UK Centre for Materials Education
Working with you to enhance the student experience
Working with you to enhance the student experience
Awarded to: John Kilner
Institution: Imperial College in collaboration with The Science Museum
Funded in: 2002
Project description: The project aims to promote materials awareness in schools. It will develop a new Materials Science show for the Science Museum Outreach Programme.
Background: The Science Museum Outreach Programme brings an exciting range of science shows and activities to school or community venues. The programmes have strong links to the National Curriculum. Performances and workshops vary in their length of time between 25 and 60 minutes. The length and style of the performance can be adapted to suit the audience needs.
The Science Museum is dedicated to raising the public awareness of science and the Outreach programme is part of the strategy for bringing this awareness into schools. The museum has a national brief and has pioneered the concept of making science interesting and fun for children. This project will provide for a powerful relationship between the museum, with its undoubted expertise in the popularisation and dissemination of science and technology, and the department of Materials with its expertise in the teaching of Materials. It is expected that this project will form the first part of a continued relationship between the two establishments aimed at capitalising on the museums central role in the scientific promotion to schoolchildren.
Objectives: The project is aimed at developing a new show, initially aimed at the 7-11 age range, to focus on materials. The Science Museum will supply the expertise of its Outreach Department in determining the framework for the show and the Department of Materials will supply suggestions and materials to determine the content of the show. Of relevance is the current link between Dr Robin Grimes in the Department of Materials and the Royal Institution. Dr Grimes gives lectures to schoolchildren at the RI and demonstrations and exhibits developed for this application can be fed into the SML show.
Demand for a show has been demonstrated by a number of requests that have been received by the Outreach unit for an event in this topic area to give support to teachers, particularly at primary school level.
Methodology: The methodology to be used will use the existing well tried method of other SML shows. We will also attempt to blend the experience gained with the provision of schools lectures by the Department and Departmental involvement in the RI schools programme.