November 24 2014 | Kent & Medway | Views: 1774
On Monday 24 November over three hundred and sixty students from year 11 at Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre spent the morning with STEM Ambassadors from a range of industries to learn about chemistry at work.
STEM Ambassadors from ten different industries spoke to students about the role of chemistry in their workplace and led interactive activities which ranged from drug analysis to making slime. The students, who will be choosing their options next term, enjoyed the opportunity to experience science outside of the usual curriculum.
Students witnessed a guitar string pass through a block of ice without leaving a trace with the interactive Weird Magic of Water presentation by AJE Water. They planned an IT implementation for a pharmaceutical company and made their own toothpaste. QinetiQ bought examples of explosives from hand grenades to airbags. The talk included demonstrations of fireworks and a few bangs!
Key Stage Solutions presented the entertaining and explosive Inferno- The Science of Fire! With plenty of audience participation the students saw how an explosion occurs in an internal combustion engine and enjoyed the magical dancing flames of a rubens tube. The Medway School of Pharmacy bought plant samples and spoke about plant origins in modern medicines including experimental uses for curing Ebola.
The School of Physical Sciences set up a crime scene with a real unknown drug for students to decipher using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). Students froze flowers and balloons with Axia Chemicals while Dstl engaged students with interactive demonstrations on explosives detection.
A STEM Ambassador from Amec gave a day in the life talk about being an environmental scientist, how chemistry contributes to the needs of the mining industry and the exciting opportunities for future generations. Plus, students learnt about the raw ingredients, processes and technologies used in brewing beer from Shepherd Neame Brewery.
Kent & Medway STEM would like to thank all of the volunteer STEM Ambassadors who gave fantastic presentations and the teachers from Homewood School & Sixth Form Centre who facilitated the event.
