Aspiring Scientists deliver STEM activities to Y3 pupils
Cambridge Regional College students deliver a day of practical STEM activities to Year 3 pupils at Watford-based primary, Radlett Preparatory School.
Senior Science Technician, Shiree Gilday-Burns and her team of Applied Science and Access students spent the day exploring STEM subjects with Year 3 pupils to support the delivery of practical aspects of the key stage 2 science curriculum.
The students led a carousel of science-based activities, rotating around three classrooms to accommodate a total of 66 pupils as they explored topics including fossils; looking at erosion and weathering, space; looking at light, reflection and refraction and electronics: copper tape, batteries, and LEDs (light emitting diodes).
Shiree said, “Both our students and the Year 3 pupils had a great time; the excitement of the day resulted in the occasional increase in noise levels, but our students managed the pupils really well and it was lovely to see the children inspired by some practical hands-on science activities. It was nice to for the children to be able to keep the results of their work in the form of fossils made from plaster of Paris, constellation viewers made from Pringles tubes and light-up calendars using copper tape.”
Several of our students aspire to be primary school teachers, so the opportunity to work with pupils in a real-life setting is the ideal work experience for them. In addition, volunteering in this way is a great achievement to add personal statements for university applications and the accumulation of work experience hours will support those on the Access course.
Shiree added, “I would like to offer my thanks to the team: Steve Martin (Access Physics Lecturer), Georgia Hare, Thomas Horseman, Alice Pollard, Maisie Cherry-Chapman, Kaitlyn Horrod, Lewis Vaughan, Callie Wicks and Rebecca Falconio for volunteering to support this partnership working, and being great ambassadors for Cambridge Regional College.”
Following the STEM day, pupils from Radlett Preparatory School sent cards with thank you messages to the students that had supported their learning. Year 3 pupil, George said, “Thank you for all the fun things we did. My favourite part was when we used the stones to make fossils.”
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