1. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources Introduction Science clubs A Continuing Professional Development Unit find out what a science club is and the benefits of running a science club. share the experiences of other science club leaders in their science clubs go through the process involved in a typical science club session discover more about the CREST Investigators packs and how to use them The unit will allow you to: Start the CPDU © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. To view this CPDU as intended you need a PC running Windows XP SP2 or later, and have a copy of Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Power Point 2003 or Power Point 11 installed. This CPDU is also available online at www.azteachscience.co.uk where it can be viewed using a web browser on both PCs and Macs.www.azteachscience.co.uk

2. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources What is a science club? An out-of-school-hours club. Offering science-related activities. Extend and enhance the classroom experience. Each club is different!

3. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits The benefits – for pupils Practice at the process skills needed in science. Increased opportunity to develop and practice thinking, speaking and listening skills. Opportunities to experience a wider range of science topics, hence broadening their enthusiasm for science. Video clip: Children saying the benefits of science club Click on the box to play or pause.

4. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits The benefits – for teachers and teaching assistants To learn about new topics and try out new ideas, in a less pressured environment.

5. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits The benefits – for schools To celebrate science. Raising the profile of science within the school. A positive change in attitude to science lessons. Video clip: Jeannine from Joseph Lancaster (53 sec) Click on the box to play or pause. Play Audio recording: Sarah Walton (1 min 39 sec)

6. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits Who, when, where? One or two organisers Interested parents local university postgraduates or graduate students retired scientists or engineers teachers and classroom assistants A variety of ways, at a variety of times Most common – 30-45 minutes at lunch After school Weekends In a room which Enables group work Has tables and chairs AND plenty of room to move around Has a noticeboard Play Audio recording: Sarah Walton (33 secs) Video clip: Introduction to club (31 secs) Click on the box to play or pause.

7. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits Learning to think like scientists Scientists discuss the ideas for their experiments - before they start and as they work plan their experiments ask questions - of each other, and themselves change their experiments - they find something out, and then have another question to answer work together, in small and large groups, often with different groups having different roles tell each other about their results

8. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits Setting science in context Ask questions about real situations. Solve real problems. Video clip: Reading the story umbrella Click on the box to play or pause. Play Audio recording: Sarah Walton (33 sec) Play Audio recording: Sarah Walton (49 sec)

9. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits What the children think I enjoy coming to science club because it's fun and we do different things and learn different things every week. During science club, we plan our investigation, get our equipment, do our investigation and record our results on a piece of paper. Sometime the plan doesn't go well, sometimes it does. Video clip: Children saying what they do Click on the box to play or pause.

10. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits A typical club session Factors to think about: Collecting (and possibly setting out) the materials Introduction to the investigation or topic A short starter activity Child-led investigation Tidy up Groups have time to collate and summarise their thoughts together Feedback, compare and consolidation time Recording

11. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits Collecting the materials The organiser and helpers can: put the exact resources out have a table, so that children choose their own. Alternatively – the members can help you set up! Video clip: Organisers prepare for a science club session Click on the box to play or pause.

12. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits Introducing the topic Given be leader, helper or club member Sets the scene Health and safety Use props or visual aids Use a starter activity Video clip: Setting the challenge- music maker Click on the box to play or pause. Video clip: Investigation music maker Click on the box to play or pause. Video clip: Setting the challenge u umbrella Click on the box to play or pause. Video clip: Investigation useless umbrella Click on the box to play or pause.

13. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits Child-led investigation The main activity is “doing science” It’s why children go to science club! Children practice and develop process skills. How to ask a testable question. Creating fair tests. Leave enough time! Have extra challenges. Tidy up Let the children learn to tidy up and store science equipment.

14. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits Children think and share To benefit the final discussion Groups have 2-4 minutes to reflect on: the session what they have found out what they would do differently next time. They then share their thoughts with you and the club. If you don’t do this, you undermine the usefulness of the activity Allow 5-8 minutes

15. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits Recording Science club is about hands-on science Recording is important – but make it fun A1 sugar paper and coloured pens Simple and run recording sheets Video clip: Results useless umbrella Click on the box to play or pause.

16. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits Things to do National schemes include The BA – CREST Star Investigators Awards Young Engineers - support, advice and activities related to engineering Chemistry clubs - support and advice on chemistry-related activities RSPB Wildlife Explorers Groups and the Wildlife Trusts´ Watch Clubs both offer support, training and activities for young people.

17. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits CREST Star Investigators A new award scheme developed for the BA by Millgate House. Three awards Star SuperStar MegaStar Five guiding principles solve a relevant, science-based problem, set within a scenario work in pairs or small groups, independently of adults take part in practical, hands-on science activities think and talk about science, during the activity and when sharing their results share their results using a variety of media.

18. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits CREST Star Investigators in action Brilliant bubbles Cosmic gets a new bubble machine for his birthday Fantastic fingerprints Do the people in Startown all have different fingerprints? A hole in the bucket Use sticky materials to stop a bucket leaking Video clip: Jeannine Shardlow (54 sec) Click on the box to play or pause. Play Audio recording: Sarah Walton (28 sec)

19. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources The benefits Now get started Meet to decide who the club members will be (one year group, open access etc), when and where your club will run the programme for the first term or half-term who will lead and prepare for each session what letters and documents you need to produce.

20. © AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Designed and developed by Orbitsville. PreviousNext Home Resources Additional resources such as videos, audio clips and downloadable files are available in the online version of this CPDU at www.azteachscience.co.ukwww.azteachscience.co.uk LINKS Planet Science www.planet-science.com Ideas for science activities that supports creative and fun approaches to science teaching and learning. Young Engineers www.youngeng.org Website for Young Engineers. Register your Club for free and get access to activity ideas and information about the Young Engineer for Britain. The Science Discovery Clubs Network www.scizmic.net The UK's Science Centre and Museums Network's collection of experiments, activity ideas and debate plans for young people. The BA www.the-ba.net Resources for National Science & Engineering Week, Challenge packs, activities, quizzes, advice on funding and publicity. Exploratorium www.exploratorium.edu US website with science experiments. National Physical Laboratory www.npl.co.uk/thelearningroom/ Online experiments. BAE Systems www.engineeringourfuture.co.uk Education page which contains downloadable activity ideas once your school have been registered. Science and Engineering Club Handbook PDF download DOCUMENTS Sample poster Sample programme Sample invitation to club Sample RA Sample session outline