegetable and research
foam, tissue, clay, This activity teaches you how to find and
its field to fork journey:
lolly sticks, paper use relevant information to learn more
plates, wool, foil) • How does it grow? about the world. This is a key skill used by
all scientists.
Activity template • How does it get to the supermarket?
(see next page) The See & Eat books were created by
• How do you prepare and cook it? psychologists interested in how we can
Optional: computer, • What might you serve it with for help people choose healthy foods to eat.
iPad or tablet to dinner?
look at See & Eat
resources 3 Make a storyboard of your vegetable’s
field to fork journey using paper and
colouring pencils or craft materials. Try to
include each of the key stages.
4 Share what you have discovered with the
rest of your group or class.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 27SEE & EAT VEGETABLES
BROCCOLI FIELD TO FORK
Please go to the end of this pack for an A3 version with cutting guide.
1. Growing 2. Harvesting
3. Shopping 4. Preparing
5. Cooking 6. Eating
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 282023
SQUIRREL
NATURE
CONNECTIONS CATERPILLAR OAK TREE
Ecosystems are communities of living and non-living
things in an environment. They can include things like
animals and plants as well as water and soil. This fun
activity shows you how everything in an ecosystem is EARTHWORM BLUE TIT
interdependent, and that the loss of one connection
has knock-on effects…
20 minutes
SOIL
Skills unlocked: Collaborative, Observant, Imaginative
Kit list Instructions Next steps
Scissors (to cut out 1 Everyone forms a circle and chooses one Conduct a nature survey around school and
ecosystem elements, ‘ecosystem element’. replicate this activity with the wildlife you
see next page) OR find! You need to find 12 different animals,
white boards and 2 One player holds the string and tells the
plants, or resources. You can use the Seek
board pens (to write group their ecosystem element. If you
app to help identify wildlife
out ecosystem have a connection to this element, explain
wwf.org.uk/discover-nature-seek-app .
elements) why. The player with the string decides
which connection best fits and lets out
Find further resources on nature, climate
Ball of string the string to that player.
change and sustainability at
3 The next player does the same. As the wwf.org.uk/schools .
game progresses a web of ecosystem
OUT MOR connections will form. Check out this biodiversity video:
FIND 4 Keep strings tight and stop when you run
youtube.com/watch?v=b6Ua_zWDH6U .
E
INSPIRED?
out of connections or string!
At home
5 Now, choose one human action
(e.g. climate change) and think about Why not help to improve habitats for local
how it might impact your ecosystem. nature around your home by making an apple
Tell the group if you think your ecosystem bird feeder to feed local birds?
element would be affected. The group wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-03/
decides which is most affected and that WWF_Apple_Feeder_Activity_Sheet_0.pdf .
player leaves the circle dropping their
strings.
Career options
6 As each player leaves, what happens?
Ecologists advise construction companies
As you lose connections, how will
on where they can build so they don’t
the remaining plants and animals be
disrupt important habitats.
affected?
Environmental policy advisors give expert
advice to the government and other
Watch out organisations on issues like climate
change and habitat loss.
Be careful not to trip over the string it or
tangle anyone up in it. Sustainability officers work to make their
organisations more environmentally
Use scissors safely.
friendly.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 29NATURE CONNECTIONS
ACTIVITY
Blackbird Blue tit
Eats earthworms, Eats caterpillars, fruits
caterpillars, spiders, and seeds
fruits and seeds
Earthworm Oak tree
Eats soil, rotting Needs sunlight, water and
leaves and roots nutrients from the soil
The leaves and branches
provide food for many
animals.
Slug Brambles
Eats leaves. Can be Animals can eat the
found in damp, dark leaves or berries of the
places bramble plant.
Spider Tawny owl
Eats insects Eats small birds
and mice
Centipede Common frog
Eats insects, likes dark Eats insects, worms
damp places and slugs
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 30NATURE CONNECTIONS
ACIVITY SHEET
Wood pigeon Red fox
Eats seeds and fruits Eats mice, rabbits, slugs,
frogs, fruits and berries
Dandelion Hedgehog
Needs sunlight, water and Eats slugs, worms,
nutrients from the soil insects and berries
The leaves are eaten by
animals and bees get
nectar from the flowers.
Caterpillar Grey squirrel
Eats fresh green leaves Eats acorns and
other nuts
They make their homes
in trees, piles of leaves
or in buildings.
Woodlouse Honeybee
Eats rotting leaves and Drinks nectar and eats
fungi, likes dark damp pollen from flowers
places
Water Soil
Plants and animal need Plants need water and
water to survive. Frogs nutrients in the soil to
and newts lay eggs in grow. Worms eat soil
water. and live in it.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 312023
UNBOXED:
DRAW A SCIENTIST
Growing up you will learn and develop lots of new skills. Whilst
some jobs, like a bus driver and a dentist, are very different to
each other, you will find that many skills needed are the same.
In this activity you will explore the skills and creativity in STEM.
30–45 minutes
Skills unlocked: Open-minded, Collaborative
Kit list Instructions Next steps
1 Look at the job profiles of the different This activity is part of the UNBOXED
Plain A3 paper
scientists involved in UNBOXED Creations CREST Discovery Award.
or a couple of
(see next page). View the full resource here:
sheets of A4
bsa.sc/CREST-Awards-Discovery-projects .
2 In the middle of your paper, draw a
Pencils scientist. Be as creative as you want!
If you want to investigate more scientists
Remember, all scientists look different and
Crayons and the skills they use, check out the
do different jobs.
‘Smashing Stereotypes’ webpage:
Job profiles 3 Next, think about what skills your scientist britishscienceweek.org/plan-your-
(see next page) needs to do their job. Write these around activities/smashing-stereotypes .
your drawing. Try to think of as many
Optional: ruler skills as possible.
At home
4 Now think about an artist. What skills do
Discuss at home what skills your parents,
OUT MOR they need? Put a tick by the skills you
FIND think an artist also has.
carers or other people you know have.
Do they have to be creative in their jobs?
E
INSPIRED?
5 Did you list ‘creativity’? Both scientists Do they have to work with people with
and artists need to think creatively. different skills?
Discuss why that may be.
6 In a different coloured pen/pencil, put Career options
another tick by the skills that you have.
UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK saw STEM
7 If you are doing this activity at school and arts professionals working together
or in a group, you could all share your to create 10 exciting projects across the
pictures. Are there similarities between UK. This included a magical forest-garden
the skills you all listed? in Birmingham city centre and an art
sculpture of a SEE Monster in the sea!
Skills learnt in these STEM subjects can
be applied to many different jobs.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 32UNBOXED: DRAW A SCIENTIST JOB PROFILES
Name Name Name
Dev Joshi Leah Gowing Annabelle Ohene
Job title Job title Job title
Technical Director Architectural Trainee Engineer
What is my job? What is my job? What is my job?
I work on the technology of the An architect’s job is to notice I worked on bringing together
Dreamachine. This project is a tiny details, and make sure the technology to create
magical experience that uses light everything is built correctly. Geolights. These are a type
and music to let visitors ‘see’ a For the Polinations project (a of rechargable, handheld LED
wonderful, colourful world in their man-made city-centre forest) I light which can be controlled
mind. We created Dreamachine created computer images of it to remotely, depending on where
to stimulate people’s brains, see how it would look in real life. it is located, to change colour.
allowing every person to use their I also get involved in the building The technology included: real-
brain and conjure up their own and decorating. time location tracking (like the
world of colour. maps on a smartphone) and
How is my job battery charging.
linked to creativity?
How is my job I needed to think creatively when How is my job
linked to creativity? designing the Polinations forest. linked to creativity?
I make sure the light and sound I had to ask myself, how can I Artists who work on large-scale
do the right thing, which is to design a structure that fits in outdoors exhibitions and events
make visitors’ brains conjure with the surroundings, but is also will use Geolights, so I had to
up wonderful images that they beautiful like a forest? understand their ideas and use
‘see’ with their eyes closed. We creative problem solving to
test these and come up with create working light designs.
different combinations of sound
and light too.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 33CE
UNBOXED: DRAW A SCIENTIST OUR PLACE IN SPA
JOB PROFILES
Pluto
Name Name Neptune
Luke Blakely Nicole Stott Uranus
Job title Job title
Educator/Performer Astronaut, Aquanaut
and Artist
What is my job? What is my job?
I do a number of things! I run I have been lucky enough to
Saturn
circus workshops but also work explore both outer space and the
as a street theatre performer, deep oceans. I study the areas,
which can be science themed. and conduct experiments too.
I try to make science as fun I take things from Earth, and
and magnificent through stunts find out how they act in space,
and tricks. where the surroundings are
different. I also study the marine
How is my job environment.
linked to creativity?
I combine performing and How is my job
science, which means I have to linked to creativity? Jupiter
constantly think of new, exciting, I’m an artist too! So I love using
creative and unique ways to the beauty of space and sights
‘show’ science with my voice, beneath the sea as inspiration
gestures and body. I am always for artwork that I do such as
thinking about the connections paintings or making jewelry.
between what I can physically
perform and science, to do this.
The Moon
Mars
Earth
Venus
Mercury
The Sun
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 342023
IMMUNOTHERAPY Watch out
DARTS Make sure the dartboard is secure and
won’t fall when hit with darts. Make sure
you do this activity in a safe area where
This activity demonstrates how cancer immunotherapy you can’t hit anyone or anything which
works. Immunotherapy is a treatment that uses the body’s might be knocked over! Ensure no one is
immune system to prevent, control and get rid of cancer. standing near the dartboard when darts
Immunotherapy targets cancer cells by taking advantage are being thrown.
of how the immune system recognises different cells in the
Use scissors carefully.
body through different shaped molecules on their surface.
30 mins
Next steps
Skills unlocked: Patient
If you enjoyed this activity, take a look at
some other activities: bsa.sc/immunology-
org-related-activities .
Kit list Instructions
1 Print off the worksheet. Cut out the cells At home
Magnetic dartboard/ and stick them to your dartboard. Healthy
Do you know that cells of the immune system
noticeboard cells (pink) should be evenly spread
interact with many other diseases? Can you
across the dartboard. Cancer cells (green)
Magnetic darts find out more about the immune system and
are found less frequently and are harder
these diseases?
to hit. Cancer cells should be placed close
Different cells of
to healthy cells.
different shapes
made of paper stuck
Career options
2 Use the darts to try and hit as many
on the dartboard/ cancer cells as you can. But watch out, if Immunologists study the immune system,
noticeboard you hit healthy cells, you’ll lose points. which helps us understand how to treat
(see next page) lots of different health issues. Many
3 Cancer cells are worth 100 points, healthy
immunologists work in a laboratory
Double sided tape cells are -20 points. Make sure you keep
focusing on research, such as developing
or blu tack score and add up your points at the end
immunotherapies against cancer, and
of your turn.
A way of keeping others are “clinical immunologists”
score 4 Did you find that hard or easy? We can – doctors who diagnose and manage
boost our immune system through diseases of the immune system.
Scissors immunotherapy. Move closer to the board
and try again. Does that make it easier?
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 35IMMUNOTHERAPY DARTS ACTIVITY SHEET BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 36
2023
BUILD A
PENETROMETER
How connected are you to the ground beneath your feet?
The food we eat is reliant on the soil it is grown in. If the
soil is too squashed, or compacted, plants will struggle to
grow. You are going to build a penetrometer to measure soil
compaction and compare soils in different locations.
1 hour
Skills unlocked: Observant
Kit list Instructions
1 On a hard surface, use a permanent marker
A knitting needle or to draw a line on the knitting needle at the
Next steps
skewer same height as the top of the cotton reel. Visit www.engineeringeducates.org
to take part in the ‘Engineering Educates:
Cotton reel 2 Wrap a rubber band around the top of the
Farmvention Challenge’ and discover how you
needle.
Rubber band can use your STEM skills to design a farm of
3 Put the needle inside the cotton reel and the future.
Permanent marker slide the rubber band to the top of the
cotton reel. Sign up for Science Farm LIVE!, engaging live
Ruler lessons that will be beamed from the farm to
4 Choose a range of soil locations around
the classroom during #BSW23:
the school – which do you think will have
livestream.co.uk/science-farm-live-2023 .
the most compacted soil and why?
OUT MOR
FIND 5 At each location, place your penetrometer
and carefully push the needle into the
At home
E
INSPIRED?
ground. Once you can no longer push Compacted soil stops plant roots from
the needle into the ground, remove the growing properly, meaning farmers have
needle from the spool and measure the fewer crops. Can you design an invention to
distance between the line and the rubber solve this real-life problem?
band with a ruler.
6 Record the reading at each location. The Career options
smaller the distance, the more compacted
Agronomists advise farmers on what to
the soil.
grow and where to grow it. They are soil
experts and tools, such as penetrometers,
help them to do their jobs.
Watch out
Lots of professionals use penetrometers
Remember that the end of the needle/
to help them investigate how machinery
skewer is sharp. Keep the sharp end
affects soil including:
away from your face and never point it at
anyone else. • soil scientists
Be very careful when pushing your • engineers
needle/skewer into the ground. Do not
apply excessive force. • farmers.
Wash hands thoroughly after handling soil.
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2023 PRIMARY 37You can also read
