Whizz Pop Bang: RADICAL ROMANS is all about the science and engineering used in Ancient Rome!
All over the Roman empire were mints where coins were made.
To make a coin, they put a disc of silver, gold, copper or bronze between two harder metal ‘dies;’ with back-to-front pictures and writing on them. Then they hit them with a big hammer, squashing them together and stamping the coin on both sides.
Find out more about the epic achievements of the Romans in Whizz Pop Bang: RADICAL ROMANS!
In Whizz Pop Bang: RADICAL ROMANS, our all-knowing robot, Y, answered a brilliant question from a reader:
How do magnets, if rotated correctly, attract themselves?
Alexandre, aged 11
Y answered:
Hi Alexandre!
Well, this is pretty complex, so let’s start with a simpler idea. When you stretch an elastic band, the work you do puts potential (stored) energy in the band. When you release the force, the elastic band snaps back, because things move in the direction which reduces the amount of potential energy. Pushing together like-poles (N-N or S-S) takes energy, so the magnets push each other apart (repel) to reduce the potential energy. When you put together two unlike poles (N-S), the potential energy in the magnetic field is reduced, pulling the magnets together (attraction).
Check out what happens if you cut a magnet in half here!
Our robot, Y, answers readers’ fantastic questions in every issue of Whizz Pop Bang! Email your questions to y@whizzpopbang.com and perhaps he’ll answer yours!
Whizz Pop Bang is a top-quality, gender-neutral, advert-free science magazine for families everywhere. Each issue is packed with experiments, activities, amazing facts, puzzles, jokes, riddles and more. Find out more here!
🐰 We’ve got an EGG-citing Easter competition for you! 🐰
We want to treat a whole class of children to some epic Easter science, so we’re giving away 30 copies of our Easter Eggs-periments booklet! Children deserve a cracking treat to celebrate the end of this very unusual term, so here’s a chance for teachers to win a set for their class, or parents to win a set for their child’s class.
Whizz Pop Bang’s Easter Eggs-periment booklet contains 12 pages of awesome science fun to keep children busy this holiday, including…
🐰 8 Easter Activities
🐰 Quiz Questions
🐰 Riddles
🐰 Jokes
🐰 Eggs-traordinary Egg Facts
To enter, simply answer this question in the comments.
Which of the below is NOT part of an egg?
A. Albumen
B. Bitumen
C. Chalaza
🐣 🐣 🐣 🐣 🐣
This booklet is also available with every purchase from our website until 28th March! To claim your free booklet, simply use the code EASTER21 when you purchase any Whizz Pop Bang product or subscription*.
🐣🐣🐣 Find out more about this offer here 🐣🐣🐣
🐰🐰🐰 Visit our shop to browse Whizz Pop Bang goodies 🐰🐰🐰
* Offer valid until midnight on 28th March 2021 on Whizz Pop Bang shop products and new subscriptions only, whilst stocks last. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer.
This competition closes at midnight on 23rd March 2021. The winner will be contacted on 24th March and must provide their details within 24 hours, otherwise another winner will be drawn (we’re really keen to get these booklets to children in time for Easter!) Whizz Pop Bang competition terms and conditions are here.
To celebrate International Women’s Day on Monday 8th March, we’ve shared some stories of some inspirational scientists. You’ll find more fantastic free reading resources, as well as loads of home science activities and experiments, right here!
Are you a primary teacher looking for inspiring scientist role models? Keep scrolling to find reading comprehensions about these incredible women!
Find out which of these scientists are trained to travel to the Moon, who started their career aged 13 and who blows things up for a living!
Jessica Watkins, NASA Astronaut
Nikita Hari, Electrical Engineer
Agnes Arber, Plant Scientist
Kate Biberdorf, Explosions Engineer
Jessica Watkins, NASA Astronaut
Read about fully trained astronaut Jessica Watkins who hopes to soon be able to fly to the Moon as part of the Artemis missions to the Moon! Includes the feature to print or to read on a tablet, as well as comprehension question and answer sheets. Ideal for Year 5 / P6.
Nikita Hari, Electrical Engineer
Find out what it’s like to be an electrical engineering whizz with this inspirational interview with Nikita Hari. Includes the feature to print or to read on a tablet, as well as comprehension question and answer sheet. Ideal for Year 6 / P7
Agnes Arber, Plant Scientist
Read about sensational scientist Agnes Arber, whose career as a plant scientist started when she was just 13! Includes the feature to print or to read on a tablet, as well as comprehension question and answer sheets. Ideal for Year 3 / P4
Kate Biberdorf, Explosions Engineer
Find out why Kate Biberdorf loves to blow things up to inspire her students! Includes the feature to print or to read on a tablet, as well as comprehension question and answer sheets. Ideal for Year 4 / P3
If you think these could be useful in your classroom, you’ll love Whizz Pop Bang’s amazing science and reading resources for schools! Find out more here.
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:
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:
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.
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.
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.
We also have a reading comprehension about historical scientists the Wright Brothers, the team behind the world’s first powered flight.
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:
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.)
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
Half term is almost here and families far and wide are wondering how to fill a lockdown holiday with fun and excitement.
Why not take Whizz Pop Bang’s Seven Days of Science challenge? Every day, we’ll give you all the information and resources you need to complete a simple, satisfying and curiosity-awakening challenge from your home. Enter a science pancakes competition and try some kitchen science experiments, science papercraft, science quizzes for kids, nature activities. It’s also a great way to get children well and truly excited about NASA’s Perseverance planned landing on Mars on Thursday 18th February!
Download a full colour printable tick list here:
Download a low-ink, black and white printable tick list here:
Let’s get started!
Discover some home chemistry experiments that involve things you’ve probably already got in your kitchen! Here are some you might like to try:
Make gloopy slime! Slime-obsessed children will love this gooey activity! They will make their own slime, then decide if it is a solid or a liquid.
You will need: cornflour, water, mixing bowl, food colouring.
Watch a video tutorial of this activity…
Make your own plastic
Explore making casein plastic from milk in this exciting activity.
You will need: milk, white vinegar, sieve, paper towels.
Make a volcano
Print out a volcano template and create your very own miniature volcano using the harmless chemicals you find in your kitchen cupboards!
You will need: the volcano printout below, a small container (e.g. a spice jar), bicarbonate of soda or baking powder, sticky tape, vinegar, red and yellow food colouring, uncoloured soap or washing up liquid, a tray.
Bubbling magma experiment
Explore the difference between runny magma and viscous magma.
You will need: two glasses, water, a viscous substance (like honey or golden syrup), two paper straws, safety goggles or sunglasses
Celebrate Valentine’s Day by making a card featuring a human heart!
You will need: the heart card printout below, scissors, glue stick, pen.
Give one of our Whizz Pop Bang science quizzes a try!
Already done them both? Why not make up your own!
Add a sprinkle of science to Shrove Tuesday to be in with a chance of winning a Stay-at-home science bundle! Find out more about this competition here.
We love this pancake recipe:
BBC Good Food’s perfect pancakes
but your science pancakes can be American style, vegan, savoury… whatever takes your fancy.
Next, decorate your pancakes with something inspired by space, nature, engineering or anything else linked to science! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Today’s the day to get outside and do something to help nature! You could refill bird feeders and bird baths, plant some wildflower seeds or go on a litter pick.
To make an upcycled bird feeder, you will need: An empty, clean and dry plastic bottle (e.g. milk bottle), a sharp knife, some sticks, strong glue or glue gun, 30 cm twine
If you want to do something inside instead, give these seed dispersal activities a go – it’s a great way to understand how plants and animals work together.
To make a super-speed peashooter, you will need: Biro or gel pen, dried pea
To make a model dandelion seed, you will need: A sheet of A4 paper, ruler, scissors, pencil, sticky tape
Today’s an exciting day – NASA’s Perseverance rover is due to land on Mars! You can watch the landing at 8.55pm here (but you might have to wait until tomorrow morning – that’s pretty late!)
Meanwhile, take the 7 Minutes of Terror Challenge to discover the hair-raising journey a spacecraft takes as it travels through Mars’s atmosphere. Download the activity here:
Have you done lots of science activities and experiments this week? Or have you got a burning science question for our all-knowing robot, Y? Send messages, questions and pictures to y@whizzpopbang.co.uk and let us know all about your week of science!
Whizz Pop Bang is a top-quality, gender-neutral, advert-free science magazine for families everywhere. Each issue is packed with experiments, activities, amazing facts, puzzles, jokes, riddles and more. Find out more here!
If you’re looking for ways to fill a lockdown half term with science, why not make science pancakes as part of our 7 Days of Science Challenge? One pancake-flipping Whizz Pop Bang fan will win a Stay-At-Home bundle for their cooking and decorating skills!
There’s loads of science to try at home in this brand-new bundle of three activity-packed magazines, together with the brain-bending Whizz Pop Bang Science Puzzle Book – it’s the ideal bundle to fill a home-based half term with awesome science fun!
The bundle contains:
• The Whizz Pop Bang Science Puzzle Book, packed with over 150 puzzles, all with a science twist!
• Whizz Pop Bang magazine, Issue 33: Purr-fect Pets – grow your own grass pet and create a doggy draught excluder
• Whizz Pop Bang magazine, Issue 39: Space Travel – experiment with an air-powered rocket and a rocket that’s fuelled by a chemical reaction
• Whizz Pop Bang magazine, Issue 46: Eye Spy – make 3d glasses and create a beautiful sun catcher
To be in with a chance of winning this brilliant prize, simply make or decorate some pancakes, taking some inspiration from a science topic. Find a recipe and loads of ideas here – or let your imagination run wild!
Pancake batter isn’t the easiest medium to work with, especially if you’re making thin pancakes that are often associated with Shrove Tuesday in the UK. We’re on the lookout for creative ideas and stacks of enthusiasm rather than anything that belongs in a gallery. After all, they’re not going to hang around for long, are they? Yum!
Living in a lockdown often means that we need to think creatively, so if you haven’t stocked up on pancake ingredients then there’s no need to go to the shops – decorate a biscuit, slice of toast or even a bowl of porridge instead!
Email entries to win@whizzpopbang.com with the subject ‘Science pancakes’ by midnight on 23rd February 2021. One winner will receive a Stay-At-Home Science bundle. Full terms and conditions can be found here. Happy flipping!
A Build Your Own Mars Colony is an out-of-this-world way to keep astronauts-in-training busy while staying safe at home! This space-age set contains everything an interplanetary explorer needs to make a 20-piece Martian scene. Best of all? We’ve got three to give away!
Thank you to our friends at Laurence King Publishing for this super space-age prize!
To be in with a chance of winning one of three kits, simply answer this question in the comments:
What’s the name of the Mars rover due to touch down on Thursday 18th February?
Good luck!
This competition closes at midnight on 12th February 2021. Whizz Pop Bang competition terms and conditions are here.
Looking for ways to fill half term with science? Sign up midnight on 4th February to receive Whizz Pop Bang: MISSION TO MARS as the first issue of your subscription!
British inventor Richard Browning has invented a supercool jet pack with jet engines that strap onto the pilot’s arms and back. As these blast downwards, the pilot is pushed upwards and they can control the direction of flight just by moving their arms! As well as being an amazing toy, this jet pack could soon be used to rescue people. Just like a real superhero!
See the jet pack in action here:
Find out more about this amazing jet pack, plus the latest science news written with kids in mind, in Whizz Pop Bang: MISSION TO MARS!
Inspire some epic engineering with this Build Your Own Plane Launcher from Build Your Own. The 47-piece kit contains everything you need to slot together and build this impressive Paper Plane Launcher. Simply press out the parts of heavy-duty cardboard, follow the instructions to attach the elastic bands for the twin propulsion system, and you are ready to go! Using the Build Your Own Paper Plane Launcher, the planes can reach up to an incredible 10 metres!
Once they’ve tested the basics, it’s possible to push the boundaries; experimenting with wing adjustments or combining the integrated power scale and the plane’s flight dynamics to produce a different flight path outcome. Kids can take playtime to a new level creating straight or looped flight paths, testing accuracy skills using the scoring targets, and designing their own obstacle courses – the possibilities for fun are endless! We’ve got three to give away to lucky WPB fans, and that’s not all…
To make sure your young scientists are super-busy, we’re also giving away a brain-stretching Whizz Pop Bang Science Puzzle Book and a rib-tickling Whizz Pop Bang Science Joke Book to each winner!
To be in with a chance of winning one of three Build Your Own Plane Launcher kits, joke books and puzzle books, simply answer this question in the comments:
Which of the below is not usually found as part of an aircraft?
A Skirt
B Fuselage
C Cockpit
Good luck!
This competition closes at midnight on 31st January 2020. Whizz Pop Bang competition terms and conditions are here.
Whizz Pop Bang is a top-quality, gender-neutral, advert-free science magazine for families everywhere. Each issue is packed with experiments, activities, amazing facts, puzzles, jokes, riddles and more. Find out more here!