Latest news
New Interactive - Create Your Own Energy Coast
20 Feb 2012
Create Your Own Energy Coast is a new interactive energy simulation for Years 6 - 8. In the interactive, pupils have to decide how to supply a fictitious region's energy demands. The challenge is to select the right mix of energy sources to meet budget and CO2 targets.
This simulation is part of Your Energy Coast which helps pupils to investigate different methods of electricity generation.
Sellafield Ltd Graduates aim to inspire the next generation of Scientists and Engineers at the Big Bang Fair 2012
1 Dec 2011
A group of Sellafield Ltd graduates are hoping to inspire thousands of young minds when they take their interactive activity stands to the largest celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects for young people in the UK.
The Big Bang Fair, which takes place at The NEC Birmingham from 15th to 17th March 2012, aims to show young people that, with the right experience and qualifications, there are many exciting and rewarding opportunities out there for them. This is achieved through inviting 150 organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors to attend the fair, and present their own experience and expertise directly to school children in the 8 to 18 age group. Last year the event attracted 29,000 visitors, with 35,000 expected this year.
Sellafield Ltd (SL) is supporting the fair for the fourth year in a row. For the past three events SL employees have continually thought up new ways of educating children about the nuclear industry and the vital role that Sellafield Ltd plays in the nuclear fuel cycle. They achieve this through the use of interactive activity stands, which exemplify how STEM disciplines are used on Sellafield Ltd plants.
All the activity stands are designed and produced by Sellafield Ltd volunteers, with the ultimate aim of educating and inspiring children. Visitors to the Big Bang Fair 2012 will get to experience the challenges of exporting fuel cans from a cooling pond, working in a sealed glovebox and using robotic manipulator arms. They will also get the chance to pit their wits against the robot OSCAR!!
Sellafield Ltd launches Schools Competition
The Sellafield Ltd Big Bang Project Team are offering West Cumbrian schools the opportunity to get involved in a major national competition, which has been created to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects to students.
The competition, an online quiz running until the end of the year, will provide students with an insight into the application of STEM within science and engineering industries, with the intention to inspire further pursuit of these subjects. The winning school will be offered a cash prize of £750, to be used for the promotion of STEM subjects amongst students and ensuring the continued development of aptitude within science, technology, engineering and maths in our local communities. The winning school will be encouraged to use the prize money to attend the Big Bang Fair on Friday 16th March 2012, however this is not mandatory.
To enter the competition, simply go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/SellafieldBigBang and follow the instructions! If you are a teacher, youth group leader or would simply like to inform your local school of the opportunities provided by Sellafield Ltd and the Big Bang Fair 2012, please email Alex Davison for more information at alexander .j .davison @sellafieldsites.com
Your Energy Coast
4 Nov 2011
'Your Energy Coast' is a new free interactive module for 10-13 year olds which enables pupils to investigate different methods of electricity generation. This new, highly illustrated online resource features 9 animations providing easy-to-understand insights into the science behind nuclear, wind, hydro, tidal and solar power.
Pupils will be able to build their own 'energy coast' and tackle the challenge of meeting the demand for energy by making their own decisions about the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of electricity generation.
We welcome teachers' suggestions for energy-related teaching material they would find useful in the classroom. Please use the online contact form to contribute your ideas.
New resources to download
25 Aug 2011
A number of our resources are now available to download for Windows and Mac.
Changing States, The Children's Olympics, Seeing and Hearing and The Virtual Circuit can be downloaded free of charge and used offline.
Follow us on Twitter
18 May 2011
You can now follow us on Twitter to receive all the latest Succeeding With Science information, news, competitions and updates.
You don't have to sign up to Twitter to view our tweets, just go to our Twitter page.
We've also introduced new Twitter buttons to the website to make it easier to share all your favourite Succeeding With Science resources. Look out for the blue button on each resource's page.
Sellafield Ltd supports superb science show
28 Apr 2011
Sellafield Ltd graduates once again showed their support at the fantastic Big Bang Young Scientists and Engineering Fair – the UK’s biggest single celebration of science and engineering for young people.
Sellafield Ltd was one of the sponsors of the event and also one of the 150 organisations who took part.
“We were there to help inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,” said Jacqueline Bishop, one of 28 multi-disciplined Sellafield Ltd graduates involved in the project.
This year’s event was held at London’s ExCEL Centre. A jam packed three day schedule saw over 29,000 students aged 9-19 and their teachers and parents experience everything from BBC’s Bang Goes the Theory, Sky One’s Brainiac Live and the incredible flying penguins to activities such as welding with chocolate which had them queuing up and coming back for more.
Jessica from Ferry Lane Primary School said: “The Big Bang science show was absolutely outstanding, fantastic…words can’t explain”. Another young visitor was heard to say “there’s so much engineering here and it’s so much fun!”
It was clear from the excited expressions on everyone’s faces that the event was a success; with robot Oscar at Sellafield Ltd’s stand drawing crowds as they tried to figure out how he worked and how he could hold a conversation with them.
Business Secretary Vince Cable, interviewed for the Big Bang Fair, discussed the need to continue supporting such events stating that now more than ever it’s important for the UK to have good engineers and scientists to aid the return of our manufacturing processes to the UK, and help our economy. This echoed the views of executive members who supported the graduate project, and sanctioned the business case which discussed the ever increasing skills gap in engineering.
Team Sparkle from St. Benedict’s School, Whitehaven won a competition we ran for local schools to design an activity for our stand. Participants required a steady hand and lots of concentration to move weights, without setting off any of the safety alarms, through an obstacle course in the ‘Glovebox Challenge’ they had helped us engineer.
The end of the project was marked with an afternoon of workshops at the Sellafield Centre for over 100 Cumbrian students on the last day of national science and engineering week.
Last year, 74 per cent of pupils who attended viewed science more positively and 54 per cent were more likely to choose a career related to STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths). Improved figures are expected from this year’s event. For many scientists and engineers of the future, the Big Bang may have been that vital spark which will have encouraged them to begin an exciting career in science or engineering.
New TAS - The Big Freeze
5 Mar 2011
During the winter of December 2010 and January 2011, the UK faced what many are calling the "Big Freeze".
This resource aims to provide teachers with everything required to undertake an investigation into the impact of the severe winter - why it happened and its consequences.
Each of the 12 sections provides teaching ideas, activities and resources to help develop students' understanding of what causes the weather and how extreme weather can cause massive disruption.
Latest issue of FTBT
5 Mar 2011
The Big Freeze is the latest edition of FTBT.
During the winter of December 2010 and January 2011, the UK faced what many are calling the 'Big Freeze'. Temperatures plummeted to -10°C (14°F) and the Met Office said this December was 'almost certain' to become the coldest since records began in 1910.
This resource aims to answer the key questions that children may ask about the recent weather and provide ideas, activities and resources to help develop their understanding.
Local School to Produce Design for the Big Bang Fair 2011
3 Mar 2011
Congratulations are in order for 'Team Sparkle' from St. Benedict's School Whitehaven who have won a Sellafield Ltd competition to design a STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) related activity for the Big Bang Fair 2011. The Grand Prize of £1200, sponsored by NMP, will be used to take students from the winning school to the event later this year in London.
The competition required students to design an interactive glovebox activity to be built by a team of Sellafield Ltd Graduates for a stand at the Big Bang Fair 2011. The judging panel were particularly impressed with the level of innovation, creativity and aptitude of 'Team Sparkle' (Laura, Sophie and Anna) in particular for their use of an aluminium foil circuit which acts as a pressure sensor.
The judging panel stated "Mrs Homer (who supported the students in their endeavours) definitely has some budding engineers and scientists in her midst" as the panel struggled to pick between two different teams entries from St Benedict's School. 'Team Moam' (Laura, Katie, Jordan, Anneka, and Liam) came in a very close second place.
The Big Bang Event, where the activity will be debuted, is to take place from 10th-12th March 2011 at the London ExCeL Centre. This is the countries largest STEM event, with last year seeing over 24,500 visitors over the three days. The fair aims to celebrate the STEM achievements of young people aged 9-19, and brings together all of the major awards across the country, as well as providing an interesting and interactive event to help engage and enthuse students to become the next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.
This year the event has a number of headline shows from Sky 1's Brainiac Live!, BBC's Bang Goes the Theory, to the Lloyd's Register Educational Trust's Alphabeat Show. And the best bit... it's completely free!
To book your place please visit www.thebigbangfair.co.uk
Changes to the website
1 Mar 2011
As you can see, our website is evolving. You can use all our online resources for FREE and we are currently working to transfer our entire range of resources supporting primary and secondary science teaching to the website.
