Chemistry schools partnership

Last academic year presented major challenges for science education and the UoP chemistry staff in partnership with the RSC would like to reach out and offer more support to schools and colleges. This includes offering of web materials, short tutorials, advice on applying to university and visits (virtual or otherwise) to our school partners.

To make sure this matches with schools needs we are soliciting lists of ideas for online and face to face teaching materials for support. This can be content that links to chemistry A level (or BTech) syllabus such as a particular practical or demonstration that cannot be delivered at school, virtual tour of analytical instrumentation or it could be curiosity-based requests from you or your students. Other possibilities could be short tutorials on certain topics you do not have time to cover (or would appreciate back up!).

Upcoming chemistry events for 2022:

24-28 January 2022 RSC Top of the Bench Competition South West Regional Heat (Virtual, on demand). For students aged 14-16. Teams must consist of two students from Year 9, one student from Year 10 and one from Year 11. Entries must be completed and returned by 1700 on 28 January 2022.

9 June 2022 GenChem. Our event directed at GCSE level students identifying as female with an interest in chemistry related careers. Formally Girls into Chemistry. This event was relaunched as GenChem in acknowledgement of the diversity of students that may be wishing to attend and invite expressions of interest for our 2022 event. Places are limited. For Year 9 students.

6 July 2022 SciTech Showcase. We will be hosting live chemistry demonstrations as part of the Science and Technology Showcase. For secondary schools and 6th forms.

Please register using the email address above.

Webinars on offer

Applying to University? 10 top tips from a chemistry Admissions Tutor

What better way to prepare yourself for a degree than a virtual interactive session with the chemistry admissions tutors themselves! Join this session to hear about the pitfalls and the golden nuggets of the application process so you can be prepared for what is ahead. All scientists are welcome to attend these sessions even if they are not sure of their choices as the same principles apply. During this session there is allotted time to ask questions about the transition from college to university directly rather than second guessing.

Student Ambassador Talk: Why You Should Study Chemistry

Find out from a real student why chemists are needed in the wider world, what potential careers it can lead to, interesting things they’ve learnt, and general university experience.

Analytical Chemistry Techniques

Join us in the virtual lab for a session on analytical techniques. We will cover how we make measurements and interpret our data tomake big discoveries! Molecules and atoms are small things so how we detect and quantify them is a key discipline in chemical and many other applied sciences and an important focus at the University of Plymouth. Previous sessions have focused on infra-red and mass spectroscopy. There may even be an opportunity for one person to remotely operate an ICP-MS…if you are well behaved!

Science Careers Talk

These talks will be led by Hayley Manners (Lecturer in Chemistry) and will explore the wide-ranging careers a science degree can open up, from working to make positive change in our environment, to human health and lifestyle, flavour chemistry and working with animals to name a few examples. Real examples of the types science careers that students and staff from the University of Plymouth have worked in, and the exciting places these careers have taken them will be shared.

Pyromania!

A lecture containing 9 illuminating demonstrations about the chemistry of fire. The first half of the talk looks at the chemistry of fireworks and culminates in video footage of setting the Guinness World Record for the number of rockets ignited in 30 seconds. The rest of the talk shows how a knowledge of chemistry can create spectacular happenings from everyday materials. Suitable for all secondary school year groups.
This demonstration lecture has been performed at both the Royal Institution and the Science Museum in London.