Are you planning a science birthday party for your budding mini scientist? Read on to discover how to plan the perfect science party. We’ve got a brilliant idea for plastic-free party bag favours, too!
If you want a zero waste party bag idea that won’t break and end up in the bin five minutes after the party ends, why not pick up a bundle of Whizz Pop Bang magazines? Choose from our large catalogue of back issues – why not choose your child’s favourite topic, a theme to fit the party, or something different for each guest?
Holding an experiment-filled science party? Select a variety of activity-packed Whizz Pop Bang magazines!
If you’re buying ten or more copies, just drop us a line at hello@whizzpopbang.com letting us know what you’d like to buy and if you want UK or international postage, and we’ll send you a price within two working days.
If you need ideas for DIY science parties check out our Spy Science issue that comes with a free stargazing party planner!
Free pullout star map:
More ideas for DIY science parties for kids:
Plastic test tube filled with colourful sweets with a note to say “Thanks for coming to my science party!”Science party idea for kids: make your own slime Science party ideas: making fake snowScience party ideas for kids: Harry Potter potions
Explore how our bodies get rid of chemicals we don’t need. Topic: Animals including Humans and Body Systems and Cells Year Groups: 6 and P7
This lesson pack teaches children how our urinary systems work. Your body has a whole wee-producing department called the urinary system, including your kidneys, bladder and the tubes that connect them and carry the wee out of your body.
This lesson pack includes:
A lesson plan, complete with an explanation of how our kidneys work
Differentiated printable instructions to make a urinary system
A PowerPoint presentation that explains how the urinary system and kidneys work
Topic: Animals including Humans and Body Systems and Cells Year Groups: 2 to 6 and P3 to P7
A short discussion topic. This impressive image shows a close-up view of a kidney glomerulus. Each kidney has around a million glomeruli that filter toxic waste from the blood.
This ten-minute activity, linking to speaking and listening, is ideal for use at the beginning of the day or during transition times, such as after lunch. Pupils will be challenged to guess what the image is by answering the questions shown on the first slide of the PowerPoint. Once pupils have finished, click through to the next slide to reveal the answers.
Interview With A Bioengineer Reading Comprehension
Interview with a bioengineer
Interview with a scientist who turns waste into energy. Topic: Animals including Humans and Body Systems and Cells Year Groups: 4 and P5
This interview text delves into what a bioengineer does. Yannis Ieropoulos has designed and created the ‘Pee Power’ toilet, a system that fuels itself and creates little waste. He spends most of his days thinking a lot about toilets, robots and other electronic systems that could be self-sustainable.
Hennig Brand was an alchemist. Topic: Animals including Humans and Body Systems and Cells Year Groups: 4 and P5
This biography text describes the life of historical scientist Hennig Brand. He was an alchemist who lived in Germany in the 17th century and was the first to discover an element. Hennig found phosphorus whilst experimenting with wee!
Issue 47 – Pee Power Find out what wee is, why it’s so important and how your body makes it! Discover some of the wee-rder wonders of urine – did you know that the Romans used wee for cleaning their teeth? Which animal can pee whilst doing a handstand?! Have a go at brewing up some fake wee, create a model urinary tract system and put up the wee colour chart in the classroom.
Have you tried the word wheel puzzle in the Wild Wheels issue of Whizz Pop Bang? See how many words (or two letters or more) you can make from the letters in the wheel – they all must contain the letter ‘O’! There’s one seven-letter word hiding inside, too…
You might be surprised by how many words can be made from these letters – it’s over 100!
1) coo 2) set 3) sot 4) toe 5) too 6) tor 7) cot 8) cor 9) ser 10) cos 11) ret 12) ors 13) rot 14) ort 15) ose 16) rec 17) res18) roe 19) roc 20) ore 21) orc 22) sec 23) ers 24) oot 25) oes
2-letter words:
1) to 2) oe 3) so 4) re 5) et 6) or 7) os 8) er 9) es
See the force of the wind in action with this easy science experiment from the Wild Wheels issue of Whizz Pop Bang!
Snip and fold some wonderful wind wheels and race them on a windy day. You’ll see the force of the wind in action, as the moving air pushes against the folded paper to make the wheels spin.
This simple science activity allows you to see changes in the speed and direction of the wind.
Wind blows horizontally from areas of high pressure to low pressure, and the speed depends on the rate of air pressure change, or gradient, between the two pressure areas. The greater the pressure difference, the faster the winds, and the quicker your wind wheels will roll!
Dr Leigh Hoath is Editor of the Association for Science Education’s Primary Science journal. Her work reaches out to teachers across the whole age phase of primary schools in order to try to support engagement and interest in science. Her interests lie predominantly in improving learning and teaching in Primary Science, pedagogy and working in the outdoor setting.
Dr Leigh Hoath’s top tips for teaching primary science:
Talk to people in the science industry, in business and make use of the educational outreach science museums offer for schools
One of the easiest ways to make science relevant for kids, whilst keeping to the curriculum, is to subscribe to a magazine like Whizz Pop Bang. Our subscriptions for schools allow children to independently read up-to-date news articles every month about things that are happening in their world, as well as the big news stories written in a way to inform children, without worrying them.
To accompany each issue of Whizz Pop Bang magazine, there’s a library of online resources for schools, all planned and ready to download and teach – with a handy kit list of inexpensive household items to carry out the investigations.
Teachers can deliver hands-on science lessons that are both fun and hands-on for children, getting a ‘deep dive’ experience they’ll remember.
“Using Whizz Pop Bang has revitalized our science teaching. The quality of the resources are first class and particularly support cross curricular links through the reading comprehension activities. We have found these to be particularly useful at the upper end of KS2 where science can be used as a vehicle to support SATs, making use of skills of inference and deduction based on relevant scientific topics. In addition the planning offers exciting practical ideas, particularly useful to teachers who are not scientific specialists. The children absolutely love carrying out the real-life experiments.”
Sally Cowell, Head teacher at Shaw Ridge Primary school, Swindon
Every month we receive emails, letters and photos from our readers telling us how much they love science, and reading Whizz Pop Bang. We often read them out in the office and love being inspired by our readers, aka scientists of the future! With permission, we also share them here on our blog – enjoy finding out about Apollo and his mission to save the Earth…
Dear Whizz Pop Bang magazine,
My 5 years old son is mad about science and is a fervent reader of your magazine. We went to Kew’s Science Festival two weeks ago and when we came back he told me that he wanted to let other children know about the importance of seed preservation and the work that the scientists are doing. He decided that the best way was sending it to you! He feels very deeply about the environmental problems and really wants to help nature! I am attaching his letter and some photos – he was really excited about explaining what he saw!
Thank you immensely for all the wonderful work you do for our youngsters and children. Your magazine is a invaluable source of inspiration and information.
Thank you from a mum of two science lovers and eager Whizz Pop Bang readers! Elisabeth Bulbena Vela
Apollo’s report, written himself with just a little help at the end (also transcribed below)
Apollo’s report on his trip to Kew science festival On Sunday 26th May I went to the Kew Science Festival at Wakehurst and I went inside the Millenium Seed Bank. This is the place where scientists store seeds of all the plants in Earth. Scientists travel around the world collecting seeds, then they dry, clean, select and sort them. Finally, they put them inside cold rooms so that they can survive for hundreds of years.
I think this is important because if all the trees or plants of one specie die, Kew scientists have the seeds and can grow the same plant or tree again. Plants are extinguishing because humans create problems to Earth like pollution, fires and deforestation that destroy food chains and ecosystems.
I also learnt that bees help to grow plants (pollination), I extracted DNA of a strawberry and sorted seeds in the lab. I like this Festival because I love science, nature and to save the Earth! I have started a seed collection tool!
Apollo Premadasa 5 years old
Do you have a science-mad child, grandchild or pupil in your school? Are they passionate about taking action and doing something to help make changes? Tell us all about it, we’d love to hear from you!
The new Ofsted framework comes into place from September 2019. Its focus is on ensuring that primary schools are delivering a well-rounded education across the whole of the primary curriculum. This is an exciting time for science and all other non-assessed primary subjects as it shifts some of the focus away from maths and literacy.
To help schools prepare for the changes, we’ve got some top tips on how Whizz Pop Bang’s new primary science and reading resources can help deliver a cross-curricular approach in your school.
Below are some of the key requirements from the new Ofsted framework…
“Learners study the full curriculum. Providers ensure this by teaching a full range of subjects for as long as possible, ‘specialising’ only when necessary.” During their top-level view, headteachers will be asked to explain how their curriculum is implemented and inspectors will explore what is on offer to students. As they start to deep dive into science, they will want to see a sequence of lessons, scrutinize books and talk to pupils. They will be checking for coverage but more importantly that pupils learn and remember.
“Coverage is a prerequisite for learning, but simply having covered a part of the curriculum does not in itself indicate that pupils know or remember more.” Here at Whizz Pop Bang our aim is to put the Whizz, Pop and Bang into science and topic lessons in primary schools. We create lessons that are fun, easy to teach and therefore memorable for pupils and teachers alike (in a good way!). Kids love our hands-on experiments; making exploding rockets, growing mould and testing out cool paper planes, making recycling machines and finding out why things float… trying out experiments that fail and learning from trying again. Subscribe to Whizz Pop Bang for your school to access over 100 tried and tested science resources, with more added every month to keep science teaching fresh and topical.
“The resources and materials that teachers select – in a way that does not create unnecessary workload for staff – reflect the provider’s ambitious intentions for the course of study and clearly support the intent of a coherently planned curriculum…” The Whizz Pop Bang ten-minute spectacular science PowerPoints are designed to get a scientific discussion going in the classroom. These enable teachers to share deeper science topics into their lessons, with questions and answers included in the PowerPoint so teachers don’t have to spend time researching them. Our primary school resources have clear links to the science and reading curricula, they are of high quality and require minimal resources, helping to reduce teacher workload without skimping on the quality of the lesson and pupil’s learning.
“Teachers have good knowledge of the subject(s) and courses they teach. Leaders provide effective support for those teaching outside their main areas of expertise…” We know that not all teachers are science specialists, so with this in mind we include an age-appropriate scientific explanation on every lesson plan, with scientific terminology to expand children’s vocabulary. This increases teacher’s confidence and adds extra support for primary school teachers.
“Teachers present subject matter clearly, promoting appropriate discussion about the subject matter they are teaching.” Our reading resources are taken from all issues of Whizz Pop Bang magazine and cover many different non-fiction genres (interviews, non-chronological reports, historical biographies, explanation texts and instructions), helping teachers to make cross-curricular links and promote relevant and thought-provoking discussions with pupils.
“In primary schools, inspectors will always carry out a deep dive in reading…” Teachers love our reading resources as the content is current, inspiring and relevant, and linked to the reading curriculum. Teachers can download and print as many texts as required, allowing whole class reading or group reading. Our questions sheets relate to the reading curriculum and are differentiated. In all texts we help pupils to pronounce scientific words by breaking them down phonetically.
“A rigorous approach to the teaching of reading develops learners’ confidence and enjoyment in reading. At the early stages of learning to read, reading materials are closely matched to learners’ phonics knowledge.” We offer a unique resource for schools, with new science and reading resources available every month to accompany each new issue of Whizz Pop Bang magazine. Each issue is themed, which links well with topic-based learning in schools, as well as seasons and events.
A
subscription to Whizz Pop Bang magazine and resources is the perfect way to
enhance your school’s curriculum, and meet key elements of Ofsted’s new
guidelines.
Subscribe to Whizz Pop Bang for your school for:
Inspirational and topical science magazines delivered each month
Unlimited teacher log-ins to access downloadable science and reading resources
Prices from just £190 for the entire year
Visit our dedicated schools page, call us on 0330 2233 790 or email schools@whizzpopbang.com. Together we can inspire the scientists of the future!
Are you looking for free experiments for kids? Here’s an easy science experiment that doesn’t need any special materials or skills, just bags of curiosity…
This decomposing experiment is a great way to show composting in action. If you’re looking for STEM activities for primary school or home school science lessons about living things and habitats, this investigation is a winner!
Keep scrolling to be in with a chance of winning some awesome, earth-friendly prizes, too!
Decomposing experiment for kids
Rotting Rubbish decomposing experiment from Whizz Pop Bang science magazine for kids
For this experiment you will need:
Two jam jars of the same size
Two pieces of old fabric
Two elastic bands
Compost or soil
Finely chopped banana or other fruit
Small pieces of plastic or polystyrene
The decomposing experiment
Set up the experiment as shown. Each jar should contain the same depth of compost.
Sprinkle a few drops of water over the fruit and plastic.
Leave the experiment for at least five days, noting any changes in the jars.
You should find the fruit will have started to rot but the plastic will be unaltered. Bacteria and fungi eat food waste, helping it to rot, but they don’t usually eat plastic. The plastic won’t start to rot for another 450 years, so don’t wait around! After the experiment, you can reuse the jars and recycle the plastic.
COMPETITION TIME! WIN A SET OF PATCH BAMBOO PLASTERS FOR YOUR FAMILY…
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Watch how PATCH plasters biodegrade…
Independently tested, PATCH Bamboo Plasters will break down naturally into the soil in a matter of weeks, making it the world’s first natural, organic bamboo plaster that is 100% compostable
We’ve got two sets of PATCH Bamboo Plasters to give away to two lucky Whizz Pop Bang readers! Each winner will get 25 Light Bamboo Patches (to help repair minor cuts), 25 Coconut Oil Patches (to soothe grazes), 25 Aloe Vera Patches (ideal for minor burns and blisters) and 25 Black Bamboo with Activated Charcoal Patches (for bites and splinters).
Grazed knees have never looked so good (or been so kind to the
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PATCH, the natural alternative to wound care that just loves your skin! LATEX FREE – PARABEN FREE-THIMEROSAL FREE – CRUELTY FREE
To enter this competition, answer this bamboo-zling question in the comments box below:
Bamboo is….
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This competition closes at midnight on 31st July 2019. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms
PATCH is available to buy from www.patchstrips.eu and from mid-July, you will be able to buy PATCH in most Holland & Barrett and Superdrug stores across the UK.
Mr Tyler, a Year 2 teacher at Great Moor Community Infant School in Stockport, answers the question ‘how can teachers help to get kids and parents more involved in science?’ He came up with a simple answer that’s really easy to implement!
Each month, when Whizz Pop Bang arrives in his classroom, Mr Tyler creates a new Whizz Pop Bang scrapbook.
The children take it in turns to bring both the scrapbook and the copy of Whizz Pop Bang magazine home for the weekend so they can have fun doing a STEM activity, reading the magazine or just doing the puzzles. The children love writing in the scrapbook and proudly sticking in their photos, experiment results and observations. It’s not compulsory, it’s not homework – it’s all about having fun with science at home – and kids, parents, teachers and even Ofsted are loving it!
Toby Tyler, Teacher at Great Moor Infant School in Stockport
Mr Tyler also uses the tag #WPBShare on Twitter to proudly share his class’s Whizz Pop Bang achievements – check it out and tweet us your class’s science achievements too @whizzpopbangmag
Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell of Manchester University
Tomorrow, Tuesday 18th June, over 62,000 children are taking part in the Great Science Share for Schools to share their science learning.
The Great Science Share is about children communicating something that they have been investigating which starts with a question that they are interested in. By promoting child-centred learning in science, the campaign provides opportunity for young people to communicate their scientific questions and investigations to new audiences – in their own words and ways. They will even grill University and civic leaders on matters of climate crisis.
WHERE? All over the world! Schools across the UK, Nigeria, Brazil and India are taking part. See if schools near you are having an event on the map below, or visit greatscienceshare.org for the interactive map.
Great Science Share for schools map of satellite events
The national campaign led by The University of Manchester aims to inspire young people from across the UK and overseas to share their science learning with new audiences. Children and teachers from schools as far afield as Nigeria, India and Brazil, are getting involved alongside children from Great Ormond Street and Manchester Hospital Schools.
The Great Science Share for Schools’ UK flagship event will take place at The University of Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery on Tuesday, 18 June. This will see hundreds of children from 45 primary schools across Greater Manchester demonstrating their own science investigations to each other on campus.
Are your children taking part? Is your school hosting a satellite event? Share your experiences!
The consequences of plastic pollution are at the forefront of the Manchester event, as Derby High School students share their findings through a specially choreographed dance, whilst other children from Park View Community School have considered what a non-plastic world might look like. This year it’s evident that children are concerned with the environment and how they can use science and engineering to improve lives.
Students will also be putting questions to Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell and Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Abid Latif Chohan about what current and aspiring scientists alike can help address some of the planets biggest problems.
“Once again the Great Science Share for Schools has grown and it’s outstanding to see how such a simple concept can spread so wide. We are proud to be able to give children an opportunity where their scientific questions and interest are valued.”
Dr Lynne Bianchi, Head of SEERIH (Science & Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub)
