Re-engaging primary children after the half term break

After having (we hope) a great week at home for half term it is a bit of a struggle to get the children back into a good 'learning' mode.

Maybe this is a good time to treat them to some primary science?

If it is difficult to find the time how about looking at some of the CIEC stand-alone resources?

All of the primary CIEC resources are either available as FREE downloads or as websites.

This week CIEC is featuring Generating Electricity

Which features:
Wind generators, circuit construction, problem-solving and electrical safety - everything required for teaching the electricity topic at Key Stage 2 is included in this investigation-based activity pack.

How can I link primary science to Sochi?

It seems a good idea to tap into children's enthusiasm for the winter Olympics at Sochi and get a good primary science session going on linked to something they have seen.

Even the most casual observer of the games will realise that resistance - either of snow/ice or wind plays a big part in the final result.

So resources looking at forces seem an ideal link.
How about Feel the Force

The activities provide an opportunity for children to learn about the properties of air and in particular, the frictional force it exerts. The ideas are put into a real life context, that of a transport company looking for ways to reduce the fuel consumption of their lorries.

First Children Challenging Industry site visit to Johnson Matthey at Royston, Hertfordshire

 

St Mary’s pupil inspecting the substrate before the wash coat is applied.

 

The first site visit for Children Challenging Industry as it moves south to Hertfordshire was a tremendous success both with Johnson Matthey and St Mary's RC Primary School, Royston.

Read about it in Business Weekly

http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/news/general-news/engineering/16375-johnson-matthey-schools-future-engineers



CIEC at the Annual ASE Conference, Birmingham 8th-11th January

Don't miss Joy, Jenny and Nicky at the ASE Conference in Birmingham!
Jenny and Nicky are holding workshops on Friday (both in Arts LR5) and Joy is talking on Saturday - again in LR5. Details below:

 Jenny Harvey

Forces: practical approach to the new curriculum
Room: Arts LR5
Time: 11.00
Date: Friday 10th January

Nicky Waller

Developing Enquiry Skills within the New Primary Curriculum
Room: Arts LR5
Time: 15.30
Date: Friday 10th January

Joy Parvin

Visitors from Industry in the Primary Classroom
Room: Arts LR5
Time: 09.30
Date: Saturday 11th January

 

Children Challenging Industry visit to LOTTE Chemicals

Jenny Harvey (left) with children from St Bernadette's and some of the Lotte team

 

LOTTE Chemicals had not hosted a visit for Children Challenging Industry for quite some time. We began with an initial meeting to update Jackie Petford and the team on what it entails. Joanne Route, who was the Industry Liaison Officer and Tony Johnson, who hosts regular visits at Huntsman (also on the Wilton site) were present, along with me and two members of the LOTTE team. Initially hesitant due to the time lapse since the last visit, the ideas and plans came rapidly into fruition. Jackie remembered hosting previous visits and the other members of her team became more and more enthused about the whole idea. A firm plan was put in place and the visit date was booked.

 After providing and paying for the coach, for which St Bernadette’s RC Primary School were eternally grateful, the LOTTE team sprang into action with a brief introduction from the CEO, a Health and Safety talk and a quick tour of the site. Hard hats, lab coats and specs were provided by the CCI team. The children got to see the control room in action and a series of exciting experiments in each of the real laboratories. One child commented that ‘It was great to see what really goes on in one of those labs, instead of what you see on the telly!’ The morning finished with a set of photographs being taken of the group and a healthy drink and snack being given by the LOTTE team. The children were buzzing with conversations about what they had seen and learned from the visit all the way back to school. Several children said that they had not expected it to be as interesting as it was and they were more likely to study science subjects in future. A great success all round!

 

 Jenny Harvey, CIEC Advisory Teacher for the North East

 





CCI visit to Perry Process Equipment is a huge success!

The CCI visit to Perry Process Equipment in Newton Aycliffe last week was fantastic! Everything they did with the children backed up the 'Water for Industry' project. The demonstrators were very in tune with child speak and several of the children asked really scientific questions (lots of potential, budding scientists there!)

They were shown a variety of equipment including a variety of gaskets and the real difference they make to industrial sized pipes, a centrifuge and a batch blender. The children did some 'hands on' tasks and the equipment was demonstrated to them.

Overall another huge success for the CCI project!

Looking forward to the next one!

Jenny Harvey, Advisory Teacher for the North East

Children Challenging Industry visits to Chemoxy International in Middlesbrough

Two Children Challenging Industry visits at the Chemoxy International Middlesbrough Site by children of Breckon Hill Primary School have been declared a resounding success!

The teachers and children were extremely complimentary, and expressed several times how much they enjoyed it. The school was very grateful of Chemoxy’s kind hospitality and the time site personnel took to describe what they did and to show them around the site.

The first group’s visit explored the theme of 'Heating and cooling', which naturally tied in well with the children’s 'Water for Industry' CCI project at school. The tour guides, demonstration presenters, fork lift truck demonstration, water curtain demonstration, the balloon experiment in the R&D lab went down particularly well (no pun intended!) and showed how water can be used for cooling.

The second group’s visit explored the theme of ‘Mixing’, with close links to their CCI ‘Kitchen Concoctions’ science project at school. The short interactive presentations and activities showed the children how we use recipes and equipment such as agitators, tanks, drums and how we mix and use chemicals on site. There was plenty of time for questions and answers about careers@chemoxy too.

Both groups finished their mornings with a quiz about what they had seen as they walked around the site. Prizes for the quiz (books on children’s science experiments, encyclopaedias and dictionaries) were issued to several lucky winners. Finally, together with some unusual goodie bags that can be used for making compost, each child was issued with a certificate to commemorate their visit to Chemoxy. The presentations and pictures taken have been sent to school for use at their assembly.