TITLE OF DEVELOPING PRACTICE EXAMPLE
Braes High Cluster Virtual P7 Science Transitions Workshops
built BY
Digitize Pathways in partnership with Tablet academy Scotland and Co.Lab Hub
- Good Practice Example
- prev
- next
- Send an email
- Share
- prev
- next
CONTEXT / BACKGROUND
As part of the Primary Transition Programme at Braes, we have always offered a day in the science department to our cluster primary 7 classes. The purpose of this is to allow them to learn the key practical skills they will use when they begin secondary science. Due to Covid restrictions, we were unable to deliver our usual Science Transitions for our Cluster Primary 7 classes. In place of this, our STEM leaders designed a series of online activities to be delivered across the cluster, as part of their Young STEM leader award.
WHAT WE DID
Our Young STEM leaders designed a short series of activities to introduce some of our science apparatus, to develop measuring skills and to encourage them to think about fair experimental design. They made up worksheets (attached) and kits for the pupils to use and we dropped these kits off at the primary schools. They then ran these workshops through video calls across the cluster primaries.
In addition to this, they filmed a series of different videos to introduce the science teachers, to show some of the experiments they may do when they come up to the high school, and to take them around a science classroom.
HOW WE DID IT
Our STEM leaders considered the difficulties in running these workshops and carefully planned experiments that would be safe for primary classes to run without a science teacher present. Use our Teams Cluster Transition page to arrange drop offs and collection of kits and ran the even live through a Teams Call, where our Braes Pupils and Cluster Primary Pupils could speak with each other. STEM leaders were supported in doing this by a science teacher.
IMPACT / OUTCOMES
This was a really positive experience for all pupils involved.
For our STEM leaders (the senior Braes pupils), you could really see their confidence and resilience grow as they planned, organised and ran these events.
For our cluster primary pupils, they got a hands-on opportunity to use some of our equipment and to take part in practical science workshops. The pupils were very engaged throughout and their class teachers’ feedback was very positive, stating that they felt their classes interest, engagement and confidence in science was increased as a result of these workshops. In addition to this, the pupils got to know some of our seniors and began to make connections with senior pupils in our school, an experience we how will help them to settle in when they move to Braes after the summer.
FEEDBACK
STEM Leaders
“I have enjoyed doing this so much. I felt really stressed at the start because it seemed like so much. I can’t believe I actually did it!”
“I didn’t think I would be able to speak to the classes and give the instructions, but I have loved doing it. I really liked seeing how much fun they had doing our experiments!
“I am now thinking I could be a teacher”
Primary pupils
“It was great fun”
“I enjoyed it all”
“I feel I know more about science before I start (at Braes)”
“The leaders were funny and nice”
“I liked doing the experiments”
UPLOADED FILES
Categories
Stage focus
LA
Falkirk
Where?
Braes High School
CONTACT PERSON
Jenny Quinlan
CONTACT EMAIL
jenny.quinlan@falkirk.gov.uk
