Science, news, HGfL

Launched at the Science Museum London in September 2001 Science year is a UK wide science educational initiative. It will run throughout the academic year 2001/2002 with the aim of making science more appealing to 10 – 19 year olds.

Science year is funded by the DfES with additional support from The National Endowment for Science and Technology (NESTA) along with a number of key sponsors from outside education. It is being produced in co-operation with the Department for Trade and Industry and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

The key partners from the science education field are the Association for Science Education (ASE) and the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA). The ASE will be producing new curriculum materials which will be available to schools through the Science Year web site

www.scienceyear.com as well as on CD-Rom. The first CD-Rom has arrived in school this term. The BA are running new activities as well as enhancing their existing youth programmes. There will be mass participation activities such as laughter lab – a quest for the nations funniest joke as well as the biggest and best ever National Science Week in March 2002.

Attention Primary Colleagues, sharing good practice in Science at KS1+2

At the recent Primary Science co-ordinators Pat Palmer asked delegates if they would help with a number of projects running across the county. In particular there is an opportunity to be involved in developing implementation "case studies" based around the activities for able pupils which appeared in Pat's publication "Science Challenges. Practical activities for able pupils in KS2" Also at the conference Steve asked primary colleagues if they would be prepared to put themselves forward for secondary colleagues to visit their classroom to observe good practice in primary science as part of the forthcoming KS3 Science Strategy roll out in summer 2002. If you are interested in any of these opportunities please contact either Steve or Pat or return the form below to the Development centre in Wheathampstead.

Hertfordshire Science Teaching Scholarship

Do you have a pet curriculum project that you never seem to get round to doing? Well, the Hertfordshire Science Teaching Scholarship could be the answer. The scholarship provides funding for a replacement teacher to release the scholarship holder from teaching for a time period equal to one term plus a grant of up to £500.00 for materials. Interested? For more details see the attached flyer.

The Hertfordshire Science Teaching Scholarship
The closing date for applications is 1st February 2002

A scholarship is offered to science teachers of at least 3 years experience, working in secondary schools, middle schools or colleges of further education, or to teachers in primary or special schools with an interest in science teaching.

The scholarship is intended to give teachers time to develop a project which will be of benefit to their school or to science teaching in general.

To this end, the award enables a teacher to apply for secondment for one term, or an equivalent period of time, whichever is most convenient to the institution.

The scholarship will pay for the teacher's replacement for this period and also offers a grant of up to £500 to cover expenses for travel and purchase of materials and equipment.

The project must be one which is intended to make the teaching of science more effective by producing and testing new ideas rather than academic research into a science subject or educational theory.

For full details and application forms write to:

The Science Adviser
Wheathampstead Development Centre
Butterfield Road
Wheathampstead
Hertfordshire
AL4 8PY

An opportunity for Teachers

So what's happening in Hertfordshire

The county will be promoting Science Year through a range of education-business linked activities organised and co-ordinated by the local SETPOINT (previously Hertfordshire SATRO). For KS21/2 these activities will include a Concept Cartoons Investigators Challenge sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Young Investigators/Young Discoverers clubs in schools and two new workshops aimed at infants. The Concept Cartoons challenge will culminate in a celebration of primary science to be hosted by GSK in Stevenage on the 3^rd July 2002.

At secondary level planned events include Biotechnology workshops for teachers, with follow up sessions in school for AS students, ethical debates on aspects of science such as genetic engineering and financial support for CREST awards at silver level. This year’s Christmas lecture "best invention copies nature" will be held in Stevenage.

Finally I would like to take the opportunity to thank our Science Year business partners in Hertfordshire, Bio-Rad, GlaxoSmithKline and Science and Plants in schools (SAPS).

Contacts

Sue Allenby
SETPOINT (Hertfordshire SATRO) at Matra, BAe Dynamics, PO Box 19, PB211, Six Hills Way, and Stevenage. SG1 2DA.
Tel: 01438 755075
Email: hertssatro@netscapeonline.co.uk

Wheathampstead Development Centre, Butterfield Road, Wheathampstead, Herts. AL4 8PY
Tel: 01582 830100.

Download this Newsletter

Newsletter

Autumn Term - November 2001

Welcome to…

Science Year 2001/2002

Science Year – Catch the wave!

Attention Primary Colleagues, sharing good practice in Science at KS1+2

Hertfordshire Science Teaching Scholarship

So what's happening in Hertfordshire

Contacts

Useful facts about aardvark

Download this Newsletter

Newsletter

Autumn Term - November 2001

Welcome to… Science Year 2001/2002

Science Year – Catch the wave!

Attention Primary Colleagues, sharing good practice in Science at KS1+2

Hertfordshire Science Teaching Scholarship

So what's happening in Hertfordshire

Contacts

Useful facts about aardvark

Welcome to…

Science Year 2001/2002