British Science Week – Whizz Pop Bang Blog

Get stuck into science this British Science Week!

Posted on 7th March 2023 | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment

British Science Week is an exciting annual celebration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the UK. This year, it’s being celebrated between 10th – 19th March (2023) and there will be a wide range of activities, events, and opportunities for children and adults to explore and engage with science held all over the UK.

There will be lots of different events and activities to get involved in. Why not do some kitchen science at home, go to a science exhibition or science fair, listen to a science talk or get involved in a citizen science project? The aim of British Science Week is to inspire curiosity, interest and excitement in STEM and to help people learn about the latest scientific discoveries and advancements.

Whether your child is already interested in science or is just curious and keen to learn more, British Science Week is a wonderful way for them to explore science and discover the many exciting things that science has to offer.

Here are some tips to get stuck into science this British Science Week:

Do some kitchen science experiments!

Home science experiments are a great way to introduce your children to the world of science. You don’t need a fancy lab to do this. Simple household items like vinegar, baking soda, food coloring, and balloons can be used to create some exciting experiments. If you’re already a Whizz Pop Bang subscriber, you’ll know just how much science fun is to be had with simple household items! Here are some free science experiments you can do at home, or why not stock up on some Whizz Pop Bang issues from the shop?

Visit the shop here.

Visit science museums or a science event

Science museums and exhibitions often have interactive exhibits that are sure to keep your children engaged, entertained and inspired about science. They will be able to see science in action and learn new things.

Science events and talks can be incredibly engaging and informative. There are so many exciting talks and events taking place during British Science Week, so why not take advantage of them? These events are an excellent way to explore science, meet scientists, and learn more about the fascinating world of science.

In the UK, you can visit: sciencelive.net to find an event near you!

Depending on where you are in the world there will most likely be a science museum, exhibition or talk you can visit.

Download the official activity pack!

The free activity packs for British Science Week 2023 are available to download now! There are different options for Early Years pack, Primary pack, Secondary pack and Community pack.

Each pack, created with the support of UK Research and Innovation and 3M, includes a wide range of fun, hands-on activities, and loads of useful information for planning your events for the Week.

Download the pack here.

Get involved in a citizen science project

Citizen science projects allow members of the public to contribute to scientific research. There are many projects that are suitable for children, such as counting birds in your garden or identifying plants and animals in your local area. You can find many citizen science projects online that you can participate in as a family.

You can search through loads of different citizen science projects here at Zooniverse.org.

Enter the British Science Week poster competition

British Science Week is having a poster designing competition all about this year’s topic – connections! Why not encourage your mini-scientist to get involved? Entries close on the 31st March and they could be in for a chance of winning one of their awesome prizes, from posters, play sets, tickets to events and books. This competition is open for children aged between 3 – 14 years old, to find out more click here.

Celebrating British Science Week is a great way to spark their curiosity and love for science. From home science experiments to immersive events, there are many ways to explore science together. We hope these tips have given you some inspiration for your science adventures during British Science Week 2023. Have fun exploring science with your children!

Fill your child with science wonder with a subscription to Whizz Pop Bang, the award-winning magazine for 6 to 12-year-olds. Watch their face light up with glee when their very own magazine zooms through the letterbox! Packed full of hands-on science awesomeness, it’s the gift that keeps of delighting, month after month.

Not a subscriber? Sign up here!

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A girl flying a homemade paper stunt plane made form Whizz Pop Bang magazine resources

Fly High Friday – FREE ideas for Science Week!

Posted on 25th February 2021 | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment

Science Week Day, March 2021

British Science Week (5th-14th March 2021) was always first in my calendar as a Primary Science Co-ordinator and I usually started with very grand ideas! Whilst a whole week of science is brilliant, this year it might be more realistic to consider just planning one day – it will be just as exciting, but manageable both in school and for any pupils isolating at home. Here are some FREE ideas and resources for creating a super exciting Fly High Friday!

Did you know that Whizz Pop Bang magazine also creates curriculum-linked science resources for primary schools? Scroll to the bottom to find a brilliant offer that’s running throughout March 2021!

Here’s everything you need to make planning your science day as simple as possible:

A whole-school challenge with suggestions for each year group
Science lesson plan with curriculum links
Downloadable, printable resources
FREE PowerPoint presentations to help teachers run the day

Theme – Flight, linking with the curriculum topic of Forces with a comparative/fair testing enquiry and for EYFS the characteristics of learning.

Challenge the whole school to work together on a flight investigation!
The mission: who can make paper fly the farthest?
Keep reading to find activities and resources for each year group…

We all love to make a paper aeroplane but is that the only way to make paper fly? Here are some different ways:

Whizz-Pop-Bang-air-powered-rocket-2-1 Download

Whizz-Pop-Bang-Stunt-planes-1 Download

Whizz-Pop-Bang-Straw-plane-template-1-2 Download

How to make these suit all year groups:

For all these ideas you will only need paper, straws, sticky tape, glue and sticky tack – and some space, preferably outdoors! Each year group could have a go at making these different paper flying machines.

EYFS – Allow the children the time to explore how they can make paper fly. The teacher could demonstrate the air-powered rocket, then the children could make either the stunt planes or the straw planes. The children will choose the one they think will fly the farthest, try it and then the class teacher should record the result.

KS1 – Again allow the children the time to explore how they can make paper fly. Then the children should make each of the flying devices and choose the one they think flies the best, then test it. The teacher can collate all the results as a class.

KS1-Fly-High-Friday Download

Years 3 and 4 – children can choose their favourite design and then make adaptions to see if they can make it fly farther and record their results.

Y3-and-Y4-Fly-High-Friday Download

Years 5 and 6 – children can test each design and then make their own flying machines. They should throw their final design five times and calculate the mean result. This will be their final result.

Y5-and-Y6-Fly-High-Friday Download

Straw-plane-lesson-plan Download

We also have a reading comprehension about historical scientists the Wright Brothers, the team behind the world’s first powered flight.

The Wright brother Reading comprehension

The Wright Brothers reading comprehension Whizz Pop Bang Download

At the end of the day all classes should share their results. This might be by email or you could hold a virtual assembly! Don’t forget to ask for photographs so you can make a display or share them on your school’s social media platforms. We would love to see what you’ve been doing so please tag us @whizzpopbangmag

Whizz Pop Bang magazine and teaching resources are brilliant ways to enhance your school’s science teaching:

We provide downloadable science lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, hands-on investigations and science reading comprehensions written by primary school teachers.
Whizz Pop Bang teaching resources link to the National Curriculum, ensuring correct coverage.
All of our resources are year group specific, ensuring progression between the years.
We make cross-curricular links to other subjects, such as English, Maths, History, Geography, Design and Technology and PSHE.

Prices from as little as £190 per year for whole-school access to our ever-growing library of downloadable teaching resources, with unlimited teacher logins, as well as a copy of Whizz Pop Bang magazine through the post each month. Plus, we have an amazing offer of a 20% discount until 31st March 2021. Just apply the code SCIWEEK21 at the checkout to receive the discount. (Only available on whole-school subscriptions to the magazines and resources.)

Click here to find out more about Whizz Pop Bang’s hands-on science and reading resources for schools!

We’ve just launched a new individual membership option so teachers and home educators can access all of our amazing resources for just £20 for the whole year.

“Using Whizz Pop Bang school resources has enabled investigations to be an integral part of my science planning. I now have investigations and experiments throughout my planning rather than just at the end. The lessons are easy to resource and the pack has everything I need to teach the lesson so it saves me time as well!”
Louise Hampson, Year 3 teacher

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COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN GeoSafari® Jr. Kidnoculars® Extreme™!

Posted on 6th March 2020 | by Jo at Whizz Pop Bang | 4 Comments

Hooray, it’s British Science Week from 6th – 15th March! To celebrate, our friends at Learning Resources have given us three pairs of GeoSafari^® Jr. Kidnoculars^® Extreme^™ to give away.

See what you hear, with Kidnoculars Extreme. Magnify your world with these awesome 3x no-focus binoculars and amplify the nature around you with a built-in microphone.

Just answer this question in the comments to be in with a chance of winning:

Where can the tympanic membrane, cochlear and auditory ossicles be found?

a. In the nose
b. In the ear
c. In the eye

If you can’t see the ‘Leave a reply’ box below, click here to see the full version of this blog post.

This competition closes at midnight on Sunday 15th March 2020. Whizz Pop Bang competition terms and conditions are here

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British Science Week competition!

Posted on 15th March 2019 | by Rachael Tapping | Leave a Comment

To celebrate Science Week 2019 we’re running a competition with John Adams, to win one of these cool science kits! To enter simply tell us which type of science, or STEM topic your child loves most, enter your answer in the box below.

Competition closes at midnight on Sunday 17th March. Three lucky winners will receive one of these science kits: Mission to Mars, Thinking Time or Beating Heart. Winners will be chosen at random, and prizes will be sent out buy John Adams.

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Whizz Pop Bang science and reading resources for schools

Posted on 21st November 2018 | by Rachael Tapping | 2 Comments

New Whizz Pop Bang teaching resources for schools

One of the key aims for Whizz Pop Bang is to help as many children as possible to enjoy the awesome world of science. So we’ve created a growing library of top-quality downloadable Whizz Pop Bang lesson plans and reading resources for schools to make science fun and engaging for children and teachers alike.

What are the resources for schools?

Our Whizz Pop Bang school resources have been written by primary teachers in conjunction with science experts and they all link to the national curriculum…

Differentiated lesson plans
Simple hands-on investigations using household items
Interactive PowerPoint presentations to guide the lessons
Guiding reading texts and comprehension questions*
Science games

* Science texts and comprehensions, written by teachers, link to the English reading curriculum. They include How Stuff Works, interviews with real scientists and stories of sensational scientists from the past.

Subscriptions to the resources are for the whole school, with as many teacher log-ins as required.

How much does it cost?

We know budgets are tighter than ever, so we’re offering schools a 50% discount on the resources until 31st December 2018. Whole-school access to the downloadable resources, along with 4 magazines in the post each month costs just £225 for the whole year with unlimited teacher logins. For an average-sized school of 300 children, that’s just 75p per pupil per year.

To calculate the price per pupil for your school, use our online pricing tool at whizzpopbang.com/schools (prices exclude VAT).

: New topic each month with links to the curriculum

: Hands-on investigations

: Interviews with real scientists

: Fun games to learn through play

: Non-fiction reading kids love

: Tried and tested experiments

Top five reasons for schools to subscribe to Whizz Pop Bang:

Accessible content for classrooms, libraries, Science Week and STEM clubs
Written by expert teachers and science writers
Linked to the science and reading curricula
Bursting with rich practical science experiments that are simple and cheap to do
Gives teachers the confidence to deliver accurate science lessons

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How to celebrate British Science Week 2018!

Posted on 23rd February 2018 | by Rachael Tapping | Leave a Comment

British Science Week is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths for kids, families and schools everywhere. Get inspired and join millions of mini scientists experimenting and having fun learning about the awesome world of science.

This year British Science week is 9th to 18th March, so it’s time to get organized with your science activities!

We’ve got loads of ideas to bring science week to life in your school, so let’s get started. You will need your Whizz Pop Bang magazines (not a subscriber? Order back issues here at £3.75 per mag including delivery) and access to a colour photocopier.

Whizz Pop Bang scrapbook

This idea came from primary science teachers Kathryn Horan and Toby Tyler. Every week a couple of the children in the class take home a Whizz Pop Bang magazine to share with their families.

For this you will need a scrapbook and a plastic wallet for each magazine. Prepare an instruction sheet to go with each one:

Welcome to our Whizz Pop Bang scrapbook!

There are no specific rules about what you should do with the magazine, you could…

Write about what you found particularly interesting
Draw or stick in photos of any experiments you did
Write in any additional research you have done
Write a review of the magazine
Read it together with older or younger siblings
Try out some of the experiments
Enter any competitions
Tweet what you have done to the magazine’s Twitter account, @whizzpopbangmag
Write and send a letter in to the letters page
Carry out some more research around the topics in the magazines

Whatever you do, we’d love to hear about it at school, so be sure to let us know or add something into the scrapbook. Have fun!

Inspirational scientists posters

Cover the classroom in posters of inspirational, sensational scientists! In every issue of Whizz Pop Bang there’s a double-page spread focusing on famous scientists who made history with their discoveries and inventions. Photocopy the spreads and pin up to inspire your pupils!

Interview with a real scientist…

Find out what real scientists do in their everyday jobs on our interview pages. We’ve interviewed over 30 scientists ready to inspire girls and boys to be our scientists of the future! To buy a back issue visit our back issues shop.

Issue 1: Becky Smith, Chocolate scientist

Issue 2: Karen Ladenheim, Robotics scientist, Stanford University

Issue 3: Lynn Whitfield, Bat ecologist

Issue 4: Dr Steve Brusatte, Palaeontologist, Edinburgh University

Issue 5: Rob Lambert, Antarctic explorer and polar scientist

Issue 6: Tim Peake, Astronaut

Issue 7: Susan Cheyne, Conservation biologist (orangutans)

Issue 8: Misha Lotto, young scientist, Blackawton Bees Project

Issue 9: Josie Campbell, Vet

Issue 10: Shane Cronin, Volcanologist (New Zealand)

Issue 11: Jennifer Andon, Entomologist

Issue 12: Dr Maddalena Bearsi, Marine biologist

Issue 13: Prof Robert Winston, Medical scientist, Imperial College

Issue 14: Sarah Shelley, Fossil hunter

Issue 15: Helen Czerski, Bubble scientist

Issue 16: Abbie Hutty, Mars Rover engineer

Issue 17: Lara Aknin, Psychology professor (gift-giving)

Issue 18: Emma Burke, Penguin aquarist

Issue 19: Ian Gilby, Primatologist, Tanzania

Issue 20: Caoimhe Doyle, Foley Artist, sound effect engineer

Issue 21: Amy Dejong, Food scientist, University of Wisconsin

Issue 22: Payton Barnwell, Nanotechnologist, Florida Polytechnic Uni

Issue 23: Dave Goulson, Bumblebee biologist

Issue 24: Huw James, Science adventurer

Issue 25: Alex Hildred, Maritime archaeologist

Issue 26: Cierra Martin, Seed guardian

Issue 27: Toby Gemmill, Orthopaedic vet

Issue 28: Dr Sheyna, Martian (sort of)

Issue 29: Richard Stammers, Visual effects artist

Issue 30: Andres Ruzo, Geothermal Scientist

Issue 31: Lisa Elser, Gem cutter

To buy a back issue (for just £3.75 inc delivery) visit our back issues shop.

10 Awesomely Amazing…

Every issue of Whizz Pop Bang science magazine looks at 10 awesomely amazing things on that month’s topic. Looking at engineering as part of the year of engineering? Take a look at ENGINEERING EXTRAVAGANZA (issue 16) with 10 Awesomely Amazing bizarre buildings, including a toilet-shaped building in Korea! Studying the human body? Check out SPECTACULAR SKELETONS (issue 27) and the 10 Awesomely Amazing bionic body parts, from 3D printed prosthetic hands to ancient Egyptian artificial toes. Is your topic plants this term? Kids love reading about the 10 Awesomely Amazing harvests from around the world in our SUPER SEEDS (issue 26), did you know there are chillies that melt latex gloves?

Quiz Pop Bang

All Whizz Pop Bang magazines are packed full of science puzzles and a quiz to test your pupil’s science knowledge. There are also word searches, jokes, riddles and brain teasers for every age and ability. Turn wet play into a festival of science fun and games!

Experiments!

There are hundreds of simple hands-on science experiments and activities in Whizz Pop Bang magazine, and for each one we outline what you need, what to do, and you will find making it ideal for primary school teachers who may not have a science background. Perfect for curious kids and teachers looking for simple science ideas! Check out our bulk discounts for schools here and celebrate British Science Week 2018 with a Whizz, Pop and a Bang!

What is The Great Science Share?

Following on from British Science Week there are several events going on around the UK. Use these ideas for your Great Science Share; a national campaign to engage young people in sharing science with new audiences.

PIONEERED IN MANCHESTER – MAKING A DIFFERENCE UK-WIDE

You can get involved as a School, STEM Educator, STEM Organisation and Business.

Features include:

The Great Science Teachmeet

The Business of Science Conference

The Great Science Share for Schools Campaign

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British Science Week 2016

Posted on 16th June 2016 | by Rachael Tapping | Leave a Comment

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To celebrate British Science Week, we asked a group of our subscribers to tell us what they think science is all about. Using posters with questions such as ‘Where is science?’ ‘Who does science?’ and ‘Why do you love science?’ the kids (aged between 6 and 10) shared their thoughts…
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