SPLATS

SPLATS = Students Presenting Learning And Teaching Science.

Secondary students present a series of science activities to primary pupils. This project brings together secondary schools and their local primary schools to enjoy an exciting practical science day.

The benefits of this project are:

• secondary students developing confidence in presentation, communication, planning and organisational skills;

• primary pupils and their teachers enjoying hands-on science activities which develop science enquiry and investigation skills;

• the pupils meeting secondary staff and students;

• the secondary school developing closer links with the primary schools.

Each activity also generates resources for the primary school teachers for follow-up work.

Typical format

Eighteen sixth-form students present six workshop sessions to six classes of Y5 pupil and their teachers. This would all be hosted on the secondary school site.

Day 1: the students are trained to present science workshops.

Day 2: pupils meet the students and enjoy an action-packed day of workshop sessions.

Variations are possible, for example:

  having more than one event day;

  involving Y9 or Y10 students instead of sixth-formers;

  involving more secondary students;

  taking the workshops into local primary schools;

  involving younger primary pupils.

Recent successful SPLATS projects have been held in Doncaster, Luton, Sutton and other places across the UK.

The cost of one SPLATS Project (comprising one training day, one event day and all materials) is £1700 plus VAT. This assumes up to 180 primary pupils participating in KS2 workshops. Variations (including extra event days) can be costed accordingly.

.

"An excellent project that both sets of students gained a lot from. The greatest improvement was in the students confidence in their own presentation and communication skills.

I would recommend it. It achieved all that I had hoped it would do but in a number of areas exceeded my expectations."

                             Head of Science, Bedfordshire

"I really enjoyed the training we received; it was fun, enjoyable and I learnt a lot from the experience. I enjoyed it so much that when our teacher suggested that we could progress our skills further by teaching other year groups I wanted to be involved. In science club myself and a group of friends tried out some experiments and activities that we thought were suitable for year 4s.

        "The science club then when into primary schools .The activities that were delivered were based around a space theme. We did two activities: the first experiment that was done was designing, making and racing balloon rockets. The Y4s really love this activity. They were really engaged and enthusiastic and thrived on the competitiveness of the activity.

        "The second activity was designing and making an Aerial. We made this a little harder for them as we only gave them a budget of a thousand pounds. The Y4s also loved this as it gave them the independence of managing their money and thinking ahead of what they needed to make their Aerial

        "I would really encourage anybody who is thinking about doing SPLATS to try it; the experience was an unforgettable one and I really thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it."

                                                              Paige from Hall Cross School , Doncaster

To contact us please email spherescience@yahoo.co.uk or click here to complete our online form...