Science at Leeds Beckett

Ten of our Year 7 and 8 scientists were invited to Leeds Beckett University on Tuesday 27 March to participate in their science circus. The day was designed to let students explore science in a hands-on way, and to experience a little about what studying at a university would be like.

Controlling a robotic arm was one of the highlights of the day and students were thrilled to be able to make it pick up a metal cylinder and move it to another location. They also explored using a Raspberry Pi to control traffic lights and attended a fascinating lecture to discover the science behind glow sticks.

Some of the activities involved meeting professionals who use science in their jobs. A speech and language therapist helped students to use computer software and explore who had the highest and lowest pitched voices. They moved onto looking at the volume of sounds and, as this is probably the only time they’ll ever be asked to scream in a classroom, there was strong competition to see who had the loudest voice. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mr Addison won, with his voice registering a massive 102.8 decibels; he is now proudly displaying his certificate in the science workroom.

Thank you to Leeds Beckett for providing our young scientists with such a wonderful opportunity and to Mr Addison for running the trip.