Stimulating physics in Norfolk
Did you know there are more atoms in one mouthful of water than there are spoonfuls of water in all the world’s oceans? Have you ever wondered why explosions explode outwards? Or why it feels like we’re standing still, even though we’re travelling around the Sun at more than 60 000 miles per hour?
Our understanding of the world around us is based on physics - if you’ve ever wondered why the sky’s blue, the Sun’s hot, or the stars twinkle, you need to look to physics for the answer.
As part of a concerted drive to ensure students feel empowered to study physics and experience the fascination that the subject inspires, the Institute of Physics (IOP) and the National Science Learning Centre (NSLC) have launched the Ever Wondered Why? Roadshow.
The Roadshow will visit schools across England, starting at four schools in Norfolk this week, from Monday 22 February. It is part of the new government-funded Stimulating Physics Network, which is working with science teachers to help increase the appeal of physics in schools across England.
The Roadshow is being led by teacher David Richardson, on sabbatical from Clifton College in Bristol, whose aim it is to share his enjoyment of physics with as many secondary-school pupils as he and his Roadshow van can reach.
David said: “I have an overwhelming passion to teach and to see young people learn physics. I am motivated by helping them realise that physics is not dull but rather that physics is at the root of almost everything that makes life exciting.”
Having already reached thousands of A-level Physics students by initiating a nationwide revision lecture series and organising pioneering work in Rwanda that equipped teachers to teach inspiring physics lessons to their students, David was an obvious choice to lead the Roadshow.
Over the course of 2010, David is set to show over 20 000 students that physics can be relevant and inspiring through live, hands-on demonstrations with airzookas, smoke machines, and whizzy-whirly straws, whilst also educating about core physics principles, from the nature of what we are made of to the size of the universe.
The lecture will be accompanied by tailored lessons, created by David and shared with the schools’ science teachers to help widen the impact of David’s show and ensure it outlasts his visit.
Charles Tracy, head of education pre-19 at IOP, said: “The Ever Wondered Why? Roadshow has been designed to ‘wow’ people. We hope it triggers the imagination of thousands of students and inspires them to take on more scientific study, producing the army of scientists we need to overcome the 21st century’s challenges.”
More information:
www.stimulatingphysics.org/overview.htm
Provided by Institute of Physics
