INSPIRE

Inspire

Something special in the air

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Stephen Parker from the European Commission describes a contest that demonstrates the truly astonishing achievements of some aspiring young scientists.

Ages: 16-19

 

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Inspire

Science podcasts

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

The worldwide web is a wonderful source of information, but the sheer amount of content can be overwhelming. Where do you start looking for science news? In each issue of Science in School, we will suggest useful websites for particular purposes.

Ages: 11-14, 14-16, 16-19
Keywords: Teaching resources

 

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Inspire

Handstands and ties: a career in teaching

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

John Watson, “the teacher who does handstands in class”, reminisces about what drew him to teach biology, shares memorable moments from his 38-year teaching career, and explains how scientists can help to inspire science teaching.

Ages: not applicable
Keywords: Careers in science

 

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Inspire

Does Anything Eat Wasps? And 101 Other Questions, By New Scientist

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Does Anything Eat Wasps? is a user-friendly, easy-to-read collection of questions and short answers that covers a wide range of science topics, from galaxies colliding in outer space to the amount of fat necessary to render a human bulletproof. These questions and their corresponding answers were…

Ages: 11-14, 14-16, 16-19
Keywords: Teaching resources

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Inspire

The neutron teaspoon

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Jonathan Swinton pushes back the frontiers of knowledge – in his kitchen.

Ages: 16-19
Keywords: Astrophysics, Stars, Star classifications

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Inspire

A Stem Cell Story, By the European Consortium for Stem Cell Research

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

A Stem Cell Story portrays scientists from the field of stem-cell research, their individual research interests and the potential applications of their work. The DVD is aimed at the public, to shed light on stem-cell research and on the science behind the headlines and public debate of the last few…

Ages: 14-16, 16-19
Keywords: Stem cells

   

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Inspire

Memories of a very special teacher

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Fay Christodoulou, a Greek PhD student at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), is an example that shows not every researcher is born with a passion for science. She describes to Anna-Lynn Wegener from EMBL how her biology teacher inspired a long-lasting interest in science.

Ages: 14-16, 16-19
Keywords: Careers in science

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Inspire

What Europeans really think (and know) about science and technology

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

How much do Europeans really know about science and technology? What do they think about it? Do they even care? Russ Hodge from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory reports on one of the Eurobarometer surveys.

Ages: not applicable
Keywords: Science and society, Science communication, Science Technology

         

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Inspire

ESOF 2006: science close up and personal

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

How do I become a star-chaser? How do we recognise particles that we don’t know? When will fusion power become available to mankind? Sabina Griffith from the European Fusion Development Agreement in Garching, Germany, describes the guided round-the-world trip through the science of the EIROforum…

Ages: 14-16, 16-19

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Inspire

Catch a Star! and win an astronomical competition!

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Catch a Star!, an international competition for school students, is starting its fifth year. Douglas Pierce-Price from ESO invites students from all over the world to take part.

Ages: <11, 11-14, 14-16, 16-19
Keywords: Astronomy, Star classifications, Space

 

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Inspire

Kleine botanische Experimente, By Hilke Steinecke and Imme Meyer

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

The book, written in German, describes a great variety of experiments using plants. The experiments are at different levels of difficulty and often explain everyday observations. The chapter titles focus on certain parts of plants and provide detailed information on plant physiology. The required…

Ages: 11-14, 14-16, 16-19

 

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UNDERSTAND

Understand

The yeast proteome: retooling the factory floor

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Russ Hodge from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, reports on the first complete survey of 'molecular machines' in yeast.

Ages: 16-19
Keywords: Cell biology, Cells, Cell shape and function

         

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Understand

Sleep and learning

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

When we sleep, are we just passively recovering from a hard day, or is there something more going on? Angelika Börsch-Haubold considers the implications of some intriguing research – was her grandmother right all along? Test the scientists’ conclusions for yourself!

Ages: 16-19
Keywords: Sleep

         

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Understand

1000 years of missing science

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Yasmin Khan from the Science Museum in London, UK, reveals how deeply our modern civilisation has been enriched by previous Muslim civilisations – and argues for a more balanced approach to the history of science.

Ages: 14-16, 16-19
Keywords: History, History of science

         

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Understand

Alec Jeffreys interview: a pioneer on the frontier of human diversity

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, the inventor of DNA fingerprinting, remembers his childhood passion for science, explains what we have learned from direct DNA analysis, and describes his work with Chernobyl survivors. Interviewed by Russ Hodge and Anna-Lynn Wegener from the European Molecular Biology…

Ages: 16-19
Keywords: Careers in science, DNA

     

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Understand

Fusion in the Universe: the power of the Sun

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Mark Tiele Westra from the European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA) in Garching, Germany, elucidates the source of power on Earth: the Sun

Ages: 14-16, 16-19
Keywords: Stars, Nuclear physics, Fusion, Astrophysics

               

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Understand

The ecologist’s view of bird flu

December 14, 2006 | Issue 3

Are migratory birds responsible for the spread of bird flu? Should we kill them all? Lucienne Niekoop and Froukje Rienks from the Netherlands Institute of Ecology argue for a more scientific approach.

Ages: 16-19
Keywords: Infectious diseases, Health and disease, Ecology, Virus

     

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TEACH

Teach

Introducing radio transmission with a simple experiment

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Do you ever get frustrated with that mess of cables connecting your DVD player to your satellite dish, TV and video recorder? Did you know that you can cut those cables – and still get a signal to pass between the machines? Alessandro Iscra, Maria Teresa Quaglini and Giuseppina Rossi from Italy…

Ages: 14-16, 16-19
Keywords: Radio communication

   

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Teach

Forensic entomology: activities for schools

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Many of you were fascinated (and disgusted!) by the article about forensic entomology in our last issue. Paula Starbäck, the reviewer, suggested that it would be a fascinating activity for students, if only someone could find a way to avoid the terrible smell. We challenged you to come up with a…

Ages: 11-14, 14-16, 16-19
Keywords: Forensic science

 

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Teach

Bringing global climate change to the classroom

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Ivo Grigorov from the EurOCEANS project describes how the deep seas can help us to understand and predict climate change.

Ages: 14-16, 16-19
Keywords: Climate change, Global warming, Climate

     

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Teach

Putting the buzz back into school grounds

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Dave Goulson and Ben Darvill from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust at the University of Stirling, UK, explain why these furry insects are under threat – and what schools can do to help.

Ages: <11, 11-14, 14-16, 16-19
Keywords: Plant growth, Pollination

 

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EDITORIAL

Editorial

Welcome to the third issue of Science in School

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Feedback from our readers has continued to be very positive: you’ve told us that you like the variety of articles, the informative but readable style, and the unique combination of ideas drawn from teachers and scientists across Europe.

Ages: not applicable

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