Hello teachers! Our newest resources are available to download, and they make the perfect accompaniment to the awesome The great science bake off edition of Whizz Pop Bang
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An investigation for year 5 and P6, linking to the topic properties and changes of materials and properties and uses of substances. Yeast is a living thing. In this investigation, pupils will try to discover the best habitat for yeast in order to make the best pizza dough.
This downloadable pack includes:
A differentiated lesson plan, which includes a scientific explanation.
A PowerPoint presentation explaining what yeast is.
A printable set of group instructions.
Instructions for a speedy science activity on popcorn (this is a quick, 10 minute science demonstration done by a teacher).
What is the job of each ingredient in a cake? The fastest way to find out is to leave one ingredient out and see what happens! A fun investigation for year 5 and P6, linking to the topics properties and changes of materials and properties and uses of substances.
This downloadable pack includes:
A differentiated lesson plan, which includes a scientific explanation.
A PowerPoint presentation explaining cake chemistry.
Y5 and P6 Interview with star baker and research scientist Rahul Mandal
An interview with a superstar baker and research scientist for year 5 and P6, linking to the topics properties and changes of materials and properties and uses of substances. Rahul Mandal explains how cooking and baking are the perfect combinations of chemistry, physics and biology.
This downloadable reading pack includes:
An A3 reading spread for you to print.
Reading comprehension question and answer sheets, differentiated using our magnifying glasses key (on the bottom right). One magnifying glass indicates easier and two means harder.
A short discussion topic, suitable for year 2 and all of KS2, linking with the topics properties and uses of substances and properties and changes of materials. This is a super-close-up photograph of yeast cells, taken using a scanning electron microscope.
Jelly is great fun because it sets in the shape of its
container. But did you know that it’s really hard to engineer a jelly more than
10 cm tall that can stand up on its own? Try it yourself!
Use normal jelly (as many packets as you like), made using
the volume of water shown on the pack. Anything you add to strengthen your
structure must also be edible.
Take a photo of your engineered jelly next to a ruler and email it to win@whizzpopbang.com with the subject ‘Jelly challenge’ to be in with a chance of winning one of five awesome Whizz Pop Bang lab coats. Prizes will be awarded to the tallest or most inventive constructions, judged by the Whizz Pop Bang team.
Send in your entry by October 8th 2019 and don’t forget to
include your name, age, and address.
UK residents only. For full terms and conditions go to www.whizzpopbang.com/terms
Make junk into toys with this super-creative, eco-friendly toy! Each kit contains a variety of accessories (including wheels, paddle wheels, floats, rubber band drives and more) along with plenty of clip-on and magnetic fixings that can be combined to turn household junk into almost anything you can imagine.
Invented by a dad who wanted to avoid throwaway plastic toys, Junko is fully reusable and made from recycled plastic in England. Its system of clips, magnetic fixings and accessories take junk modelling up a notch, encouraging imaginative play, problem solving and serious FUN!
One lucky Whizz Pop Bang fan will win one ZOOMER!, one WATER! and one BUILD! kit, which are worth over £94 and contain everything you need to turn junk into all sorts of working cars, boats and buildings.
To enter, answer this question to be in with a chance of winning.
Scroll right to the bottom of this blog post and enter your answer in the comment box. If you can’t see the comment box, click this link to see the full blog post.
Which one is NOT a type of boat?
Narwhal
Banana
Dragon
This competition closes at midnight on 30th September 2019. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms
We’re all hoping for some glorious weather this August bank holiday and what could be a better way to prepare than to win a brilliant POCKET SWING from Hape?
If that sounds good to you, then hurry – this competition is only open for a few days so we can make sure that the winner receives their swing in time for the long weekend.
We’ve got one NATURE FUN POCKET SWING to give away!
It comes in a pouch small enough to toss into a backpack, but when set up between two strong trees between 1.5 m and 2 m apart, it makes a swing or seat that can support up to 100 kg with no drilling or fixings required.
Even better, each swing is made from polyester recycled from an average of three PET bottles. What a clever bit of kit!
To be in with a chance of winning, complete the name of this song:
Swing low, sweet…
wheelbarrow
chariot
dumper truck
This competition closes at midnight on 19th August 2019. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms
Have you ever wondered how popcorn is made? It starts as a kernel, which is a seed containing a little water and a lot of starch. When this is heated above 100 °C, the water boils and becomes water vapour. This gas takes up more space than liquid water, so the pressure inside the kernel builds up. Suddenly, the hard skin splits and the starchy insides burst out, pushing against the bottom of the pan and flipping the popped corn into the air. All this happens in a fraction of a second!
Discover the science of baking, including loads of fantastic food facts, in Whizz Pop Bang’s extra-special 50th edition: THE GREAT SCIENCE BAKE OFF!
Are you wondering: how do astronauts eat in space? Then this amazing video will answer your question!
Or perhaps you’ve read Whizz Pop Bang’s funny feature, 10 Awesomely Amazing Ways of making dinner and you want to watch astronaut Chris Hadfield cook spinach in space… Either way, here it is!
Wondering how to calculate the speed of light? We bet you didn’t guess that chocolate would have the answer to this sweet science conundrum! Check out this video to find out how it works…
These gorgeous books introduce children to some inspiring characters from history.
We’ve got a set of eight Little Guides to Great Lives books to give away to one lucky reader, including the two newest titles to join the series: Ferdinand Magellan and Anne Frank, written by Whizz Pop Bang magazine’s very own science expert, Isabel Thomas!
Just answer this question to be in with a chance of winning:
Train driver
Sailor and navigator
Astronaut
Ferdinand Magellan was a famous…
This competition closes at midnight on 31st August 2019. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms
Investigate how we need light to see Topic: Light and Vibrations and Waves Year Groups: Year 3 and P4
A practical activity for year 3 and P4, linking to the topics light and vibrations and waves. This pack explains what the Sun is, how we can use it for energy, why we need to stay safe in the Sun and how we need light to see. We should never look directly at the Sun, but a pinhole camera is a simple gadget that allows you to take a peek.
This pack includes:
A differentiated lesson plan, which includes a scientific explanation of how the pinhole camera works
A PowerPoint presentation explaining the Sun and how we see
Printable instructions to make a pinhole camera using materials which are difficult to recycle
Printable eye to cut and stick on the end of the camera
Investigate why we have day and night. Topic: Earth and space Year groups: Year 5 and P4
Linking to the topics Earth and space and space, year 5 and P4 pupils will investigate how Earth travels around the Sun by making a sundial. This lesson will take place over short intervals throughout one day, when children will mark the end of the shadow on the sundial, demonstrating how the Sun moves across the sky due to the Earth’s rotation.
Investigate how light and temperature affect pondweed. Topics: Living things and Habitats and Biodiversity and Interdependence Year groups: Year 6 and P7
A practical investigation for year 6 and P7 linking to the topics living things and habitats and biodiversity and interdependence. It’s hard to see photosynthesis in action… until you get hold of some pondweed! Pupils will set up their own investigations to see how light and temperature affect the rate that oxygen gas is produced by pondweed.
This pack includes:
A differentiated lesson plan, which includes a scientific explanation
Historical Biography of Scientist Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
Historical scientist Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
A scientist who changed our understanding of the Sun. Topic: Earth and Space Year groups: Year 5 and P6
This biography text for year 5 and P6, linking to the topics Earth and Space and Space, explains how Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin changed our understanding of the Sun. Cecilia thought maths was magical – especially algebra. In the early 1900s, girls didn’t receive the same education as boys, but Cecilia demanded to be taught science and maths. She went on to study science at the University of Cambridge. There she decided to become an astronomer. In 1925, Cecilia’s maths had led her to an exciting discovery – the main elements in stars, including our Sun, were hydrogen and helium. Up until then, everyone had assumed that the Sun was made up of a mix of materials similar to Earth.
The downloadable reading pack includes:
An A3 reading spread for you to print.
Reading comprehension question sheets, differentiated using our magnifying glasses key (on the bottom right). One magnifying glass indicates easier and two means harder.
Lucie Green controls space missions Topic: Earth and Space Year Groups: Year 5 and P6
In this interview text for year 5 and P6, linking to the topic Earth and space, Lucie Green explains how she collects data to learn more about the Sun. She explains when she knew she wanted to be a scientist, a typical day as a solar physicist and her involvement with the European Solar Orbiter mission, which is due to launch in 2020.
This downloadable reading pack includes:
An A3 reading spread for you to print.
Reading comprehension question and answer sheets, differentiated using our magnifying glasses key (on the bottom right). One magnifying glass indicates easier and two means harder.
This text explains how solar panels work Topic: Earth and Space Year groups: Year 5 and P6
This explanation text for year 5 and P6, linking to the topic earth and space, explains how solar panels create clean electricity from nothing more than sunlight. From rooftops to space stations, solar panels are an increasingly important source of renewable energy. This text explains the following technical vocabulary: phosphorus, photovoltaic cells and boron.
Space: Aurora from ISS A close-up image of an aurora from space
A short discussion topic suitable for year 5 and P6 linking with the topics Earth and Space and Space. This is a super photo of an aurora taken from the International Space Station by astronaut Scott Kelly. These fantastic natural light displays happen when particles from the Sun collide with particles in the Earth’s atmosphere.
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. This could be done on the whiteboard or through discussion with a partner. Once pupils have finished, click through to the next slide to reveal the answers.
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.
