Last week was STEM Week at Sharples and saw the Science team running a series of enrichment events for our students across all year groups each and every day. There was so much activity, we only had space to report on the first part last week, so read on for Part 2!
Year 7 Science Club
Over lunch on Thursday, Miss Dudley and Mr McCann were carrying out exciting practical activities with Year 7, including investigating LEDs, building hovercrafts and attempting an origami challenge! Practical work is a key hands-on skill for our Science students to develop, deepening their knowledge and understanding by enabling them to put their classroom theory into real-world practice.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
On Friday morning, Year 10 had the opportunity in lessons to pose questions to Clare Burrage, Professor of Physics at the University of Nottingham, in a live Q&A session via Zoom (above left). Professor Burrage has been awarded the Maxwell Medal and Prize by the Institute of Physics for her outstanding contributions to the field of dark energy research, trying to understand why the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Thanks to Miss Dudley for hosting. Year 10 also had the opportunity to visit our observatory and use the telescope with Mr Harding in the afternoon (above right).
Science Museum Virtual Tour
Looking for somewhere to (virtually) visit over Easter? The Science Museum is offering some great resources on its website due to the pandemic causing it to remain closed. They are also offering a virtual tour of the museum and curator gallery guides:
https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/virtual-tour-science-museum
Thanks to Miss Fairhurst for sharing the link.
And thanks again to all the Science teaching and technician team who supported enrichment events for our students to enjoy during STEM Week, giving up their time to cover and deliver successful sessions.
Article by Mr J. Harding – Science Enrichment Coordinator
Further events across the school during the second part of the week included:
Arcade Game Design Workshop
Maths Club Launch
Maths Fest
And finally, Science is not just for the Scientists, we leave you with a musing poem about STEM by Mr Ormsby…
Constellation Prize
The figure on the mountain knew
Far higher than the eagle flew
Beyond the sun and past the light
Were men who crossed the sky by night.
Soon after dusk their fires appeared
Then slowly, once a course was steered
Their caravan set out en masse
To make its empyreal pass.
Like beasts migrating on the plains
Like swarms that form to greet the rains
He found no word for the amount
Of travellers he sought to count.
A gallery would pass him by
Whose outlines seemed to signify
Proud emblems of a noble clan
Led by an even greater man.
The bearing, always east to west
Suggested they were on a quest
Or maybe searching for a door
They’d passed through in a time before.
And so each night he danced and prayed
Around the fire he had made
In hope his kin might see its glow
Then show him all he wished to know.
So with the last beat from his breast
Great Spirit granted this request
And drew his outline in the sky
That men as he should never die.
