Science Week Ireland takes place from Sunday November 11th to Sunday November 18th. It is an exciting and innovative annual event which first took place in 1996. It has grown to a programme of over 500 events scheduled across the country. It aims to make science more interesting and accessible to children and adults alike. It highlights science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) as being hugely relevant to us all in our everyday lives; that it develops cutting edge innovations, leads to interesting and exiting career options and develops creativity in our children.
The theme of the event this year is “Everyday Experimenting“, demonstrating that everyday Science is all about observations and doing simple experiments with household equipment. This year Science Week wants to show everybody in Ireland that they are involved in science every day, carrying out scientific processes and experimenting, even when they are not aware of it. So, from tying your shoe lace, to attempting a new level on a game, trialling a new recipe and even embarking on a first date—these are everyday experiments.
As well as events taking place around the country, teachers are asked to focus on science in the classroom during Science Week. Primary Classroom Resources are available online with suggestions of simple experiments that can be done in the classroom. Discover Primary Science and Maths website also has a range of Science Week Activities that can be done in the classroom, which includes teacher notes and videos.
Keep an eye out on the Seomra Ranga website or Facebook page during Science Week when there will be two table quizzes available for download, one for senior pupils and one for middle standards.
Here’s an example of a science experiment that can be done with pupils in school. This and many others are available on the Discover Primary Science and Maths website.