The Teaching, Learning and Creativity (TLC) model suggests a wide variety of activities in three different phases. In the Teaching Phase, the teacher will discuss, demonstrate key experiments and provide data for pupils to interpret. In the Learning Phase, pupils will analyse text, do a simple test and write an essay. In the Creativity Phase,…

Science relies on standards for measurement. This article describes assessment of geometric shape, rather than size. The author considers the problem of establishing departure from roundness. In doing this he examines some curious geometric shapes, including non-circular shapes of constant width and shapes that rotate smoothly inside triangles.…

This "Science note" arose out of practical work involving the dilution of ethanoic acid, the measurement of the pH of the diluted solutions and calculation of the acid dissociation constant, K[subscript a], for each diluted solution. The students expected the calculated values of K[subscript a] to be constant but they found that the…

A suitable way for teachers to present science content and foster creativity in less academically inclined students is by getting them to engage in design-based science activities and guiding them along the way. This study illustrates how a design-and-make activity was carried out with the aim of getting students to showcase their creativity while…

Practical work is viewed by many as essential to the school science curriculum. It continues to be specified in many curriculum statements, with a wide range of claims being used to justify its inclusion. Currently, practical work is facing a number of challenges, including that it is not effective in promoting learning. An analysis of a specific…

Practical work has a long history in science education in the UK. This article explores how the influences of curriculum and assessment policy have shaped practical work over recent years. We argue that, together with changes in teacher training programmes, these influences have weakened science teachers' capacity to meet the challenge of…

The article describes an innovative project for year 9 (age 13-14) students that has run since 2002 with the help of professional engineers and scientists and incorporates careers information and hands-on practical work. The programme was developed to highlight alternative energy as a subject and also to provide a hands-on practical day for the…

The revised National Curriculum for Science for key stages 3 and 4 (ages 11-16) in England provides the opportunity to develop a new coherent approach to teaching about the carbon cycle, the use of carbon as a fuel and the resulting issues. The Earth Science Education Unit (ESEU) intends to develop a new workshop to support the teaching of this…

For many in the school science classroom, the term "microbiology" has become synonymous with "bacteriology". By overlooking other microbes, teachers may miss out on powerful practical tools. This article describes the development of an activity that uses algae and yeast to demonstrate gas cycling, and presents full instructions…

Science is at heart a practical subject, but the perception of what makes good teaching and learning through practical science is often misunderstood. Through working with teachers on professional development courses at the UK's National Science Learning Centre, and drawing on work carried out by other organisations, we present some thoughts…

"CHEM"opera is an opera blended with demonstrations of chemical reactions. It has been produced and performed twice by chemistry undergraduate students at Hallym University in South Korea. It aims to demonstrate interesting chemical reactions to chemistry students, children and the public and to facilitate their understanding of the role…

Experimental and investigative work has been an integral element in the teaching of science in schools for many years. Although students have always been taught to work safely, there is now a more general requirement that they will be taught about health and safety and how it should be implemented. That is, they must understand something of the…

This article presents an account of a practical outdoor science project using the larvae of antlions with year 5 and 6 (age 10-11) pupils from Sir Harry Johnston International Primary School in Zomba, Malawi. Aim: To conduct a science project outdoors using scientific enquiry and knowledge in a typical African school environment and to see whether…

A shared conference presentation describes two ways of bringing education for sustainable development into education. The first part concentrated on putting science into outdoor learning backed up by a series of mind-mapping activities. The second was about linking schools with their surrounding communities to develop ways of working together. An…

Examples of the use of various kinds of mobile information technology are explained for use in the classroom or laboratory. Individual or group work can make use of such devices, avoiding the need to move the class to a computer room or wait for a turn to use a computer in the laboratory. Many different applications are available. This article…