Welcome to the new academic year and to the latest STEM newsletter  for Secondary Schools and FE Colleges Schools from your local STEM Ambassador Hub. There are several new STEM engagement opportunities available for the forthcoming half term. Please contact us directly to discuss your individual needs.

STEM Ambassadors are still keen to offer as many enrichment opportunities as possible to learners. 

Please encourage colleagues to register with STEM Learning in order to receive the See Science newsletter in the future using the link: www.stem.org.uk/user/register


See Science  have a facebook page where we will also be sharing lots of new ideas regularly - please like or follow the page.

Please don't hesitate to contact us if we can support the teaching of STEM subjects.


With best wishes 

The See Science Team

The newsletter that's an essential source of information and inspiration for teachers and anyone with an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) engagement in Wales.

CONTENTS

 

News 
 


 

Local and National Events
 

FREE Workshops and ongoing support
 

Competitions, Resources and CPD from STEM Learning
 

 


Are your colleagues registered with STEM Learning and receiveing the Hub newsletter. Please share this link to enable registration. 
STEM Ambassador's involvement can engage and enthuse both students and teachers. If you are interested in asking a STEM Ambassador to assist you can make your request here. We’ve created brief guides to encourage both STEM Ambassadors and educators to use the self-service. 

 


If an Ambassador has engaged with you, or if you have met an Ambassador at an enrichment activity, we would be very grateful if you could fill in our teacher feedback form. Please encourage colleagues to respond.


 

LATEST STEM NEWS


St Illtyd’s School success - Greenpower racing at Castle Combe


 

St Illtyd’s School celebrated their first entry into the Greenpower racing F24 competition.


They achieved the finals in Castle Combe with their team’s electric kit car!

Greenpower racing is one of the most impactful STEM activities offered to both Primary and Secondary schools.
From start to finish the Greenpower project enables pupils to engage in a practical
application of STEM that involves fun, learning, team work and take part a real life motorsport experience!
The car kit can be dismantled and re-used giving a legacy of STEM experience for many years.
STEM Ambassador Ciara Doyle is also the South Wales Greenpower Trust Coordinator. Ciara met the team at the finals – their enthusiasm was evident:
“St. Illtyd’s loved their first day there – I’ve attached picture of team with car.  They are so keen they are already looking at ways of getting a second car”
The team won ‘Best Newcomer’ award:
The St Illtyd's team had a brilliant day at our first ever race event at Castle Combe last Sunday. This was the culmination of a brilliant two year #STEM project. The team were delighted to win the "Best Newcomer" award. Well done to everyone involved!

This fantastic STEM project has a category for Primary Schools: Greenpower Goblin and Secondary Schools: F24
With the support of a STEM Ambassador Engineer your school can also take part!
STEM inspiration Greenpower Racing project insight
Thursday 11 th November 3.30pm – 4.30pm

FREE Workshops for pupils

Energy Quest

Energy Quest 2021 is underwayfor KS3 students!  We have  started taking bookings for the forthcoming academic year for  this new version of the workshop which is funded by Shell and delivered by Engineering UK. This eventis delivered in the classroom or online and is FREE of charge.

This new version of Energy Quest puts students at the centre of the action. By putting themselves in the shoes of engineers, young people explore different energy sources and investigate energy transfer as they design a solution to power a mobile phone.

Delivery is interactive – the facilitator takes the lead, until an urgent request for help comes in from Carlotta who has a challenge for students who are then guided to unlock their engineering capabilities. To help join the dots, students have the opportunity to meet young people who were just like them a few years ago, to see how they progressed into an engineering career.

Book a workshop for your students. It’s a great way to revisit core curriculum content and to bring relatable role-models into the classroom. Contact llinos.misra@see-science.co.uk to book this workshop for your KS3 class.

Local events

Community Event  See Seaweed from Space - Friday December 3rd 5.30pm.  - 7.00pm.  Xplore Science Centre Wrexham

 

Space science is not all exploration and astronauts, you know! There’s more seaweed than you’d think! Our research and technology in space is all about helping us to solve problems here on earth, like tracking climate and weather, observing how animal migration is changing, and communicating across the globe. Join Science Made Simple and Wrexham secondary school students working on the Our Space Our Future project for a family-friendly evening of activities showcasing the wonderful world of space science and the careers involved. Ideal for age 8+ but all welcome. To book go to 

https://ourspaceourfuture.eventbrite.co.uk

Read more

ASE: Superhero Science. Saturday 6 November 9.30 - 12.30. Online

Our everyday lives are affected by science. It is important for us all to have enough scientific knowledge so that we can make key life decisions.

Join ASE Cymru, Science Made Simple, Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum of Wales, University of Wales Trinity St David's and David Allen & Alex Sinclair, authors of Superhero Scientists for a series of workshops on how to help children to learn about the many scientific professions in the world and the discoveries that these incredible people have made and focus on inclusivity and diversity. 

Details of workshops and booking here.

Read more

STEM into Christmas! Every Tuesday in November at 12.45pm and 3.45pm. Online

November 2/9/16/23/30

Get ready for the magic of Christmas with some inspirational STEM ideas to share with your learners.

STEM Ambassadors will introduce practical fun activities based on a Christmas theme which can be easily repeated in the classroom. Join us for a 15 min STEM workshop at either 12.45pm or 3.45pm on any Tuesday in November 2nd/9th/16th/23rd/30th or, if you can't make it, book onto the event then receive a link to the recorded session.

Book here.

Read more

IOP Wales - Teaching the Power and Limits of Science: A Challenge or an Opportunity? Tuesday 16 November 4 - 6pm Online

Why do we teach science? Most of us would likely answer along the lines that we want to help and inspire young people to explore the natural world with clarity, insight, excitement and understanding. Perhaps our goal is also to prepare them to tackle some of the world's most pressing issues and opportunities - from space exploration to finding practical solutions for climate change. With its focus on encouraging children to be curious and creative in their classroom exploration of science, the new Welsh curriculum, presents an especially exciting opportunity to help students to engage with the wonder and potential of science in this way.

In this workshop we will explore issues around teaching science and share practical ideas and resources for helping students learn about the nature of science, and its power and limitations in way that inspires and equips them for the future. 

Details and booking here.

Read more

Tomorrow's Engineers Week. 8 - 12 November

Plan your Tomorrow’s Engineers Week Schools COP lesson with our new lesson plans!

‘COP26 and future careers’ is aimed at KS3 and covers the topics PSHCE, careers, geography and science. By the end of the lesson, students will understand 

  • what COP26 is 
  • how climate change will affect you in the future 
  • how future careers could help to solve the problems caused by climate change 

Students will view the Tomorrow’s Engineers Week Schools COP broadcast, which demonstrates some ideas that young people have already had to tackle climate change and how engineers (and engineering careers) can help achieve net zero. The lesson plan will then get your students discussing what they would like to see happen to tackle climate change and how engineering and their future careers can help make it happen. 

The Schools COP broadcast will be available from Monday 8 November, the first day of Tomorrow’s Engineers Week, and will be BSL interpreted.  Details here.

Read more

IOP Physics Forum

Please join us at our IOP Wales Physics Forum on 11 November at 7pm. All are welcome e.g. Teachers (physics specialists and non-specialists), .  Booking is essential and a link will be sent prior to the event. To book go to here. 

Resources
Unique opportunity for North Wales schools: Girls Who Code Saturday Club at Bangor University

Making Coding a fun and easy to learn experience is being offered to girls at schools across North Wales.

Through informal learning, supported by expertise from a leading department in Computer Science, this Club will
  • Support the Digital Competency curriculum areas
  • Enhance girls approach to the subject
  • Introduce girls to Computer Science role models

A brand new initiative led by Dr Cameron Gray, Lecturer in Cyber Security and Computer Science lead Bangor University. As this is a Saturday Club, parents of interested pupils are asked to express their interest here.
 

Read More

STFC Resources

At STFC we have developed some particle physics careers resources aimed at primary (KS2) and early secondary school (KS3) students. 
These resources aim to dispel the stereotype associated with scientists and concentrate on personal attributes. This allows the children to match their characteristics with those of the featured scientists and hopefully to see themselves in these careers.
The project was in collaboration with NUSTEM at Northumbria university, and the resources are free and available to download on their website:
·       STEM Person of the Week (Key Stage 2): https://nustem.uk/stem-person-of-the-week/
·       Careers postcards (Key Stage 3): https://nustem.uk/careers-postcards/
 

Competitions 

The Rees Jeffreys Road Fund Competition

Win £5,000 for your school!

As we recover from the pandemic, face the challenges of climate change and embrace new technologies, we have a unique opportunity to re-imagine our roads and streets in new ways. 

We’re looking for new and innovative ideas, creatively presented. Don’t limit yourself – we welcome poems, paintings, songs, videos –whatever format works for you.

We use streets and roads every day for getting to school, receiving deliveries, going on holiday and getting out into the great British countryside.

What ideas do you have to make all our journeys enjoyable and safe?

Closing date November 19. Details here.

Competitions 

First LEGO League Challenge for yrs 5, 6 7  and 8 Open for Registrations

Registrations for First LEGO League Challenge 2021-22 CARGO CONNECT is now open.

Teams work to build and program an autonomous robot, research real-world problems and develop crucial life skills.

Regional events for Wales will be on the following dates:

  • 21 January in Rhumney SE Wales
  • 25 January Cymraeg for Welsh medium schools
  • 28 January Pembrokeshire

See the competition website here.  Contact cerian.angharad@see-science.co.uk for more information on the Welsh heats.

Funding opportunities 

Professional Teaching Awards Cymru

The Professional Teaching Awards Cymru honours the achievements of teachers up and down the country.

There are 10 Professional Teaching Awards, all of which are nominated for by the public. 

Nominees can include qualified teachers and support/youth work staff of pupils from the age of 3-18 in maintained school settings.

All finalists in each of the 10 categories are selected by a national panel of judges. 

Closing date for nominations is November 23.

Details here.

Read more

Online courses for teachers

A range of free-to-access online courses for teachers at every stage of their career. You will have the opportunity to learn from leading experts and share ideas with thousands of other educators across the world. Download the calendar to see what courses are on offer and when they are available to join.

Latest CPD from your Science Learning Partnership

To find out more about the latest CPD from your Science Learning  Partnership click here

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