British Science Week 2022
Some unusual Science experiments and activities helped students in Year 7, 8 and 9 to celebrate British Science Week.
Cress seeds, microbes and towers built using just spaghetti and marshmallows taught the students interesting lessons about ‘growth’, the theme of this year’s event. Patience was required for all three activities, though for different reasons. Students planted the cress seeds in beakers lined with cotton wool and varied amounts of water. A few weeks waiting was necessary to discover the results.
In the same way, the young scientists used agar plates to grow microbes from the bacteria found on their hands. After just a few days the resulting growth illustrated how quickly microbes can multiply, and how important it is to keep washing your hands!
In contrast the building of spaghetti towers was an activity that could be achieved quickly. But it wasn’t as simple as that – students were asked to think about how they would design their construction, and patience was needed to slowly and carefully build the towers. Easier said than done!
A final challenge for students during the week and beyond was to combine their science interest with artistic flair, and create their own posters to promote science. The winning students will be travelling later in the year to the incredible Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. Promoting a love of, and involvement in science is the aim of British Science Week. It celebrates the achievements and potential of science, technology, engineering and maths, and is organised by the British Science Association.
