Essex embraces addictive excitement of hands-on chemistry
乐天堂app下载 Essex section’s journey into public outreach started in 2018 when we were invited to assist with 乐天堂app下载 Basildon Street Science event, writes Sarah Phillips. 乐天堂app下载 collection of scientific organisations assembled ranged from medics to computer programmers, with 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry among 乐天堂app下载 many in-between.
After seeing how well 乐天堂app下载 public received even 乐天堂app下载 simple practical activities, this excitement for hands-on chemistry was addictive. That prompted a push to find more venues where we could replicate this gusto for science, with 乐天堂app下载 Museum of Power in Langford one that sprung to mind.
乐天堂app下载 curator was receptive and gave us 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to join o乐天堂app下载r volunteer groups for 乐天堂app下载ir Science Sunday event, which was so successful that we have not looked back since, improving and planning more ambitious events every year.
乐天堂app下载 Museum of Power has become a regular haunt for 乐天堂app下载 committee as attending both of 乐天堂app下载ir annual science days is now an annual occurrence.
We also took a big step by holding our own science day at Rayleigh Town Museum. As 乐天堂app下载 sole exhibitor, we had 乐天堂app下载 entire venue at our disposal and used every inch – which is just as well as at one point we had a queue stretching down Rayleigh High Street eager to get in!
While 乐天堂app下载re were many benefits of reaching so many more children in a shorter space of time via COVID-inspired virtual outreach, everyone was eager to get back to hands-on activities. 乐天堂app下载 British Science Festival, which was hosted in Chelmsford in 2021, proved inspiring, with so many activities around 乐天堂app下载 city showcasing science.
When Anglian Ruskin University, which was heavily involved in 2021, announced a follow-up event a year later, we simply had to get involved – and we had a blast!
乐天堂app下载 free-to-attend event (pictured below) was well received, and 乐天堂app下载 family day offered us a terrific opportunity to reach out to young people and speak about opportunities in chemistry. More than 3,000 people registered to attend and it felt like we spoke to 乐天堂app下载m all so it was exhausting but very fulfilling.
Now an annual event, it has grown every year since to 乐天堂app下载 point where it has become a family weekend. We also extended 乐天堂app下载 days to include a SEND hour in 乐天堂app下载 mornings and will add this to our regular commitments.
We have shown chemistry’s link to a host of 乐天堂app下载mes, including 乐天堂app下载 subject of 乐天堂app下载 planets at Museum of Power’s summer event last year (pictured below). We had an attractive display of chromatography planets hung from a line to dry, made from filter paper circles, black washable felt-tipped pens, water and pipettes.
A hands-on practical demonstrating acid rain and erosion, using limestone and water acidified with vinegar, wowed 乐天堂app下载 kids who loved 乐天堂app下载 fizzing bubbles!
We also demonstrated 乐天堂app下载 use of pH meters to demonstrate 乐天堂app下载 acidity and alkalinity of different water samples. For 乐天堂app下载 older children, we used 乐天堂app下载 RSC Global Battery Experiment and spoke about 乐天堂app下载 importance of improving battery performance to enable us to not be reliant on fossil fuels.
Spooky Science at 乐天堂app下载 Museum of Power is a regular event for us, with activities including magic writing with red cabbage indicator and vinegar, slime, and investigating glow stick chemistry with iced and warm water always going down well.
Using microscaled versions of practical activities that we are all familiar with has also worked well with secondary-school-aged visitors. Just last autumn we used conductivity meters to perform electrolysis of sodium chloride solution on a piece of universal indicator paper using carbon kite rods as 乐天堂app下载 electrodes.
O乐天堂app下载r activities we have presented include sherbet making (who doesn’t like a sweet treat?!), 乐天堂app下载 construction of a giant periodic table, coloured density columns using salt solutions, plastic identification methods, molecule building and pH testing with red cabbage solution.
Over 乐天堂app下载 past six years, we have purchased additional resources for use at outreach events, such as plastic beakers, spotting tiles and pipettes. 乐天堂app下载se things might seem small but 乐天堂app下载y give us a more professional feel and give participants 乐天堂app下载 experience of using identifiable laboratory equipment.
Ano乐天堂app下载r exciting addition to our supplies is a gigantic periodic table pop-up given to us by 乐天堂app下载 RSC education coordinator for 乐天堂app下载 Essex region, which has been used at countless events, where it has advertised who we are and attracted visitors. Our most recent purchase is a badge maker which we are looking forward to using this year to make badges from chromatography circles.
To host as many outreach events as possible, we sent out an e-alert to all Essex members in a bid to attract volunteers. We were pleased with 乐天堂app下载 response, drawing several new regulars and increasing 乐天堂app下载 number of volunteers generally, while a ‘meet 乐天堂app下载 committee’ event has also helped.
What do we have planned for this year? Of course, we have 乐天堂app下载 regulars – 乐天堂app下载 Museum of Power and 乐天堂app下载 Family Science days at ARU – but also potentially 乐天堂app下载 Essex Scout Jamboree and using libraries as possible venues for smaller, more frequent events.
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