Clovenstone Primary School – part 2

What a fantastic event! Another 25 children informed and enthiused about engineering!

The imagineers were in top form and everything went as smoothly as possible. 

There were no fire alarms , most likely because of our extra precaution of sending the Dangerous Gas boys outside.  The weather was fair enough although the gusts of wind sent the cans and lids flying in all directions.

The children were very excited to see us.  As this was our second visit our reputation had proceeded us, so there was much anticipation.  The excitement was also fueled by seeing/helping us to set up the Dangerous Gas kit in the playground. 

I think we got our messages about engineering across a bit more clearly this time.  Since we had more stations and more time, I had time for a proper introduction and wash up session with the kids.  It was interesting to see which one of us they thought was most likely to be an engineer.  Steve won hands down, but only because of his beard!  Hopefully we’ve managed to change their perception by spending this time with them.

Good comments overheard today:

• “What did I miss?”, as one girl ran back as quiclkly as possible to the Dangerous Gas show from the toilets;
• “I want to be an engineer …or maybe a forensic scientist”;
• “Can you come back again?”;
• “Engineering is something you might study at college or uni”;
• “Engineers make unique things”.

Great things I saw the imagineers do:

• say they were going to “make rude noises” with the bike pumps;
• let the kids spend time figuring out how the solar cars were powered;
• manage to successfully explain how to fold an A4 sheet into a box;
• say they were “crazy, but not that crazy!”.
• lots and lost of smiles,
• say they were enjoying this.

We also recieved the feedback sheets from our first visit.  Lots of “excellents”, “exciting”, “amazing” and “brillaint”’s, and the smiley faces were coloured in… some even colour coded .  Some of their changed feelings about engineers were:

• “It made me feel like I want to be one”;
• “I thought that they never done that much , but I do now”;
• “It showed me that engineering is fun”;
• “I think they are amazing at what they create”.

Some things they learned:

• “That light can push stuff”;
• “You can move paper with the heat of your hands”;
• “I learned lost of things about engineers”;
• “You need air to run a car”.

Some learning points:

• If at all possible, wait until the bell goes before attempting to set anything up in the playground;
• We still need to remember to keep the language simple at times.

Aurevoir to our Gallic Imagineers

At the end of the month we must bid farewell to our French friends.  One of our workshop developers leaves the Heriot-Watt University to take up another research post in Birmingham, and one undergraduate who was here on an exchange programme returns back to France.  They both brought a certain “bonhommie” and French flair to their performances. The confidence to perform in a foreign language is an amazing quality alot of our Imagineers demonstrate, but both French Imagineers have excelled in their showmanship skills and brought forth many smiles. 

So Sebastien and Guillaume, we will be sad to see you go, but wish you all the best in your future persuits.  Keep in touch.

 

Hawick High School, Routes 2 Success part 2

The second half of the finished well, although some Imagineers (well, me) and pupils were feeling the a bit tired by the end of the session, but spirits were still good.  The pupils all filled in evaluation forms for us and the responses were positive with most using words like “fun”, “interesting” and “good” to describe the event. We even got a couple of “fantastic”’s and “cool”’s. The comments showed that we had open some eyes to what engineering involves. When asked if the event had changed how they felt about engineers some answered:

• “Yes, I thought engineering was just working with cars and stuff”;
• “Yes, I have found it more fun”;
• “Yes, I think its more exciting/more involving us! It was brilliant!”;
• “Did not realise how much science was involved.”;
• “In between – it’s given me a better picture of what it could be like”;
• “Yes because its not all boring, some of it is fun”;
• “Yes, I used to think it was complicated, but when you know the basics its easier.”
• “Engineers do lots of different things.  I want to be an engineer.”

and some even learned something such as:

• “When you rub you hand together to get (friction) it gains heat and moves the paper”
• “That heat and light can move objects”;
• “You can light cotton on fire with a pump”;
• “That compressed air can help start an engine”;
• “Don’t take you engine apart”;
• “Pressure makes things move”;
• “That engines need a spark to work pistons”;
• “If you put water in a paper box and try to burn it, the bottom of the paper will not burn”;
• “Heat/Hot air rises”;
• “Black things absorb heat”;
• “How to crush a can in a cool, scientific way!”
• “Steam turns back into water when it is cold”

Some of the good things that I observed:

• the Imagineers were all smiling, relaxed and open;
• alot of questioning and listening was going on;
• the mechancincal engineering workshop was an impressive venue, and allowed the hot air balloon and exploding lids to reach great heights;
• the fire alarms didn’t go off!!

Some learning points:

• Some of the feedback suggested we needed to speak more clearly.
• Remember actions speak louder then words, let the kids have a go as soon as possible.

Hawick High School, Routes 2 Success part 1

The Imagineers have been a busy this morning, entertaining 45 second year students who have made the long journey from Hawick to Heriot-Watt to spend the day visiting various depatments in the University.  We’ve another 40 or so to go after lunch.  Apologies Imagineers, I didn’t think to arrange some lunch for the short break, I will keep that in mind next time we have such a long session.

It has gone well so far, the pupils have been well engaged and we have even met a relative of Mr Stirling of the Stirling Engine fame.

Exploded! at Callendar House Falkirk

Well done Imagineers! Another great event.

About seventeen youngsters aged 6 to 11 were engaged and entertained by our Dangerous Gases and Powerful Pistons.  One P7 boy said “I am definitely doing science!” Another youngster said he wanted to be an engineer.  Our reputation preceeded us with one parent asking if we “were the same people who did the science festival”.

Some learning outcomes:

• All of the imagineers worked hard to engage the children and found that letting them participate worked well, especially for the younger ages. 
• One of the Imagineers displayed some fantastic showmanship skills, enticing his audience to count down to the can crush and taunting them with “Who wants to see me do…” These are the next level of skills that I would like to develop. 
• A few Imagineers got down to the childrens level when at all possible, either kneeling or crouching so that the were eye to eye when working with them.
• Another event, another fire alarm.  This is the third fire alarm we have set off despite applying the precaution of having the detectors disabled in the room we were working in, and having a window open.  The room we were in had a very low ceiling, and the sensors in the hall outside the room was activated.  Potential causes: the rubber on the tongs burning? a build up of fuel fumes from the combustion propelled spud guns? leaving the burners on for too long?  Precautions we will impliment: change the tongs to metal ones, ensure as much ventalation as possible and even consider moving the experiments to an out door location weather permitting, as we did after the fire alarm at Callendar House.
• Remember to print out feedback forms before the weekend, as the departments photocopier takes ages to warm up!

Welcome

Welcome to Imagineering with Heriot-Watt University  a project to develop and deliver exciting engineering expereinces to 11-14 year olds in South-East and Central Scotland funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering.