The annual activities for British Science week 2023 at The Rowans started with a very wet litter pick by KS3 pupils from form GHa. They braved the wind and rain to collect litter from our school grounds and around our front entrance. Pupils were very enthusiastic and collected many bags of rubbish to use in a workshop to sort and categorise the rubbish we found. The learning from this lesson gave us an understanding of the amount and what types of rubbish we produce in our local area.  We were very surprised with some of rubbish people just throw away and don’t put in the bin. This included a toy rubber duck!

The second activity for the week was delivered by South East Water Trust. Pupils learnt about a multimillion-pound project run by the trust to prevent plastic pollution in the river Medway. Pupils carried out activities such as: using maps to identify areas where plastic pollution may arise, looking at mystery items to identify and then explain how they are used to gather scientific evidence in the field. Pupils also sorted out a rubbish sample to categorise the items, just like the scientists are doing in the project. Pupils then went onto look at initiatives to encourage members of the public not to litter such as voting ash tray boxes where you vote, in response to a question, with your cigarette stub. This has really worked in areas where lots of cigarette subs are found in drains catchment areas and as all drains lead directly to the river and so into the sea this is a massive problem that needs to be addressed. Pupils came up with some other great ideas such as nets horizontally over the sides of bridges so rubbish just doesn’t blow over into the river and bins shaped as fun objects such a bicycle to encourage people to use them.

The third activity of the week was a visit from Zoolab where pupils learnt and had a chance to hold many different small animals including a corn snake, tarantula, giant snail and cockroach. It was great to have the primary pupils with us and I am sure you will see from the photo’s pupils tested their resilience in holding and touching animals alongside having great fun. Pupils learnt how animals breed and were particularly surprised to learn that female tarantulas eat their male mate after they bread! What a great end to British Science Week.