As part of STEM Week, a visit from the Royal Institution thrilled Junior school pupils with unusual assemblies for both KS1 and KS2 that included fire, angle-grinders, and even a box of ‘nuclear energy’.
The theme of the assembly was Energy, and the lively demonstrations involved experiments and plenty of audience participation as the children explored the different types of energy that constitutes our world. Fire was first on the menu: after identifying the elements that make up fire, the children were absolutely delighted to see the RI representative conjure a live flame, before one brave volunteer in each group participated in the experiment and had their own – gloved and fireproofed – hand ‘set ablaze’.
Gravitational energy was displayed by a trick with a rubber egg, while an angle grinder, used to demonstrate heat energy, set the sparks flying. Another highlight was the revealing of a box containing ‘nuclear energy’. Several brave pupils volunteered to delve into the box; the ‘nuclear energy’ was revealed to be simply a banana, much to the relief of the teachers.
Head of Science and Y6 Teacher Chloe Reynolds said: “The Royal Institution visit brought science to life in an accessible and really fun way for the children. The presentations delighted and inspired all the children from Years 1-6, and was an excellent example of how scientific concepts can be applied to a real-world context.”
