Science Teaching

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Wall-Size Periodic Table | Stark Science

Wall-Size Periodic Table | Stark Science.

When I first got sent this link, I thought it meant just a large periodic table, but no! This link gives you the tools to print your own WALL size periodic table – each element is printed on one page of A4 and all of the files you need to create it are available on the link.

There’s even a two elements to a page document if you don’t have a very big wall.

I desperately want to see classroom walls covered in this now!

These could even be used as project prompts or for display boards.

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Giant Furry Microbes!

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Technically not just microbes, but look who’s come to join us in the department!

I used to work in a microbiology department of a hospital and we (well, the lab) had one Giant Furry Microbe. I couldn’t even tell you now which one it was, but they were quite difficult to get hold of all those years ago. Now, with an online UK shop, they’re easy to buy. Here they are divided into human cells and bacteria, virus and fungus cells.

I think my favourite is the antibody followed by the sperm (just because of the cute little bow). Now to use them in lessons!

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STEM – Unlocking the Rainbow

Following on from the Skittles posts recently – Candy Experiments and Fun Experiments. We tried this! Well, we tried the rainbow one again, more accurately this time and we got some amazing results. The Skittles in a petri dish worked just as previous blogs said, some of our STEM Club’s results were amazing –

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We tried it with 3 and 5 coloured Skittles (although I realised far too late that there are not 6 colours of Skittles!) and produced a very simple worksheet for colouring in. I love how the colours don’t mix!

Then we did the density rainbow which certainly involves a very steady hand! But some of our groups managed to make it (after I worried hugely that I had made the solutions wrong!)

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I made a huge batch of the different colours – using 100 red skittles, 75 orange, 50 yellow, 25 green and 5 purple – each in 300ml of just boiled water and left them to dissolve for over an hour. I only opted to do it in that order as somebody I know loves the purple flavour so I saved them! In total we opened 3-4 big bags of Skittles, but it was for a full sized class and there are some left.

I even also now have an extension for this experiment, but it’s an Adults only extension! How about a rainbow of Skittles vodka? Any adult want to try it and let me know how it works?