It’s the 8th year of the Great Science Share for Schools and Great Guided Enquiries are back to inspire your pupils.
GSSfS has gone from strength to strength, reaching over 720,000 pupils in previous years and being picked up in 28 countries worldwide. It’s important to stop and reflect on why this has happened.
Many years ago I had an idea that a national campaign for primary science was just what we needed. Why? I wanted to do what I could to inspire young people to have agency in our classrooms, to ask questions that mattered to them, and have time to investigate them. I also wanted them to have a voice and to be the communicators of science across their whole school communities. I suppose I was searching for a way that their voices mattered more than ours, and that we needed more opportunity to listen to them and hear their ideas and scientific thinking.
Reflections from Dr Lynne Bianchi, GSSfS Director
What better way to launch a campaign for sharing science?
I suppose I never looked beyond the next few months or year and I certainly didn’t think I’d be writing to introduce so many of you to the 8th Great Science Share for Schools, which will culminate in 2023!
So here we are!
But who are ‘we’? Over the years the GSSfS team has changed and evolved, and I thank everyone who has worked on the campaign in any way at all. From writers to designers, to organisations supporting events, to social media buddies, GSSfS Champions, photographers, videographers, tree-planters and many many more. Each one of you have made it what it is.
This year the team is joined by Grace Marson - the new Campaign Manager for GSSfS. She’s supported by Kate Goodier (GSSfS Media and Comms), Lindsey Gage (GSSfS Coordinator), Aaron Jones (GSSfS Administrative Assistant) and of course me! It’s a pleasure to have her and other new team members on board.
Grace, Campaign Manager
Of course, we don’t sail solo! We have fabulous support from the GSSfS Champions who work through organisations across the country to carry out key work, and also the GSSfS Advocates - hundreds of STEM sector groups and colleagues who generously share news and highlights to spread the word far and wide. We also can’t forget our sponsors, many whom have had a long term commitment to making GSSfS happen. The GSSfS Community is collaborative and inclusive and really makes a difference.
“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you!”
How the Great Guided Enquiries can inspire your pupils?
I’ve always said that GSSfS is about young people asking, investigating and sharing scientific questions they care about. The Great Guided Enquiries were brought in a few years back, when we realised there was a place to support whole-class enquiries that champion the GSSfS themes and values.
You’ll find that each is developed in association with a STEM professional or organisation. This year, aerospace engineer Dr Ben Parslew, together with Artful Fox Creatives, The Primary Science Teaching Trust with the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers, and The Linnaean Society have all offered inspiration for enquiries. On top of that you have a bonus Great Science Poetry Share! Why not extend science across the curriculum and find even more creative ways to share?
As our society continues to be globally-aware, we are too, with all the enquiries linked to the Global Sustainability Development Goals. I fully appreciate that we need to do as much as we can to raise young people’s awareness about science in the world around us.
So explore the enquiries, see which suits you - they are there for your optional use - or you can go with the flow of the scientific questions your pupils want to investigate. The campaign is child-focused, so it’s important to involve them in the choice.
Curriculum-linked
You will find that the enquiries are linked to curriculum concepts and really focus on working scientifically. I anticipate that pupils will have learnt key concepts that they can apply within these enquiries. As such, they are ideal enrichment opportunities, and a chance for you to review whether pupils have grasped the learning and can apply it to new contexts.
Share share share!
I am always keen to know how you’ve used the enquiries. Nothing gives us more pleasure than to see Twitter alive with photos and tweets that showcase the enquiries and investigations taking place. Tweet us any time @GreatSciShare #GSSfS2023. Plus this year there are two opportunities to upload data and poems too - see the enquiries for more info.
I am extremely proud to be the Director of this widespread campaign and to know that it provides meaningful opportunities for young people to authentically ask, investigate and share science with new audiences. I wait with anticipation for what this year will bring.
Lynne, February 2023
The Great Science Share for Schools culminates on 13th June 2023
The University of Manchester’s Science & Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of engaging in the Great Science Share for Schools. This campaign is designed to be carried out by pupils working with an adult. The adult is fully responsible for ensuring the activities are carried out safely. You can access the CLEAPSS website or SSERC website for up to date health and safety information when planning practical activities for pupils.
