Some studies have suggested that eating snot is good for your immune system! Watch Madagascan aye-aye Kali picking her nose with her 8-cm-long finger here:
Snot very polite!
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Category: Whizz Pop Bang
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Interview with Tim Peake – download this FREE reading comprehension
We want to inspire the future generation of scientists with our monthly magazine! That’s why, every month we interview inspirational scientists about their jobs so children across the globe can learn about fascinating areas of science and what it takes to do these jobs.
We interviewed astronaut Tim Peake and wanted to share it here for free so that everyone can be inspired by Tim’s story. This pack also includes a reading comprehension question and answer sheet for schools and home educators to teach kids.
Interview with astronaut Tim Peake reading comprehension
This interview delves into what it is really like to travel in space. Tim Peake describes what it feels like to take off in a rocket and to feel weightless, as well as his scariest moments. A must-read for your aspiring astronauts.
This downloadable reading pack includes:
– An interview with Tim Peake for you to print or for your child to read on a tablet.
– Reading comprehension question sheet and answer sheet.
Our teaching resources are designed for children from 6 to 12, but this reading comprehension is particularly perfect for year 5, P6 (Scotland) and 9-year-olds and 10-year-olds as it ties in with the National Curriculum topic about earth and space they will be taught this during this school year.
Did your mini-scientist enjoy learning about Tim Peake? Why not discover our other space themed issues of Whizz Pop Bang in our shop here! Or click on one of the magazines below for some of our favourite space issues!
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.
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How to spot the Taurid meteor shower 2022
The Taurid meteor shower has begun and is due to peak in the UK in the very early hours of Sunday 13th November 2022. Although the Taurids aren’t known for an impressive, dramatic display they do provide a regular sprinkle of meteors throughout October and November so lots of opportunities to spot a shooting star! 💫
When the Earth moves through debris left from passing comets, those particles burn up from the friction with the air when they pass into our atmosphere and create beautiful shooting stars. In the case of the Taurids, the debris is left by the Comet Encke.
Follow these tips from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich for the best chance of meteor-spotting.
☄️Find a dark site with an unobstructed view of the sky.
☄️The best time to see the shower is in the early morning of the peak day, which this year is the morning of the 13th November (the night of the 12th November).
☄️Fill your view with the sky and wait! Lying on the ground is a great way to see as much as possible.
☄️The Taurids are not particularly dramatic but they are wide spread so keep your eyes peeled.
☄️Blanket optional but highly recommended. Reclining deckchairs make an even more comfortable way to view the sky.
☄️Remember to wrap up warm!
Image: Canva
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Teaching Evolution and Inheritance in year 6
Are you looking for some help and ideas for teaching animal adaptations in year 6? Here is how to use our downloadable teaching resources in your unit of work on evolution and inheritance.
When planning a unit of work on evolution and inheritance it can be quite difficult to think of relevant practical investigations for your pupils to do. This unit involves a lot of research, looking at how animals and plants have changed over time. It is important to first revisit their understanding of fossils from year 3 and then build on that knowledge. Take a look at how characteristics are inherited, starting with themselves and their family; how do they look similar? You can then start to look simply at genes. Our resources include a great game where pupils look at how genes are passed on to puppies.
Teaching adaptations should come towards the end of the unit. In our lesson pack, pupils will plan a simple investigation around animal paws and how they can access food to survive. They will carry out a simple investigation and record their results. They will then draw on their knowledge about habitats and animal survival to decide if the species would evolve or eventually become extinct.
Getting children to do some research and read trustworthy sources of information is important. We have created a lesson pack from our ‘Prehistoric Monsters Of The Deep’ issue, which contains several texts for them to use to locate information. Pupils will look for similarities and differences between megalodons and sharks that are alive today.
More science reading links…
There are four reading resources for year 6 that link to the topic and will spark your pupils’ curiosity.
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, Art, Design and Technology and PSHE.
Prices from as little as £254.99 per year for a copy of Whizz Pop Bang magazine through the post each month and whole-school access to our ever-growing library of downloadable teaching resources, with unlimited teacher logins. <add in link>
We’ve also launched a new individual membership option so teachers and home educators can access all of our amazing downloadable resources for just £20 for the whole year. <add in link>
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COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN a NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Build Your Own Volcano Kit!
Calling future volcanologists! Create your very own eruption at home with this exciting Volcano Science Kit!
Volcanos + Eruptions = awesome science fun! Your child will love building and painting their own volcano and then watching it erupt! National Geographic’s learning guide provides many interesting facts and is designed to promote a love of geology and science.
We’ve got two sets to give away! Just answer this question in the comments to be in with a chance of winning:
What is the molten rock that erupts from a volcano called?
a. Lava
b. Pavlova
c. Java
This competition closes at midnight on Wednesday 30th November 2022. Whizz Pop Bang competition terms and conditions are here.
© 2022 National Geographic Partners LLC. All rights reserved.
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Teaching Light in year 6
Teaching the unit ‘light’ in year 6 builds on the foundations they will have learnt in year 3, and also in year 5 when they covered ‘Earth and Space’. Pupils should already know how shadows are formed and that light is reflected from surfaces, as well as that we have night and day due to the Earth’s rotation. In year 6 you should be able to build on this, but in your first lesson it is a good idea to revisit and secure their understanding to avoid gaps in knowledge before you move on.
Our ‘constellation torch’ lesson is a great way to start your topic. At the beginning of the lesson, elicit the pupils’ understanding by asking them to name different light sources and tell you how shadows are formed. Creating a simple brainstorm mind map in their book with the word ‘light’ in the middle is all that is needed. Give the children ten minutes to complete it and then start your lesson, discussing their ideas or addressing misconceptions. At the end of the topic, get them to use a different-coloured pen and add what they have learnt to their mind map; it is a brilliant and easy assessment.
In this lesson pack, pupils will play around with making star constellations by using simple printable templates, cardboard tubes and single-bulb torches. They will consider how light travels. They will then draw a simple diagram to show that light travels in straight lines, that light will travel through the holes in the paper, and that it is reflected from a surface into the eye.
As part of your sequence of lessons, include our activity of making a periscope. It is a great way for pupils to build on their understanding that light travels in straight lines and is reflected into the eye. Our lesson pack includes simple instructions and a scientific explanation for teachers – we know how hard it is to remember everything, so we always explain the science behind every lesson. There are also some ten-minute science activities around the topic of light, which are great for creating science discussions in your classroom.
Our ‘Starry Skies’ edition of Whizz Pop Bang delves into the wonders of the universe, which children are enthralled by and often have loads of questions about! Our resources include several reading comprehensions linking to the topic of light.
Using quality science text in your reading time helps to squeeze a little bit of extra science into the day!
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.
Prices from as little as £197.99 per year for a copy of Whizz Pop Bang magazine through the post each month and whole-school access to our ever-growing library of downloadable teaching resources, with unlimited teacher logins.
We’ve also launched a new individual membership option so teachers and home educators can access all of our amazing downloadable resources for just £20 for the whole year.
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COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN a bumper bundle of gifts!
📣 We’re super excited to announce that we’ve teamed up with Den Kit Company and Tim Peake for October’s online competition which we are running on Instagram and Facebook only! Head over to our socials to find out how to win this bumper prize! ⭐
You could win:
⭐ The new Potions Making kit from Den Kit Company. Take your Potion Making Kit on an outdoor adventure and collect any special petals, leaves, grasses or soil to create a marvellous mixture of your own making. Add a pinch of natural colour, a splash of water, a sniff of sunshine – and just imagine the spells you could cast. Find it here.
⭐ Astronaut Tim Peake’s brand new book – A Cosmic Diary of our Incredible Universe. Are you bursting to know the answers to REALLY BIG questions? Like, how are stars made? What will we find in a black hole? Which fruit can create antimatter? What even IS antimatter? Put on your seatbelts and blast into space with your guide, astronaut Tim Peake (and a host of expert STEM characters) in this fascinating adventure through space, time and the diary of our truly incredible universe. Find it here.
⭐ A bumper bundle of 6 magically intergalactic issues of Whizz Pop Bang magazines that will have any scientist-in-training zooming to the Moon and cooking up peculiar potions, all with items you will probably find you already have in your kitchen cupboard. Each issue is jam-packed with science news, fun makes, puzzles, jokes and more!
To enter this competition please head over to Facebook or Instagram to find out more!
T&C’s: This giveaway closes at midnight on Monday 31st October 2022. One winner will be selected at random from all entries via Facebook and Instagram and will be contacted in the first week of November. This competition is open to UK residents only. Winner will be informed via the original comment you made on the appropriate platform and will be from @whizzpopbangmag – please be wary of scams, do not give personal details or follow any links from other accounts. For full terms and conditions visit http://buff.ly/3ij98Q3?fbclid=IwAR0eEqSY-V9JtUvvaYsKhjvmSRBURmapUOmYBaR7hl5XESRIS3hdqsWTqHI. This competition is in no way affiliated, endorsed, sponsored or administered by Instagram or Facebook.
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Seeking inquisitive children!
We’re looking for the most curious kids in the world and we need your help! If your scientist-in-training constantly asks brilliant “Why?” “How?” and “What if?”questions, then please send them our way. Simply record a video of your child asking their most burning science questions – we’ll answer our favourites in a future issue of Whizz Pop Bang!
To enter, email your video to y@whizzpopbang.com with the subject Questions.
If you have a budding scientist on your hands, they’re sure to love Whizz Pop Bang – the awesome science magazine for kids! Browse our shop here.
Please note, videos may be used across our social media channels and on our website (sometimes for marketing or advertising purposes). If you’d prefer your video wasn’t used in that way, please include a note in your email: OPT OF OF MARKETING.
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Teaching the impact of drugs in Primary Science
As part of the ‘animals including humans’ topic in science, you are required to teach the impact of drugs on the body. It is important to teach children about the dangers of drugs but also about how amazing medicine can be. In our ‘Marvellous Medicine’ edition of Whizz Pop Bang, we look at common illnesses and find out how medicines can help to treat them.
The medical world has made so many amazing discoveries and introduced drugs and vaccinations that have saved millions of lives. As out interviewee Dr Chris van Tulleken states in this month’s issue; “Vaccinations have saved more lives than any other invention in human history!”
How many pupils in your class have asthma? Do they understand how their inhaler works? Or why they should use their spacer? Our ‘How Stuff Works’ page explains in detail how these helpful devices work.
Allergies and asthma can affect your lungs so you can’t breathe in as much air as normal. In this lesson pack for year 6, pupils will test their lungs to see how much air they can breathe in and out. As well as linking with the topic ‘animals including humans’, it also covers an enquiry type; pattern seeking. The experiment is simple, it involves blowing up a balloon and measuring the circumference. They will choose what other information they need to collect and who they will ask to blow up the balloon.
Vaccinations have been a hot topic of conversation for many in the last couple of years. Edward Jenner was the first scientist to create a vaccination. In this reading comprehension, your pupils will discover the unconventional methods he used!
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.
Prices from as little as £197.99 per year for a copy of Whizz Pop Bang magazine through the post each month and whole-school access to our ever-growing library of downloadable teaching resources, with unlimited teacher logins.
We’ve also launched a new individual membership option so teachers and home educators can access all of our amazing downloadable resources for just £20 for the whole year.
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COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN a Glow-in-the-Dark Mega Science Kit!
Explore glow-in-the-dark science with PUTTY, SLIME, CRYSTALS AND MORE!
Inquisitive minds will love discovering the world of glow-in-the-dark by making glowing slime and growing their own crystals!
The National Geographic Glow-in-the-Dark Mega Science Kit is an astounding collection of experiments and activities that all glow when the lights are out!
There is so much included in this Mega Kit: one glowing crystal seed, two DIY slime powders in glowing green and glowing purple, two slime containers, one glowing putty in a storage tin, one wernerite rock, one UV light, and a full-colour learning guide that takes you through each experiment step by step.
To win one of THREE kits, answer this question in the comments:
What is the name of the gel used for growing bacteria in petri dishes?
A) Agar
B) Ajar
C) Afar
This competition closes at midnight on Friday 30th September 2022. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms-and-conditions
Thanks to Bandai, National Geographic and Playtime PR for this brilliant prize!
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