SECONDARY ACTIVITY PACK 6 - 15 March 2020 britishscienceweek.org NET - British Science Week
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SECONDARY
ACTIVIT Y
PACK
0
6 – 15 March 202
k.org
britishsciencewee
IV
R D ER
OU
SE
PL AN
ET
Managed by
Supported by
This resource pack is D IVER
your ‘one-stop shop’ for R
OU
SE
supporting you during
British Science Week, but
PL AN
it can be used at any time.
Feel free to adapt or extend
the activities to suit your ET
students’ needs and the
curriculum you are delivering.
This year, our activity pack theme is
In addition to the activities in this pack, there are lots 'Our diverse planet' - celebrating
of other ways to enthuse and engage your students
the amazing diversity we see across
throughout British Science Week. In developing this
pack, we have looked for activities which break down the world. From biodiversity to
the stereotypes surrounding science, technology, cultural and societal diversity, from
engineering and maths (STEM) and that promote the diversity of knowledge to STEM
cross-curricular learning. We encourage you to use careers and subjects. There are lots
British Science Week as an opportunity to link STEM of ways to explore this theme - we'
to other curriculum subjects and to your childrens’ d
love to hear some of your ideas too
own backgrounds, lives and interests. !
This year we’ve got some fantastic activities to
#BSW20
complete in school, plus some designed for students
to take part in at home with their families.
Events
You can either create your own club, class or school
event or search for things happening near you. Last
year we reached more than 180,000 people. Help
us make British Science Week 2020 even bigger and
better! Visit britishscienceweek.org
Poster competition
look out for the paintbrush symbol
at the top right corner of the page.
2
Contents
Making the most of volunteers 4
British Science Week at home 5
Gathering resources for your classroom or home 6
Beyond the Week 7
Get students leading the way 8
Diverse jobs
Astronaut hovercraft experiments 9
Frontline biology 10
Conservation matter(s) 12
Design an Antarctic research station 14
Diverse people
Revealing fingerprints 16
Darn it! Find the damage in your DNA 17
What kind of taster are you? 18
Pen and peg drawing 21
Preserving natural diversity
Try it at home: Make your own bath bomb 22
Pollution solution 23
Would you want to live next door to a wolf? 24
Food of the future 26
Assembly ideas 28
Poster competition 29
3
Making
the most
of volunteers
Volunteers could be a wonderful Volunteers come from a range Check out STEM Learning’s website
asset to your British Science Week of careers and experiences, from for some handy tips on how to get
adventures. Volunteers like STEM engineers, designers and architects to a STEM Ambassador: stem.org.uk/
Ambassadors offer their time and scientists and technicians – be sure to stem-ambassadors/find-a-stem-
enthusiasm to help bring STEM take advantage of this so students can ambassador
subjects to life, demonstrating see all the options available to them in
their value in life and careers. The the future! Visit Inspiring the Future’s website for
Inspiring the Future website can some helpful ideas of events you can
match you up with someone who has use volunteers at: inspiringthefuture.
the skills you’re looking for. org/schools-and-colleges/
resources-and-guides
Here are some ideas and tips on how
you could
involve volunteers this British Scienc
e Week:
Kick off with a volunteer-led talk/de
mo, getting young
people excited to take part in the rest
of the Week.
Invite a different visitor each day to
keep students
engaged throughout.
Where available, choose volunteers/a
mbassadors who
go against stereotypes the students
might have of
people who work in or engage with
science e.g. female
engineers.
Reserve visitors early (many speake
rs get booked up
during British Science Week), have a
clear idea of what
you want them to do and communicat
e this with them
ahead of time with a brief.
4British
Science Week
at home
Want your students to enjoy British 2 Get parents thinking about how 4 If you k now that parents may
Science Week at home, but not their own jobs might link to science struggle to engage with British
sure how? Here are our top tips for and technology subjects and Science Week at home, invite them
engaging parents and carers so the encourage them to chat with their on school trips or use resources
fun doesn’t stop at school: children about this. You could do such as:
this via a newsletter. bsa.sc/oxford-sparks
1 Make the most of your parent
newsletters, the Parent Teacher 3 Encourage exploring the outdoors 5 Send an experiment idea home
Association (PTA) and text in the community or in local during the Week which may spark
messaging services, if you have cultural spots. This could be mealtime discussions around
them. Let parents know what you anything from local parks to the STEM. Try and make it as easy
have panned and how you’d like streets around students’ homes. as possible. It can help if it’s
them to be involved in advance of Parents and families can get something the students have tried
the Week (at least a month before). involved by going on a nature walk, or seen at school first, so they feel
They might be able to collect/ exploring science related events like ‘experts’ when they do it at
donate materials for use during and activities in their local area, or home with family, allowing them to
the Week, and if you want them to visiting places such as museums or lead the learning.
try any experiments at home, they science centres. Many of our CREST
may need time to plan and collect activities are quick and easy to 6 You can download lots of other
materials for themselves. The do as fun outdoor challenges too: useful take home activities such as:
PTA may be able to support you library.crestawards.org rigb.org/families/experimental
financially to run the Week or help
drum up parent volunteers.
D IV E R S
E
O UR
P L A NE
T
5Gathering resources
for your classroom or home
Try to collect materials all year often membership-based and can Look at childrensscrapstore.co.uk
round: empty bottles, toilet rolls, provide a brilliant, inexpensive or to find a UK directory of scrap
cereal boxes, elastic bands, free resource for card, plastic, bits stores or use Google to find your
newspapers, etc. This way you will of material – all sorts. These things nearest.
have lots of great things to use can be turned into rockets, cars,
during your British Science Week. spaceships; you name it, the kids Look out for the ‘At home’ tasks in
will think of it! this pack for more ideas.
Alternatively, check whether there
is a scrap shop/store/club in
your local area. These shops are
6Beyond the Week
Once British Science Week is over, it Students could take part in a Think about incorporating the
doesn’t mean the exploration and CREST Award, spending anywhere Science Capital teaching approach
curiosity must stop! between 5 and 70 hours of work into your methods: ucl.ac.uk/
on a project that they lead, on ioe/departments-and-centres/
Below are some ideas of how you a topic they’re interested in. For departments/education-practice-
can continue the fun: more information, take a look and-society/science-capital-
at the different CREST levels research/science-capital-
Set up a STEM club or run a available: teaching-approach
Curiosity Lab once a month during crestawards.org/which-level
science class. Keep an eye out for the ‘Next steps’
Older students could run a CREST tasks in this pack for more ideas.
Star Award with younger students,
and work on their communication
skills. Learn more about CREST Star
here: crestawards.org/crest-star
Consider sharing your British
Science Week learnings by running
a CPD session for other teachers
Discovery
in your school or, where relevant,
academy chain.
Getting started guide
Engage your primary or secondary students
with STEM through an exciting, one-day project!
Typical age: 10-14
.
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11
7 10Get students
leading the way
A great way to encourage STEM Encourage young people to run Young people could research
interest in young people is by letting their own events during British events or programmes happening
them lead the way. Here’s how you Science Week. They could recruit in your community, particularly
can help them along: STEM Ambassadors or Inspiring the those that at first don’t seem to
Future volunteers to come in and be obviously science related. Take
present in class or at an assembly, a look at some of the community
or ask classmates’ parents with groups we work with during British
knowledge and experience of any Science Week for inspiration on
STEM-related subjects to speak where to start: britishscienceweek.
about their own backgrounds. org/plan-your-activities/
support-us/community-grant-
case-studies
STEM Get students running their own
Ambassa CREST projects and use this as
dor inspiration for a science fair or
other related event. We have lots
of handy CREST resources on our
website:
library.crestawards.org
8Diverse jobs
Astronaut hovercraft
experiments
About this activity
Instructions 6 Just like Tim did in the video, try
In March 2020 there is a cargo First, head to astroacademy.org.uk/ (gently!) colliding two hovercrafts.
resupply mission to the International resources/collisions to watch Tim What happens and why?
Space Station (ISS). The ISS was built Peake’s demonstrations of elastic and
by space agencies from countries inelastic collisions between objects of Next steps
around the world. different masses. What happens if you increase
the mass or velocity of your
In this activity you’ll look at some of Now it’s your turn hovercraft? Can you think of a
the experiments that UK European 1 Roll the Blu Tack into a sausage way to record data from your
Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Tim shape and press it around the edge experiment to show what is
Peake completed onboard the ISS, of the bottom of the bottle lid. happening?
before you have a go yourself!
Download the CAPCOM GO! app by
NSC Creative in the app store
Kit list to see an augmented reality
1 x CD rocket launch.
1 x pull-up bottle lid (such as
on a sports drink) At home
Visit spotthestation.nasa.gov
1 x balloon
2 Push the bottle top down onto the to see when the ISS will be visible in
1 x blob of Blu Tack middle of the CD so that it sticks to your area.
Stopwatch or camera the CD with no gaps for the air to
(optional) escape, except through the hole in We would love to see your hovercraft
2 x one metre rulers (optional) the CD. experiments. Ask your teacher to
share them with us.
Time: 1 hour Twitter UKSpaceAcademy
Instagram spaceacademyuk
To find out more about us visit
nationalspaceacademy.org
3 Blow up the balloon reasonably
full, but not completely, and then
twist the bottom round several
times (so the air doesn’t come out
while you’re attaching it to your
hovercraft base!)
4 Stretch the balloon over the top of
the bottle top with the bottle top
closed. Untwist the balloon.
5 When you want your hovercraft
to go, pull the bottle lid into the
open position. Push your hovercraft
gently and watch how far it glides!
By Natalie Tunnicliffe, Physics Teacher
at the National Space Academy
9Diverse jobs
Frontline biology
About this activity
Instructions
Soldiers use a lot of energy as they 1 Think about what you want your 3 Make sure you remember to:
work, so they need regular meals and snack to contain, and any other
snacks to keep going. Many soldiers criteria it needs to meet. For Calculate how many grams of
must work far away from their Army example, it should: total sugar and calories your
base, so they won’t always have time snack will contain.
to stop to prepare food. In this activity, Contain between 250 and
you will design them a high-energy 300 calories. List your ingredients and why
snack they can eat ‘on the go’. you have chosen each one.
Contain less than 25g of sugar,
Context as this releases energy too Using the table on the next page
The Army fulfills many roles quickly and can be bad for design your snack.
in different parts of the world. soldiers’ teeth.
Following a severe earthquake over Use as much or as little as you like of
100,000 people are without shelter, 2 Now it’s time to design your snack. each ingredient e.g. 10g, 20g or 30g
food or clean water. In situations Use the ingredients on the key
like this the British Army gets facts page to choose what will go Add up the total carbohydrates,
deployed to provide urgent relief. into your snack. sugar and calories your snack will
Soldiers build temporary bridges contain.
and shelters. They also distribute
emergency blankets, food and Next steps
water. Time is always of the essence Learn more about the diverse careers
as the soldiers and other Army the army has to offer:
personnel work around the clock. army.mod.uk/careers
They need to keep their energy
levels high. A R
KB
AC
Kit list SN
Ingredients from the table on
the following page – ideally
all of them, or as many as
possible.
Time: 1 hour
Watch out!
We do not advise eating the food
you have made. If you do you
should follow the guidelines in The
ASE booklet Be safe! (4th edition),
which has a Safety Code for food
hygiene.
10Work sheet
Now choose your
ingredients!
Make sure you consider:
Which ingredients will go well together to make a tasty snack?
Which ingredients will make up most of your snack?
Which ingredients will you include just a little of?
Choosing at least one bonding ingredient to hold your snack together.
Carbohydrates Fat
Carbohydrates (Sugar) Spike Provides Protein Calories
(Starch) blood sugar and slow release Builds and total energy
Ingredient Quantity Provide energy damages teeth energy repairs muscles provided by food
Oats 10g 7g 0g 1g 1g 40
Whole wheat flakes 10g 8g 2g 0g 1g 35
Brown rice syrup* 10g 8g 8g 0g 0g 50
Honey* 10g 9g 9g 0g 0g 30
Dark chocolate* 10g 5g 2g 4g 1g 60
Milk chocolate* 10g 6g 5g 3g 1g 55
White chocolate* 10g 6g 6g 3g 1g 55
Crisped rice 10g 9g 8g 0g 1g 40
Sultanas 10g 8g 6g 0g 0g 30
Dates 10g 8g 6g 0g 0g 30
Dried apple 10g 7g 6g 0g 0g 25
Coconut 10g 1g 1g 6g 0g 60
Dried berries 10g 8g 7g 0g 0g 30
Peanut butter* 10g 2g 1g 5g 2g 60
Almonds 10g 2g 0g 5g 2g 60
Hazelnuts 10g 2g 0g 6g 1g 60
Mixed seeds 10g 2g 0g 5g 2g 60
* = bonding ingredient
11Diverse jobs
Conservation matter(s)
About this activity
Instructions others. To prevent further damage,
Can you protect your favourite 1 Working as a pair, select three you must design a container for
objects from the agents of items from those provided. Make each object that will reduce any
deterioration? sure each item is made from a risk to the item - whether it’s
different material. pests, temperature, light, humidity
The Prince Philip Maritime Collections and/or humans.
Centre (PPMCC) at Royal Museums 2 Investigate each object using the
Greenwich has a diverse collection of condition report via the link in 5 Present your design to your
historic objects, which need careful the Kit List. Follow the questions classmates. When making the
storage depending on the material of the report to identify the presentation, ensure that you
they’re made from. In this activity, you object’s condition. Notice how the back up your choices and designs
will play the role of a conservator and material of each item has different with scientific knowledge. Present
use your creativity and knowledge of characteristics. reasoned explanations, including
specific material types to design ways explaining the data behind your
of preventing irreversible damage. 3 As a conservator, your aim predictions of how your object
is to protect your items from may be damaged when exposed to
deterioration. Read the list of different types of deterioration.
Kit list common types of deterioration
List of agents of deterioration and discuss with your partner. List For example:
(found on following page) on your report the deteriorations This comic book is susceptible to
Condition report, downloadable you think your items are most light damage. The evidence shows
from rmg.co.uk/see-do/ susceptible to. this because the exposed front
british-science-week page is lighter than the pages
4 Now you have identified the on the inside, which are usually
A range of everyday items
agents of deterioration, you need hidden from light; therefore, my
made from materials with
to think about how you are going container will be made from U.V
different characteristics,
to prevent them damaging your protective glass.
including natural and man-
objects. You will notice that some
made. These could be wood,
materials are more vulnerable to 6 How are the needs of each of your
stone, paper, plastic or metal
multiple types of deterioration than three items different?
Extension activity – materials
to build the protecting casing.
Time: 1 hour
12Supporting Information
Agents of
deterioration
Objects can be damaged in Human action Water
many ways. Here are some Often objects become damaged Water damage can result from natural
examples you may wish to through misuse or not being stored occurrences, human intervention or
properly. Physical force can damage plumbing failures. The museum stores
consider when thinking of artefacts directly by causing stress, its collection off the floor and inside
how to protect your objects. breakage and pressure. This could cabinets, in anticipation of a leak or
Can you think of any other be due to stacking objects on top of flood.
examples? each other or accidentally knocking
into an item. Staff at Royal Museums Pests
Greenwich prevent physical force Pests such as insects and rodents can
damage by storing artefacts in cases sometimes see the valuable collection
or in cabinets. The most common as a nice snack rather than artefact.
cause of damage by humans is over- They are attracted to objects made
cleaning. Vandalism or theft are also from natural materials, such as plants
a concern, especially for objects in and animals.
public areas.
Before adding new objects into the
Light collection, staff at Royal Museums
Light damage can be caused by Greenwich place all our organic items
overexposure to either natural or into quarantine. In quarantine the new
artificial light. Light has the biggest objects are frozen which eradicates
effect on paper-based objects, and any potential pests and their eggs. All
in the case of letters or manuscripts, objects from natural based materials
can result in the object becoming are then stored in containers which
unreadable. It’s a shame if artefacts prevent aces of pests
fade from exposure to excessive light,
as it makes it harder to see what the Pollutants
artefact originally looked like. Staff Pollutants can be natural or man-
at Royal Museums Greenwich try to made gases, aerosols, liquids, dust
minimise the amount of times light or dirt that are known to accelerate
sensitive objects are exposed to decay of the objects. Aerosols and
light by rotating them from display liquids that are commonly seen around
and storing them in dark cabinets or artefacts are household cleaners, bug
containers. sprays, and detergents. The chemicals
within these sprays can attach to the
Fire objects and slowly cause it to decay.
Fire can cause smoke damage, or
partial or total loss of the artefacts. Temperature and humidity
As a result, it is important that fire Incorrect temperatures and humidity
prevention be given the highest can damage the objects. Depending
priority possible. Staff at Royal on the material of the object, it can
Museums Greenwich use secondary react in different ways to extremes of
housing to protect the objects from temperature and humidity. Warm and
fires. Secondary housing means damp conditions may result in mould.
putting a container within another
container to create an extra barrier.
13Diverse jobs
Design an Antarctic
research station
About this activity
Instructions
Antarctica was first sighted 200 1 Start by doing some research on past Will researchers live in the
years ago. The early explorers were and present buildings in Antarctica station or will they have a
looking for new sources of seals and - what was their purpose and how separate building to stay in?
whales to exploit for their pelts and were the stations are designed?
oil. In the last 100 years, through How and where will they eat,
international science programmes, 2 Think about the key scientific sleep, exercise etc?
we now understand that Antarctica knowledge you will need for
is pivotal in the Earth’s climate designing your station. For example: How will researchers travel around?
system and a sensitive barometer of
environmental change. In this activity, What is the terrain like? How can you make the research
you will investigate the geopolitics Where would you locate it? station representative of all the
of Antarctica and design a science nations involved?
station suitable for scientific research How cold can it get in Antarctica?
in Antarctica. 5 Make a design for the station,
What temperature will it need to incorporating everything you have
Background be inside the station? How will considered above. How will you
There are few places on Earth you heat the station? How will communicate your ideas?
where there has never been war, you maintain the temperature?
where the environment is fully Think about thermal energy 6 You may also wish to consider how
protected, and where scientific and insulation. materials will be transported to
research has priority. In 1959, the the Antarctic to build your station.
governing Antarctic Treaty, which What will the inhabitants be
unites over 50 nations, made doing there? What equipment Next steps
Antarctica a continent dedicated to and rooms will the station need Use these links to research your
scientific research with a common to accommodate them? survey station.
aim: to encourage international
cooperation and protect the 3 Consider what research will be
ukaht.org/discover/port-lockroy
.
environment for future generations completed in the station – look ukaht.org/discover/other-historic-sites
at the priorities of the countries
bas.ac.uk/polar-operations/sites-
Kit list involved in the Antarctic Treaty and
and-facilities/station
Access to a computer or fact the similarities/ differences between
them. The station will need to be discoveringantarctica.org.uk/how-
sheets on Antarctica
equipped for these kinds of research. is-antarctica-governed/geopolitics/
Coloured pens geopolitics-of-antarctica/
A3 paper (for design) 4 Consider what other elements
might need to be included: At home
Time: 2+ hours Look for examples of the
How will you reach your station? knowledge you have from your
everyday life. For example,
although your home is likely not
based somewhere as cold as
Antarctica, how is your home kept
warm in the winter?
Why not research the history of
the discovery of Antarctica, or the
history of the Antarctic Treaty?
For more facts on Antarctica visit
ukaht.org
14Fact sheet
Antarctica facts
Since its discovery, Antarctica has had a
chequered past. Once news of this new
land was known, global exploitation of its
abundant seal population began almost
immediately; later it was whalers that
would exploit the environment.
During the 20th century, the focus of
human activity in Antarctica shifted
to a new form of exploration, as
scientists began to study the continent’s
environment and biodiversity and steps
were taken to protect them. Today,
scientific research in Antarctica shapes
how we see and understand our world.
The Antarctic Treaty was set up in 1959 by
12 nations. Now, more than 50 countries
have signed up to this unique set of
principles.
Legal protocols have since strengthened
the protection of the environment,
forbidding mineral and oil exploration,
controlling human activity in Antarctica.
Whilst the treaty does not have an expiry
date, in 2048 any country can call for a
conference to renegotiate the terms of its
environmental protection.
15Diverse people
Revealing fingerprints
About this activity
Every person’s body is different,
and this includes our fingerprints.
This means they are very useful
in identifying people, in particular
those who have left fingerprints at a
crime scene. In this activity you will
investigate the best way to identify
fingerprints on different surfaces.
Instructions
Kit list 1 Start by testing how well you You could investigate various types
Different surfaces to retrieve can see your own or others’ of adhesive tape to see which
fingerprints from. e.g. crockery, fingerprints on the different picks up the best impression of the
glass, paper, gloss paint surfaces listed in the kit list. fingerprint from different types of
Ink pad surface. You may need to find a way
Why do you think police take to ‘develop’ the print on the sticky
Different types of adhesive tape,
fingerprints from paper, not glass? surface to make it more visible.
to test their effectiveness at
lifting prints
Do fingerprints show up better on 3 Argue your case:
‘Dust’ to use for lifting prints. light or dark surfaces?
e.g. cocoa powder Why not use your discoveries
Iodine vapour can also be used Are prints more difficult to see about identifying fingerprints to
to reveal latent fingerprints. clearly on a patterned surface? argue a case, identifying some
You could try this, but be careful fingerprints at a fictional crime
what you expose to iodine – it Does the answer depend on scene?
may permanently stain some whether the fingers are clean or
surfaces. dirty? For example, with mud, oil / You will need some sample latent
grease or printing ink after reading prints, and a record of prints from
a newspaper. a suspected ‘criminal’. Use your
Time: 2+ hour identification skills to argue that
2 If revealing fingerprints involves the ‘suspect’ was in fact at the
using chemicals, you may need scene of the crime.
to remove the print from the
Watch out! surface first, to avoid the chemicals Next steps
Iodine is HARMFUL - avoid skin damaging the surface. This is called This activity can be put towards
contact. ‘lifting’. a CREST Bronze Award. For more
information, follow this link:
Some powders and chemicals You can ‘lift’ fingerprints using crestawards.org/crest-bronze
used to reveal fingerprints may be adhesive tape such as sellotape.
hazardous. Make sure you complete Why not try different adhesive
a risk assessment before you start tapes to see which one is best for
your investigation and check it with ‘lifting’ fingerprints.
your teacher.
If revealing fingerprints involves
using chemicals, you may need
to remove the print from the
surface first, to avoid the chemicals
12 35 76 7
damaging the surface. This is called
‘lifting’.
16Diverse people
Darn it! Find the
damage in your DNA
About this activity
Advance activity for teachers 3 Remember, masking-tape
Your DNA is constantly being Each ball of wool is a chromosome are telomeres – the end of a
damaged, but your cells are always and the wool itself is the DNA. chromosome – and don’t count
looking for this damage in order to Unwrap the balls of wool and pull as damage
fix it. Dig through this bag of ‘wool them apart.
DNA’ to find the damaged sites as 4 How much damage, and of what
quickly as you can. Wrap the last few centimetres of types, did you manage to find in
each ball of wool in masking tape. one minute? Who was able to find
This marks a ‘telomere’, the end of the most? Did anyone manage to
Kit list a chromosome (not a type of find the double strand breaks? You
46 small balls of wool (23 sets DNA damage) would need to find BOTH ends to
of coloured pairs, if possible, repair them properly!
but not essential) As you pull apart each ball of
Five types of small items that wool, tie in one or two of the ‘DNA 5 Your cells have mechanisms to
can be tied to the wool, to damage’ items – a small piece of do what you just did – find the
indicate the different kinds of ribbon, or a bead, for example. This damage so it can be fixed. Can
DNA damage. For example: will distribute different kinds of you work out how quickly your
‘DNA damage’ throughout. actual cells would find the number
Thin ribbon –
of errors you were able to find in
‘methylated sites’
The double strand break ‘DNA one minute, given each cell needs
Plain beads – damage’ should be very rare. to find one million damaged sites
‘abasic sites’ These are a more harmful, but less every 24 hours?
Letter shaped beads – common, form of damage, so only
‘oxidative damage’ use two – make a single cut in Did you know?
Small craft pegs – two of the balls of ‘wool DNA’, then If you scaled a cell up so that the
‘pyrimidine dimers’ attach an eye to one of the cut DNA was as wide as wool (2mm),
Hook and loops – ends and a hook to the other. you would need two million
‘double strand breaks’ metres of wool to make up this
Put all your wool in a large bag – kit, and the nucleus would be 10
Masking tape the bag is the nucleus of your ‘cell’. metres in diameter.
A big-ish (1m diameter) bag Mix the wool around.
that can fit all the wool If you weighed just the DNA
(a bin liner would work, or Instructions for students in your body, it would come to
netting bag) 1 Get ready to find as much ‘DNA around 100 grams – about the
damage’ as you can! Dig through weight of a hamster!
the ‘nucleus’ of the cell to find any
ribbons, beads, pegs, or either of Next steps
the two sets of hook and loops. Set Visit the links below to learn more
a timer for one minute. about this topic:
2 When you find a piece of damage, well.ox.ac.uk/green
quickly hold it up for it to be nature.com/scitable/topicpage/
counted and then drop it back dna-damage-repair-mechanisms-
into the nucleus – no need to hold for-maintaining-dna-344/
onto them.
17Diverse people
What kind of
taster are you?
About this activity
Are you a supertaster? Supertasters Instructions
experience bitter tastes more strongly 1 Everyone taking part should wash
than other people; this is because their hands.
they have a higher number of taste
receptors within the ‘fungiform 2 Take a look at the ‘Glossary’ at the
papillae’. These are the big pink bumps end of this activity, to make sure
on your tongue that contain your taste you understand what all the
buds and enable you to taste. In this words mean.
activity, you will determine whether you
are a supertaster, taster or non-taster. 3 The person who is going to
have their fungiform papillae
Advance teacher activity (pink bumps) counted first
Cut the A4 card in to 16 strips needs to sit down with
and punch a hole in the end their elbows on the table,
of each strip. Ensure you have supporting their chin.
enough for each child to have
their own strip. 4 Place a cotton bud into the blue
food dye until it is covered. Ask the
Split class into groups of three. person taking part to stick their
Pour a little food dye into the tongue out. Using the cotton bud,
mini cups so that each group coat the front third of the person’s
has one cup each. tongue with the dye.
Kit list
NB: Only dip the cotton bud in the
Bottle of natural blue food dye
food dye once. Place the cotton The results
Cotton buds bud in a container such as a plastic 9 Look at the chart at the end
Disposable ‘mini cups’ bag which will then be thrown of this activity and see how
A4 card away. your classmates’ sense of taste
Hole punch compare to the rest of the nation!
5 The blue dye will stain the tongue Use the chart on page 19 to collate
Scissors but slide off the fungiform papillae. your class results.
Torches (optional) Did you know, each bump contains
Magnifying glass (optional) three to five taste buds! 10 What percentage of your class fits
Damp cloth into each category?
6 Next, ask the person to carefully
Cup or bag on each
place a hole-punched card on their 11 Does your class follow the national
table for waste
tongue over the blue food dye. distribution for each category?
Anti-bacterial surface cleaner
7 Looking through the hole in the 12 Did you observe a pattern
Time: 1 hour strip of paper, someone in your between the number and density
group should count how many pink of fungiform papillae?
bumps they can see on the tongue
Watch out! inside the hole. Next steps
Find more exciting activities by
See page 19 for details. 8 Count the number of fungiform visiting bbc.co.uk/teach/terrific-
papillae twice to find an average scientific
amount. Record your results on the
student sheet. (See page 19) When At home
you have finished with the card, Why not try this activity at home,
throw it away like you did with the with family or friends? You could see
cotton bud. how their results compare to your
classmates.
18Pupil worksheet:
super taste test results
What kind of
taster are you?
Number of What kind of
Watch out! fungiform taster are you?
Ensure the person preparing and papillae a. Non-taster
handing out the holed card has (pink b. Taster
clean hands, uses new card and First name bumps) c. Supertaster
has clean scissors and hole-punch.
Prepared card should be kept in a
new freezer bag or similar.
Used cotton buds and card strips
should be discarded into a waste
container immediately after use
and the container then placed in
refuse.
Ensure all pupils wash their hands
before and after taking part in the
activity. Only allow children to dip
their cotton bud once into the food
dye. If more dye is needed, get a
fresh cotton bud. Have a receptacle
on each table for waste.
Have paper towels on hand to clean
up any mess or spillages.
Have on hand anti-bacterial surface
cleaner or wipes.
Class super taste test results
Make sure pupils know that there Please collate the number of non-tasters, tasters and supertasters in your class.
is nothing wrong with being any of
the different kinds of taster. Type of taster Number in our class
Non-tasters
Tasters
Supertasters
How to interpret results
lts show that you are a non-taster,
Use this table to work out if your resu
taster or supertaster.
How common
Number of fungiform in population
papillae (pink bumps) Type of taster
Non-taster One in four (25%)
0 -5
Taster One in two (50%)
6 - 10
Supertaster One in four (25%)
11 +
19Glossary
What kind of
taster are you?
Fungiform papillae Scientific name for the big, round pink bumps on
the tongue which contain taste buds.
Taster chart A chart used to indicate whether a person is a
supertaster or not.
Non-tasters A percentage of the population that has fewer
fungiform papillae (pink bumps) on their tongues
than most and are less sensitive to bitter tastes.
Tasters A percentage of the population that has an
average amount of fungiform papillae (pink
bumps) on their tongues.
Supertasters A percentage of the population that has more
fungiform papillae (pink bumps) on their tongues
than most and are more sensitive to bitter tastes.
Cotton bud A small wad of cotton wrapped around one or
both ends of a short rod.
Taste Sense which helps us experience salt, sweet, sour,
bitter and umami flavours with our tongues.
20Diverse people
Peg and pen drawing
About this activity
Instructions 5 No talking is allowed at this stage
All good STEM practice requires 1 Fix the piece of A1 paper to a desk. – ask them to place their non-
collaboration; the ability to work with drawing hands over their mouth!
others effectively, even when you may 2 Attach four clothes pegs to the
not necessarily see eye to eye. This felt pen so they face different 6 Now, try to copy the photo
fun exercise gets four people holding directions. accurately using the squares
the same drawing pen with pegs, then to guide you - you’re allowed 5
asks them to draw a STEM themed minutes to complete the task.
image collaboratively. Will your
drawing descend into chaos or will 7 Evaluate the exercise. Was it
your diverse characters learn to work difficult? If so why?
effectively together?
8 Now repeat the exercise (with a
different photo if you prefer). This
Kit list time you can speak to each other.
Four spring clothes pegs
Felt tip pen 9 Evaluation: how does effective
3 Place the image to be copied communication affect our ability to
Large A1 size paper - divided
(flowers and animals are good for do this task better?
into nine equal squares
this) near the A1 paper.
Suitable photograph to copy - Next steps
divided into 9 equal squares 4 Get four people to stand around For more resources visit nsead.org
Masking tape the paper, each holding their own
clothes peg. At home
Practice drawing with a peg and
Time: 15-20 minutes felt pen at home to make more
expressive, creative drawings.
Watch out!
Be careful of getting felt tip on clothes.
This exercise was adapted from
the book Drawing for Science
Invention & Discovery by Paul Carney.
paulcarneyarts.com
21Try it at home
Make your own
bath bomb
About this activity
In this activity you will investigate
how to make your own bath bomb.
We can all support the diversity of
our planet by using less packaging
including single-use materials. By
designing your own bath bomb you
could also find a way to cut down on
the packaging required and encourage
others to make their own bath bombs.
The following recipe makes four
small bath bombs.
Dry ingredients
100 grams baking soda
50 grams citric acid
25 grams cornflour
Wet ingredients
2 tbsp sunflower oil or olive oil
2 tsp water
Instructions
1 tsp food colouring (optional)
1 Mix the dry ingredients
12-15 drops essential oils of choice together in one bowl and the
(be sure to check for allergies) wet ingredients together in the
other bowl. 6 Now it’s time to test your bath
Kit list bomb! Put the bath bomb in some
Two mixing bowls 2 Add the wet ingredients to water and record:
the dry ingredients a few drops at
Whisk a time while whisking, until How long it takes to disperse.
Flexible plastic moulds (clean the mixture just sticks together
empty yogurt pots, silicone ice cube when pressed. How high the ‘fizz’ is.
tray or silicone cupcake cases)
3 Press the mixture into the What happens to the water.
mould and leave to dry for at least
Time: 2+ hours 2 hours. Anything else you think might
be important in deciding if a
4 Make a few bath bombs with bath bomb is effective or not.
Watch out! variations and record the
Always complete a risk assessment differences in them, such as: 7 Compare your different bath
and have it checked by your teacher bombs, deciding which one makes
before you start your experiment. More or less baking soda it more effective as a bath bomb.
Never use anything on your skin that More or less citric acid 8 Re-write your favourite recipe as a
has been made in the laboratory or step-by-step guide
using laboratory chemicals. Different oils (citric or other)
Next steps
Different colours This activity can be put towards
a CREST Bronze Award. For more
5 Remember to keep some elements information, follow this link:
the same, to make it a fair test. crestawards.org/crest-bronze
22ClairCity received funding from the European
Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No. 689289.
Preserving natural diversity
Pollution solution
About this activity Instructions
1 In pairs, discuss a few solutions to ol hool,
One in eight deaths are due to chaolk to sc ork
sW
the air pollution problem. t o nd w
air pollution - and yet human and b us s h ops a
e
planetary health are not at the heart t th
What could we change? Ge
of political decision-making. In this
Top Trumps-style game, you will hold What could we build?
your own ‘citizens assembly’ to explore
the trade-offs that we consider when What could we teach?
making decisions about our health and 2
that of the environment. You will learn 2 In pairs, fill in a Top Trumps card. Using 2
9
the science of air pollution and carbon an example of supermarkets delivering ulty 9
emissions, discover the solutions that food by bike, you might ask: Dilftfyic 1
fi c u
exist and vote for what you want to Dif Cost 10
1
prioritise and work on to improve air t
How difficult is it for Cos peed 10
quality in our towns and cities. supermarkets to do this? S d
e tal
Spe vironmen
En
Kit list How expensive would it be to
Top Trumps cards (complete) - implement?
via link below Next steps
Top Trumps template sheet Would it affect delivery speed? Explore these ideas further by playing
(one for each pair) - ClairCity Skylines (a sort of digital Top
accessible via link below Would it cause environmental Trumps):
harm? claircity.eu/take-action/game
Top Trumps template document
(to be filled out during class) -
3 Follow step 2 for three more cards, Develop an action plan for
accessible via link below
based around the theme of transport. implementing the change. This could
Flipchart paper and pen include:
Sticky dots 4 Your teacher should then hand out
the completed packs to you in your Get involved in Eco Schools and
pairs. Add these complete packs to form an Eco Committee:
Time: 1 hour the four newly created cards. eco-schools.org.uk
Advance activity for teachers
5 Play the game. If you lose all your Start a campaign at your school to
On a piece of flipchart, draw a cards, and there is time, play again. address air pollution locally.
table with symbols (or numbers) Once you have played, think about
to represent each Top Trump in what your favourite choice was. Make a poster about air pollution
columns and what teachers and students
The full lesson plan is available 6 Each pair should vote for their can do to reduce it.
here: sustainablelearning. favourite, by sticking a dot on your
com/resource/air-pollution- preferred option. Host an event with invited
citizens-assembly speakers to inform teachers,
Start the activity by 7 You should then discuss trade-offs parents and pupils.
brainstorming the causes/ for the winning solution as a class:
sources of air pollution and fill Write a persuasive letter to a polluting
in one of the Top Trumps cards What would you have to give up? business to change their practices.
together, to make sure everyone
understands the game. What would you gain? Write a persuasive letter to
your MP – use ClairCity’s letter
Later on, hand out the complete
Is there a perfect solution for template here:
packs of Top Trumps cards
everyone? claircity.eu/take-action/schools
(see step 4).
Check out the UK Student Climate
Network ukscn.org
23Preserving natural diversity
Would you want to live
next door to a wolf?
About this activity
Instructions Managing ecosystems
In this activity you will use food 1 Red deer tend to stay in one area
webs, pyramids of numbers and Food webs and over-graze it.
ecosystems to consider whether 1 Use the cards on the next page
wolves should be reintroduced into to construct a food web showing Suggest how they would be
the Scottish Highlands and make the predator prey relationships affected by the introduction
arguments for and against. between these organisms. of wolves.
Background 2 Use the purple cards to show The presence of red deer
A proposal has been made to the relationships. There are a supports hunting and shooting,
reintroduce wolves into part of the couple of blank cards to add other which generates revenue.
Scottish Highlands. Hundreds of organisms. Suggest whether this is a
years ago wolves were native to the good reason to support the
highlands, and would serve a useful 3 Add the orange cards and see how reintroduction of wolves.
function in that they would control they fit in.
the negative effects of the red deer 2 Research rewilding. Suggest
population which graze areas heavily 4 Add the dark grey card and see whether people who support
and can strip land of vegetation. how this fits in. rewilding would agree with the
reintroduction of wolves.
However, wolves are versatile 5 Explain what it means to say that
predators and are also capable of the wolf is a top predator. Now write a summary
taking sheep and cows, so many State whether or not you think that
farmers oppose this. A possible 6 Suggest what might happen if the wolves should be reintroduced.
solution is to contain the wolves by numbers of red deer fall.
electric fencing but this comes with its Include evidence to support your
own risks. Pyramids of numbers judgment.
1 A grey wolf needs to eat an
Kit list average of 3kg of meat per day. A Make it clear how this supports
red deer probably has about 25kg your ideas.
Printed cards (on next page)
of meat on it, whereas a rabbit has
(Optional) squared paper for around 2kg. Both the deer and the At home
pyramid of numbers activity rabbit eat grass. You may well be aware of animals
that live in your area. Depending
Time: 2 hours 2 Sketch the pyramid of numbers for on where you live this might include
the food chain: foxes, gulls or badgers. Can you
wolf – deer – grass suggest a wild animal that you don’t
wolf – rabbit – grass see around that you think people
would be happy to see introduced
3 Explain why these pyramids are (or reintroduced) into your locality?
very different shapes. Suggest why it would fit in well.
24Preserving natural diversity
Food web cards
Wolf Red deer Vole Frogs Cow
Birds
Pine Marten Hare (including Worms Sheep
as eggs)
Rabbit Beaver Fungi Heather
Fox Grass Fruit Trees
25Preserving natural diversity
Food of the future
About this activity Instructions 3 Research vegan meat, lab-grown
1 Modern farming relies on clearing meat, insects, fungi and algae and
Our planet provides us with an large areas of land of their original find out:
incredible variety of food, but modern vegetation, and encouraging the
farming methods are starting to growth of resilient, high-yield How much processing (and
threaten biodiversity. Learn more crops by using fertilisers and therefore energy) is required to
about the impact of farming on pesticides. Research the following produce them
ecosystems and research what food questions and display your results
might look like in the future. This in appropriate graphs/charts for How nutritious they are, e.g.
activity assumes prior knowledge of the type of data you have: how much fat, protein and
food webs and the interdependence of carbohydrate they contain
organisms within an ecosystem. How many hectares of rainforest
have been cleared each year If you have STEM connect, you
over the last 20 years to make could find this information in
Kit list way for cattle farming? the Future foods factfile.
Computer or other digital
device for independent What percentage of the UK Compare these to other food
research land is devoted to farming stuffs by adding the information
Food Top Trumps worksheet ‘monocultures’? How has this to the Food top trumps worksheet
changed over time? overleaf. Consider the impact
Future foods factfile each ingredient would have
How many tonnes of pesticides on biodiversity given how it is
Time: 2+ hours or insecticides are used each produced.
year in the UK? And in other
countries around the world? 4 Create a menu which helps to support
biodiversity using the most nutritious
2 Drawing on your knowledge of and environmentally friendly
food webs, interdependence and ingredients you can. Include graphics
ecosystems, write a hypothesis and information to illustrate to
for the impact that each of these customers that the food is sustainable
farming practices might have on and environmentally friendly.
biodiversity. Justify your reasoning.
Next steps
Clearing land. Why not sign up for
Discovery Education’s STEM Connect
Use of fertilisers. to access lots more resources?
Use of pesticides. You can watch the video and find out
about sustainable food sources in the
Farming ‘monocultures’. Foods of the future unit on STEM Connect
Use the resources on STEM Connect
to support you in growing your own
small-scale algae farm as part of a
‘sustainable food of the future’ project.
At home
Have a go at growing some algae or
other sustainable and nutritious crop.
Bonus points for incorporating it into
a dish for your family!
26You can also read
