Lighting up the curriculum for excellence

Could you help young people Light Up the Curriculum through this exciting, innovative project introducing primary pupils and their teachers to electronics? 

 

Custom circuit kit

Custom-designed circuits have been developed and incorporated into a kit comprising basic soldering equipment, tool kit, safety glasses and 60 ZOT circuit boards and components.  The three PIC programmed circuits allow tremendous flexibility in incorporating flashing, twinkling, flickering and rainbow colours into a wide range of projects.  

These have already included twinkling Christmas cards and decorations, flashing badges and jewellery, flickering candles and scary Halloween masks, cosmic posters and rainbows, coloured dolls house lighting and pony accessories.  

One Borders primary school, working with High School pupils building their Rampaging Chariot Robots, won the 2010 Best Primary National Award with their life size and fully illuminated Dalek at the Scottish Council Development and Industry’s Celebration of Engineering and Science event in 2009.

 

Custom kits in schools

In April 2010 the SCDI were awarded £5000 by the IET to provide 20 kits to selected schools across Scotland via the Young Engineers and Science Club network. Each school receiving a kit will also be promised a training day from a STEM Ambassador with soldering skills, ideally an IET member who could be you. 

Ambassadors are encouraged to keep in touch with the schools to help develop their ideas. Much more can be found out about this initiative by visiting the website www.lightingupthecfe.com

 

What's included?

The kit includes tools, soldering iron, safety glasses and component packs and was successfully trialled recently during a three day Science Festival in Hawick Town Hall. 

P7 pupils from Feeder primaries assisted by Hawick High School S1 pupils produced an incredible range of creations to be illuminated including a garden with a flickering pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, a fairy castle complete with twinkling lights, a flashing disco drum, a fine selection of fashion items, space rockets, seascapes and more.  

During the Festival the STEM Ambassadors welcomed the support of members of the Hawick High School Young Engineer and Science Club. The latter were eager to share their practical skills with primary pupils and their teachers.

 

What's next?

Currently plans are in place to provide 5 kits to be used in schools in Inverclyde. Primary teachers will be invited to attend a training session where they will receive tuition by an IET member or STEM Ambassador on how to solder and construct the electronic circuits. 

 

The IET as a major partner in this initiative is looking for members prepared to register as STEM Ambassadors to support the initial phase in Inverclyde and as the remaining kits are made available to schools throughout Scotland.

 

If you are prepared to give some time to helping young people Light up the Curriculum Ron McMurtrie, IET Scotland Schools Liaison Officer can advise how to register as a STEM Ambassador and how to became part of this challenging and rewarding initiative.