We were so excited to welcome the BAE Systems Education Programme Roadshow into school recently to deliver an assembly to our Year 7 and 8 students. Delivered in partnership with the RAF and the Royal Navy, this BAE Roadshow creates a different perception of STEM subjects in schools. Aligned to support the National Curriculum, this engaging theatre show offers a performance to inspire and engage students, with interactive sections that the students volunteered to take part in.
The theme of this show was Electricity, exploring what electricity is and how we generate it. Some of the demonstrations were truly shocking and the students were mesmerised.
Students were welcomed onto the stage to help with the ‘Electrospectrocryptoanologogram’, to create a simple circuit, to identify the pros and cons of different energy sources and finally create an electrostatic charge with their Van de Graaff generator. Amy, our brave volunteer, had to take many safety precautions as she held onto the generator, with her hair starting to stand on end.
At the end of the show, a teacher was needed to perform the final challenge ‘Pedal Power’. Many in the audience pointed towards our Technology teacher Mrs Edmundson-Mott, known to the students as Mrs JEM, however she was reluctant to take part as we didn’t know what was required. Luckily our Physics teacher Mrs Rothwell came forward, and as the Top Secret cover was removed she gasped at the sight of a static bike attached to a turbo trainer, with windmill behind. The pedal action charged through the turbo trainer, and the power then transferred into the windmill. As the windmill span it counted up, and eventually got to the target speed, which was celebrated with a rainbow colour. Mrs Rothwell received a massive round of applause for the effort she had put in to hit the target.
Thank you to Mr Beale for arranging this informative and interactive STEM related show.
