New resources coming soon….

We have been filming with the Science Museum in house comedy team Punk Science to create short films for you to use in the classroom. The Punk Science team bring a hilarious twist to difficult to understand science concepts and ideas while making the science crystal clear for your students. So if you have ever wondered how two men, some bungee chord and a balaclava can demonstrate the end of the universe these films will be just your cup of tea. You can get a little taster of what they’re about on our YouTube Channel.

Punk Science team

Punk Science are the minds behind the best selling children’s science book Do Try This at Home.

Do try this at Home

In addition to the films, Punk Science will also be sharing their top tips for teachers who want to ‘Punk’ their lessons. The films will start appearing on our site from July onwards.

Join us for a course

It’s very nearly summer and there has never been a better time to come and join us on our training course about running great classroom discussions. Summer term dates are as follows:

10th June - Belfast

15th June – London

17th June – Manchester

24th June – Cardiff

1st July – Norwich

6th July – London

The course is packed with practical tried and tested ideas and fits with all UK KS3 and 4 curricula. For more information or to book a place click here

Talk Science course

A big thank you to everyone who came along to the courses we had a great time working with you. Don’t forget if you try out any of the ideas from the day we love to hear how it went so drop us a line at talk.science@sciencemuseum.org.uk

Feel like you have missed out? Well for anyone who couldn’t make it on the day we have courses happening all around the UK in the next couple of months click here for dates.  Due to extra demand we have added a course in Glasgow on 18th March but you will have to be quick as there are only a few places remaining. Click here to book a place.

We will be back later this week to bring you some more great ideas for classroom discussion.

Is your New year’s resolution to brush up your classroom discussion running skills? If so help is at hand!

The Talk Science team will be running their teacher training course at venues across the UK in 2010. We will be sharing our  top tips on getting your students talking about hot science topics in our one day teachers course packed with ideas and resources to hook your students into a great science discussion (and we guarentee its more fun and less difficult than all those other resolutions to loose weight, give up chocolate, run a marathon etc.) Here’s what one teacher in York thought about the course:

‘The course gave me lots of ideas, and was delivered in a fun and interesting way. It has inspired me to run more discussion lessons in the future.’

The course takes place on the following dates:

21st January – Bristol

28th January – Edinburgh

24th February – Nottingham

18th March – Glasgow

25th March – London

27th May – Birmingham

10th June – Belfast

15th June – London

17th June – Manchester

24th June – Cardiff

1st July – Norwich

6th July – London

13th July – London

The course is free and is supported by BP as part of the Enterprising Science project. Click here to register for a course.

We look forward to meeting  you  throughout 2010.

We are delivering a number of sessions including a taster session of the Talk Science training course, and our classroom activity News+Views which lets students create Museum style displays on a contemporary science topic.

Rocket Mice

The full line up includes:

Thurs 7th Jan

1400-1600 News and Views: Create a Mini Contemporary Science Exhibition BC16 Biology B39

Fri 8th Jan

 09.30-10.30 Feel The Force T066 Biology B1

11.30-12.30 Talk Science: Effective Contemporary Science Discussions T102 Biology B1

14.00-15.00 Supporting Inspirational Primary Classroom Science BC40 Biology B1

Sat 9th Jan

09.30-10.30 Supporting Inspirational Secondary Classroom Science BC48 Biology B1

Don’t forget to stop by our stand F14 in the marketplace where you try out some of our free online resources, chat with our friendly staff and even get your very own CO2 bubble to carry round with you. See you there!

That’s what a teacher who attended our course in Birmingham earlier this year thought about our one day teacher training course.

Come an join us in Newcastle on 25th November as we share the Science Museum’s tools and techniques for running great discussions in the classroom. We look at new apporaches to teaching How Science Works and loads fo ideas that work across all science topics.

Places are free and there are only a few remaining so book now by calling 020 7401 4040 and don’t forget to mention where you read about it.

Hope to see you all on the 25th in Newcastle.

The Science Museum shares its top tips on getting your students talking about hot science topics in our one day teachers course. The day is packed with ideas and resources to hook your students into a great science discussion.

If you would like to join us next week for the only London based course this term pleace call 020 7401 4040 to book.

Bust of Socrates

Now, he might not look the most welcoming chap, but this technique is based on Socrates’ theory that it is more important to enable students to think for themselves than to provide them with the ‘right’ answers.

Divide your students into two groups – one speaking and one listening (they will swap around later on). Ask the speaking group questions and the listening group will assess how well they answer them.  

If you want  find out more about it then check out this video. It features Beth Hickey from Westminster Academy, the teacher who told us about it the technique.

 Alongside the Talk Science, we run a series of teachers courses on running discussion around contemporary science topics. A lot of the course content has come straight from the classroom from the 800+ teachers we have worked with over the past few years, as well as the Science Museums wealth of experience in engaging students in science. Sounds interesting? Then why not come and join us on a course  – find more details here.