Inspiring Young Science

IFR offers schools and school pupils a wide range of educational opportunities and resources including work experience, visits, workshops and mentoring.

Work Experience Opportunities

We are happy to announce that in 2012 we made some exciting new changes to our Yr10 work experience scheme.

Rather than offering traditional work experience to a small number of students spread throughout the year, we now run a 4 day Yr10 Science Camp in July. This is being run in collaboration with the John Innes Centre and the Genome Analysis Centre. Further details are available at www.jic.ac.uk/year10

Inside Science

Inside Science is a 3 day workshop for enthusiastic students in years 11-13.

IFR and the other Norwich BioScience Institutes, invite students from around the region to spend 3 days on an intensive workshop, hearing about the research we do first hand by meeting students, post-docs and research assistants.

Further information about 'Inside Science'

Sixth Form Summer Research Opportunities

Each year, IFR hosts Nuffield Foundation scholars, undertaking research projects during their A level studies. For further information contact ifr.communications@ifr.ac.uk

2010 Nuffield scholars and supervisors from JIC, IFR, TSL and Anglia DNA

Insight Days

• Health and Safety: Pupils participate in a series of demonstrations, talks and hands on activities.
• Microscopy: Pupils get to listen to talks, tour the BioImaging facilities (at the John Innes Centre) and take part in the popular images quiz.

For further information email ifr.communications@ifr.ac.uk

Tallest Jelly Competition

The Institute of Food Research set local schools a challenge to find out who can make the tallest jelly. The competition takes place at The Forum in Norwich City Centre. Supporting activities and resources are available on the Jellyvision website.

Know Your Fats

IFR worked with a second year Science Communication student from UEA, Nicole Ward, to develop an interactive workshop for use in schools, science fairs and public events. Preliminary evaluation indicated that both students and the wider public were confused about the information available about fats in general and were even more confused about saturated and unsaturated fats.

The workshop Nicole developed consists of several components which can be used in full or in part depending on time available. A basic introduction to the topic is followed by a higher/lower game based on %RDA of well-known foods containing saturated or unsaturated fats. Data cards with photographic depictions of foods and their fat contents are supplied. There is a PowerPoint presentation on fats, which could be a stand-alone talk, and a snakes and ladders game with a set of question cards. Fact fat cards and posters are also available which summarise the activity.

• Snakes and Ladders game [pdf]
• Higher Lower Board [pdf]

We gratefully acknowledge the support of Change for Life www.nhs.uk/change4 life

Quotes

From teachers:

'I can't remember the last time I saw the pupils so engaged!'

'An excellent lesson, with professional material,  far better in presentation and delivery than many PGCE students'.

From students after being asked - what will you remember from this lesson?

'lots of facts about fat ie your RDA, probably the most i have ever remembered from a lesson!'

'How to reduce my fat intake and problems with obesity as well as the different fat soluble vitamins and why we need them'

From students after being asked - what could be improved from today?

'The only way this could be improved is if you came back to teach more science lessons!'

'It couldn't be, it was really fun but I learnt a lot as well!'

Taste and Flavour Activities

IFR has developed a number of activities around Taste and Flavour. The science of taste and flavour makes an ideal activity to engage young people. The information and activities developed by IFR will introduce participants to the science of the sensation of taste.  The activities can be carried out in classrooms, at science fairs or other engagement activities. The topics cover food chemistry, the nervous system, genetics and a range of other areas of science and technology.

Below are two documents to help Teachers and Researchers to deliver these activities:

• Taste and Flavour activities for Teachers
• Taste and Flavour activities for Researchers
• Taste & Flavour Posters

Teacher Scientist Network (TSN)

IFR actively supports school science programmes through the Teacher-Scientist Network which is based across Colney Lane at our sister BBSRC institute, the John Innes Centre.

SAW Trust

IFR scientists and students are active participants in SAW projects and worked with local schools on a range of projects including emulsions, Salmonella, food molecules, interfaces and immune regulation.

Collaboration between science, art and writing to enhance the educational experience has been developed through the Science, Art and Writing (SAW) trust . The SAW initiative breaks down traditional barriers between the arts and sciences. It uses images from science as a starting point for scientific experimentation, art and creative writing and in doing so stimulates creativity and scientific curiosity. School children realise that science and the arts are interconnected - and they discover new and exciting ways of looking at the world. SAW projects stimulate exploration, enquiry and creativity. And they are fun!

SAW Showcase event 2008

• View photos from the event where 15 schools presented the fruits of their labours.

 

• For further information on opportunities for school students contact ifr.communications@ifr.ac.uk

Interested in a science career?

• Society of Biology
• Science Buddies
• Scientific Pathways - A Career in Science
• Science Career videos
• Future Morph
• The Science Council
• All about Careers
• Science Career Booklets from Science
• Test to find out which careers suit you best
• Science for Kids
• Planet Science