Online STEM: Autumn 1
Respiration: Blow up balloons with biology! (6th September)
Catapults and levers: (13th September)
Acids and alkalis, pH chemistry (20th September)
Solids, liquids and gases: (27th September)
Lungs and breathing: (4th October)
Refraction: (11th October)
Your home-education journal is already written!
In your booking confirmation email you'll receive a summary of the keywords, key concepts and student activities planned for each session. You can simply copy, paste and adapt it for your home-education journal and use it to help you discuss the learning with your child afterwards.
Every Tuesday: 6th September to 11th October
5-8s group: 11 - 11:50am (UK GMT)
8-12s group: 1 - 1:50pm (UK GMT)
11-15s group: 2:10 - 3pm (UK GMT)
(Select from the options at the bottom).
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Respiration: Blow up balloons with biology!
6th September
+ Conduct experiments to investigate respiration!
+ See inside cells - where respiration happens
+ Watch exciting demonstrations!
+ The older groups will also learn about experimental design and the respiration equation
Equipment (To join an entirely optional practical)
It is a good idea to have a whiteboard or paper, pen, ruler and calculator to hand in each session.
- Dried yeast (approx 4 teaspoons)
- Small balloons
- Warm water
- Cold water
- Pipettes / syringes
- Sugar
- Teaspoon
- Test tubes / boiling tubes / small bottles or other containers with a narrow neck (the balloons need to fit over the rim) (ideally four identical ones)
- Pen and paper
- Ruler (older groups)
- Stop watch (older groups)
- A funnel is useful
Links suggest sources of appropriate resources
What might younger students need help with?
Younger students might need help with measuring water and sugar, placing balloons over their tubes / bottles.
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Catapults and levers
13th September
+ Experience the power of levers!
+ Build catapults and experiment with the design to learn about levers, pivots and fulcrums
+ Watch exciting demonstrations!
+ The older groups will also learn about forces, the law of levers and some lever classes
Equipment (To join an entirely optional practical)
It is a good idea to have a whiteboard or paper, pen, ruler and calculator to hand in each session.
- Ruler (rigid / non- bendy) or similar piece of wood
- Coins (at least 10 of the same type)
- A pencil or pen
- A few elastic bands
- Teaspoon (ideally plastic or lightweight)
- A few lolly sticks, ideally large / jumbo ones
- Glue stick or similarly thick cylinder shape
- Pom poms / cotton wool balls / tissue paper
- Calculator, paper and pen (older groups)
What might younger students need help with?
Younger students might need help with elastic bands
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Acids and alkalis: pH chemistry
20th September
Experience the colourful chemistry of pH!
+ Make your own pH indicator solution
+ Discover the colourful chemistry of acids and alkalis
+ Work out why toothpaste helps clean our teeth
+ Watch exciting demonstrations!
+ The older groups will also learn about neutralisation reactions, the pH scale and ions.
Equipment (To join an entirely optional practical)
It is a good idea to have a whiteboard or paper, pen, ruler and calculator to hand in each session.
- Red cabbage, chopped small (about 5 tablespoons worth) Beetroot, blackberries, blackcurrants or blueberries would also work.
- Measuring (or similar) jug
- Boiling water (hazard: supervision required)
- Several spoons
- White plates / tiles
- Vinegar (colourless, “white” vinegar), red or malt won’t work so well.
- A range of safe household substances (ideally including as many of the following as possible: citrus juice, milk, bicarbonate of soda, water, lemonade, toothpaste, cleaning fluid / laundry detergent, antacid tablets)
- Test tubes / boiling tubes / small glasses / small transparent jars
- Several larger glasses or beakers or jars
- Eye protection recommended
- Pipettes / syringes / teaspoons
- A tray / table cloth to work on is a good idea
- Cloth for spills
Links suggest sources of appropriate resources
What might younger students need help with?
Younger students might need help with pouring liquids carefully, potential spills, using household substances safely and encouraging awareness of the hazards of some household substances.
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Solids, liquids and gases
27th September
+ Experience the joy of a non-Newtonian fluid!
+ Watch a totally crazy demonstration!
+ The older groups will also learn about change of state, the particle model and its limitations and some intermolecular bonds.
Equipment (To join an entirely optional practical)
It is a good idea to have a whiteboard or paper, pen, ruler and calculator to hand in each session.
- Table cloth / mat / tray no(this could be a bit messy!)
- A syringe (eg medicine syringe, no needle!)
- Cornflour (or potato starch / corn starch / custard powder), at least a cup full.
- ~ 500mL Water in a jug (warm or cold)
- Large mixing bowl / washing up bowl or similar
- Cloths / towels / damp cloth (to clean hands
- Large mixing spoon
Links suggest sources of appropriate resources
What might younger students need help with?
Younger students might need help with mixing ingredients and mess containment!
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Lungs and breathing, with dissection demonstration!
4th October
See inside real lungs and build a lung model!
+ Watch a dissection of real lungs! (Sheep)
+ Build a lung model and learn how we breath
+ The older groups will also learn about pressure and volume changes and the structure and function of the structures in the breathing system.
Equipment (To join an entirely optional practical)
It is a good idea to have a whiteboard or paper, pen, ruler and calculator to hand in each session.
- 4 balloons (and a spare or two if possible)
- Rigid plastic bottle (ideally 500mL or 750mL) label removed and bottom cut off (take care with sharp edges). The thicker the plastic the better, thin ones that crumple easily may not work.
- Two straws (any material, the more rigid the better)
- Tape (gaffa / duct tape are best, any sticky tape will do)
- Blue tack (a large lump)
- A pin or needle (take care with sharps)
What might younger students need help with?
Younger students may need support and preparation for the dissection of real organs.
They may need help using tape and scissors carefully and accurately.
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Refraction: Bending light!
11th October
Bend light, split light, make rainbows and watch amazing optical illusions!
+ Bend light, split light and make rainbows!
+ Watch amazing optical illusions and exciting demonstrations!
+ The older groups will also learn about the laws of refraction and the normal line.
Equipment (To join an entirely optional practical)
It is a good idea to have a whiteboard or paper, pen, ruler and calculator to hand in each session.
- A drinking glass or beaker (not bowl shaped or patterned). Take care with glass.
- Water (take care near electronics)
- A rounded wine glass (colourless glass) filled with water (take care near electronics, young children may need supervision)
- An A4 ish, white piece of card / paper and something to lean it against to give a vertical, white surface.
- A range of transparent objects (glasses / jars, lenses, dishes, anything!)
- paper and pen
- A piece of stiff, thin card
- Scissors
- Torch (a phone torch is best, with something to prop it up against)
- Older groups would benefit from paper, pencil, ruler and protractor.
- The experiments will be more effective if you can darken the room.
Links suggest sources of appropriate resources
What might younger students need help with?
Younger students might need help with handling glass and water carefully. They may also need help cutting card neatly.
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Price is for one device (screen) to join for six (50 minute) sessions.
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