Welcome to British Science Week Monday 11th – Friday 15th March

Remember our aim for the week: The aim of British Science week is to inspire as many of you as possible to find something within the world of science that you enjoy and to find out about the many different career opportunities available within STEM for young women just like you!

Rosalind Franklin Inspiring females in Science Today’s scientist was able to discover what makes us all unique This lady discovered the shape of DNA! Her name is….. Rosalind Franklin

Rosalind Franklin (1920 – 1958) Key facts: Born in London in 1920, to a father who disapproved of women going to University! Despite this, and lots of discrimination along the way, went on to gain a PhD from Cambridge University before going on to make one of the most important discoveries ever!

Why is Rosalind Franklin so inspiring? The big science question of Rosalind Franklin’s era was ‘What is the shape of DNA?’ After spending hundreds of hours using an X-ray on the delicate fibres of DNA, she was able to capture the now famous photo that showed DNA is a double helix However, as is becoming a theme of amazing female scientists at this time, Rosalind Franklin did not get the credit she deserved!!

At the same time Franklin was working on the structure of DNA, so were two male scientists called James Watson and Francis Crick As they worked at the same university, they peeked at her work without permission and published her findings under their own names!!!! Sadly, Rosalind Franklin passed away from cancer in 1958 and Watson and Crick went on to win a Nobel Prize four years later However, people have begun to realise who was the real brains behind the operation and Rosalind is finally getting the credit she very much deserved!

“Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated.” Famous quote from Rosalind Franklin “Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated.”

Why else is today important?!.......

3.14 Today is the 14th March. March is the 3rd Month. We write this as 14/3 however in other countries around the world it is written as 3.14

Pi (π) has been used regularly in its mathematical sense only for the past 250 years. The symbol π represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. In other words, π is the number of times a circle’s diameter will fit around its circumference. 3.14159265359..

Science week Maths puzzle! Today in school… Science week Maths puzzle! Break time charity pi(e)/cake sale next to reflections! – All proceeds to the NSPCC Pi activities in KS3 Maths lessons!!!

Solution: An echo Many have heard it, but nobody has ever seen it, Puzzle number 3 – What am I?! Did you solve it? Many have heard it, but nobody has ever seen it, and it will not speak back until spoken to. What is it? Solution: An echo

H, Be, F, S, Mn, Kr, In, Gd, Tl, ? What's the next in the sequence ? Puzzle number 4 – Chemistry and maths!! H, Be, F, S, Mn, Kr, In, Gd, Tl, ? What's the next in the sequence ? Ask your form tutor for a periodic table to help!!