Physics Challenge Day
A day for budding young physicists to solve a range of fun Physics challenges.
Aims
The aim was to offer the opportunity to use Physics in a fun and meaningful way.
The day was designed to develop problem-solving, team work and listening skills, as well as introducing a competitive element to the experience.
The need was to show primary school students how Science can be used in exciting and real-life scenarios, to inspire an enthusiasm for Science.
For the event to be a success, we needed pupils to attend from a range of schools across the Nottingham area.
Pupils and staff from 8 schools benefitted from the competition.
Background
Nottingham High School hosts an annual programme of STEM outreach events, run by our Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Maths departments. Part of the schools’ ethos is to share its facilities and STEM opportunities with other schools in the local community. The school’s Physics Challenge Day has been running annually since 2018 (aside from 2 years exempted by COVID-19).
Resources
For this project to succeed, we needed free access to the school’s Physics classrooms, as well as 4 members of teaching staff to support the children on the day.
The schools’ Head of Admissions and Partnership oversaw the invitation and booking process.
The catering staff provided refreshments and lunch free of charge for visiting children and school staff.
The event itself ran for 5 hours, with approximately 3 days of preparation time.
The winners of the challenges were given a certificate to recognise their achievements.
Impact
“It was a great school to learn physics. I enjoyed all the practical lessons, particularly the oscillation experiment.”
"It was really fun and interesting and I learnt some things that I didn’t already know. I didn’t know the link between weight and the time it takes to oscillate.”
"It was a fun experience. At first, I didn’t really enjoy science, but after this event, I am more interested in it. I enjoyed the challenge to build the highest tower with marshmallows, jelly babies and spaghetti. We didn’t win, but it was good fun."
"It was an interesting experience and has encouraged me to be more interested in science. I enjoyed the marble run experiment as I could be creative.” (Testimonials from pupils at Blue Bell Hill Primary School)
After each event, visiting teachers complete a survey to summarise what their pupils learned and enjoyed about the competition, along with any suggestions for improvement.
Pupil Involvement
28 girls and boys aged 9-10 from 8 local state primary schools, and 10 members of staff.
Frequency
The Physics Challenge Day runs annually.
