This week is British Science Week: a celebration of all things Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) in the UK, taking place between 5-14 March 2021.

The Union Chain Bridge project contains within it a STEM learning programme which uses the bridge as a focus and driver for STEM activities with parents and teachers on both sides of the border. The programme aims to engage families in supporting their children’s learning; to support teachers in developing and improving their STEM practice; and to introduce STEM careers ideas in accessible ways.

For British Science Week, you can find some brand-new STEM activities to do at home and in the classroom below. Why not have a go at…

Get Creative Challenges (at home) – 3 STEM-at-home challenges which use household craft items and recycling to provoke thought, solve imagined problems and engineer solutions. Within these three easy activities you and your child can:

1. invent a toy robot out of recycling to solve an imagined problem
2. create a zip wire to transport your child’s favourite toy
3. make a time capsule in an old shoe box or a weather-proof box

These activities were designed as cross-curricular / interdisciplinary resources centred about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) and inspired by the ‘real world’ engineering of the bridge. Among other things, they encourage using the engineering thought processes to develop design and technology skills, problem solving skills, mathematical thinking, and creativity. They also aim develop skills in young people’s resilience, perseverance, and self-reflection / expression.

Full instructions and supporting materials are provided with each activity. Follow this link to Get Creative!: www.unionchainbridge.org/learning/resources

Digital Broadcast #1 and Design Your Own Bridge activity (in school) - a new video and activity designed for use in classrooms!

The new 7-minute Digital Broadcast #1 is a YouTube video which introduces the Union Chain Bridge to children, features a “news” segment showing what conservation work is going on at the bridge right now, and finishes with a creative Design Your Own Bridge activity to do in class.

This activity was originally envisaged as a whole-school assembly, however, it could actually be delivered a number of ways in schools. This is the first episode in a series – subsequent episodes will be released on the YouTube channel in due course. Why not add it into your planning for British Science Week?

The video can be accessed on our Union Chain Bridge YouTube channel or by clicking on this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNHqAS7vV08

To download the associated PowerPoint (to show in class) please click here.

To download the associated .pdf hand out (to print out) please click here.

British Science Week Online Resources (in school or at home) – lots of new STEM resources have been released online this week specifically for British Science Week. This is a short selection of some of them to give you some STEM-spiration. Please do get in touch if we have missed any great resources off our list!

-British Science Week website (various activity packs and events): www.britishscienceweek.org

-STEM website (lots of activity packs): www.stem.org.uk/resources/collection/3589/british-science-week

-TES (collection of their science-specific and cross-disciplinary resources): www.tes.com/teaching-resources/blog/inspiration-british-science-week

-BBC (links to all their STEM resources in one place): www.bbc.co.uk/teach/british-science-week/zg9c3j6

-WWF (activities on biodiversity and biomes): www.wwf.org.uk/updates/british-science-week-2021

-RHS (STEM resources aimed at older primary years): https://schoolgardening.rhs.org.uk/Resources/Info-Sheet/British-Science-Week

-Science Museum Group (free Open Talks exploring the issues around diversity and inclusion in STEM – perhaps good CPD for teachers?): https://www.locomotion.org.uk/whats-on/open-talk