British Science Week
The theme for this years event is ‘exploration and discovery’. So we talked to our top science tutors to see how they encourage students to get into science.
Learn how to figure things out
“I think it would be helpful to dispel the misconception of how science is about blowing stuff up and so on. I think science is about figuring things out; it helps you develop critical thinking skills.” Pan, Science and Maths tutor.
Find something relevant to the student
Pan’s thoughts were further echoed by Gurs, another of our science tutors:
“I’d have to say that you need to find something engaging, something relevant to the student. Are they annoyed that their year-old phone has no battery life? Well then, let’s have a look at how a simple battery works. Let’s see what ions are involved and how charging and discharging can affect how the battery functions. Let’s go over turning forces and moments on paper, then get a student to push open a door from the hinges and then from the handle. Hopefully you can show a student that there are real life applications to the things they learn from textbooks.”
Nurture students’ interests
“I think if a child is curious about the natural world then there’s a good chance they will gravitate towards science. But it depends on how that interest is nurtured by their parents and their teachers.” said Tom, a Biology tutor.
Get practical
Make science a hands on experience, advises science tutor, Rosie:
“When children are young they are excited with anything which is practical and hands on! Therefore, I would encourage getting children involved in various science experiments. When I was teaching at the McLeod Centre we did several experiments, among which the lamb heart dissection was most popular. Hearts can be obtained from the local butcher for free. There are also several pictures/videos/tutorials online which can explain regions of the heart! Regular trips to the science museums, and several demonstrations or hands-on seminars at the local library will encourage awareness of science.” British Science Week is all about exploring, nurturing and thinking about everyday discoveries that are relevant to young people’s lives.
Parents and tutors, you can find activity packs for all age groups here: https://www.britishscienceweek.org/plan-your-activities/activity-packs/ and make sure to check out this page to see which science events are taking place near you.
