2009 Christmas Lectures for Children

“Cool Science”

Science Learning Centre North East is pleased to announce its 2009 Christmas Lecture series for children.

This year we have Dr Laura Grant.

Laura has a degree in physics and a PhD in science communication from the University of Liverpool. Laura is passionate about communicating the excitement of science to … anyone who will listen! She co-presented the 2003 IET Faraday Lectures and the 2005 Institute of Physics Schools and Colleges lecture series. She now runs a small research consultancy based in London although her work takes her all over the UK and occasionally beyond. Laura's research interests cover science education (especially informal education), widening participation and public engagement.  

This incessant banging on about science and education led Laura to co-present The Big Experiment on the Discovery Channel, where she worked with a group of 19 energetic students from Newham in East London to excite them about science and help them take half a GCSE 18 months early.

Cool science is an exciting presentation, which looks at some of the strange things that happen at low temperatures.  Liquid nitrogen is used in all of the experiments and causes different materials to shrink, grow, change colour or even smash!   See how we can use liquid nitrogen to blow up a balloon, turn off a light bulb and cook an egg! Some of the topic areas covered are temperature; solids, liquids and gases; freezing and melting; properties of materials. Throughout the lecture Laura will give examples of the type of activities scientists are involved in and what inspired her to take up science.

Laura will be giving her lecture at the following venues:

Sanofi Aventis, Alnwick
Tuesday 1st December at 10.30am and 1.30pm

Johnson Matthey, specialist chemicals company in Billingham, Teesside www.jmcatalysts.com
Wednesday 2nd December at 10.30am and 1.30pm

Science Learning Centre North East, Pity Me, Durham
Thursday 3rd December at 10.30am and 1.30pm

Procter and Gamble, Longbenton
Friday 4th December at 10.30am and 1.30pm

The lectures are free and suitable for Year 6/7 pupils but places are limited to 30 children per school. For further information or to book your place, please email Claire Willis, Inspiring Science Coordinator on claire.willis@durham.ac.uk or telephone 0191 3706215. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Hazard Identification Sheets

Hazard Identification Sheets for all venues can be downloaded below:
Sanofi Aventis
Johnson Matthey
Science Learning Centre North East
Procter and Gamble

Acknowledgements

Science Learning Centre North East kindly acknowledges the contribution of the following organisations in supporting the Christmas Lecture Series 2009.