Skill 6.9 Organising a Scientific Conference
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, has students looking at the organisation of a scientific conference. This helps to give an insight into conferences as an important communication channel between scientists. Components of a conference include presentations, discussions, workshops and poster sessions.…
Skill 6.8 Evaluating Scientific Posters
In this activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, students evaluate a poster that they have previously prepared. Students will: • plan the presentation of a scientific poster • anticipate questions that may be asked on the topic • evaluate the quality of a scientific poster. Students…
Skill 6.6 Evaluating Presentations
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity sees students delivering a presentation that they have prepared. This practices the delivery of presentations but also forms part of a guided evaluation exercise. The activity provides opportunities for students to: • deliver a presentation and evaluate their…
Skill 6.7 Preparing a Scientific Poster
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, gives students the opportunity to look at some genuine research posters and to identify the components and layout employed. Students then create their own poster on an A-level topic. The activity will help to improve students' ability to summarise information…
Skill 6.5 Dragon’s Den: I Need Some Funding
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, encourages students to think how presentations to a possible funding-provider may differ from those to colleagues. This helps to reinforce that the content and delivery of presentations may be different depending on the audience being addressed. In the activity,…
Skill 6.4 Preparing a Longer Presentation
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity develops the skills needed to prepare and deliver a formal presentation. During the activity, students will: • select an appropriate topic for a presentation to the class • carry out the necessary research to collect the information needed • develop…
Skill 6.3 Presenting a Review Using PhotoStory
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, looks at the use of slideshow-movies of photographic images as a powerful means for students to create presentations. PhotoStory, or other similar computer software, can quickly create video presentations by linking together digital still images. Commentary and…
Skill 6.2 Storyboarding an Issue
in this activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, students research a topical, scientific or technological issue. The information is then assimilated into a storyboard approximating to the format of a scientific article. The activity requires students to decide on the best way to summarise and present key pieces…
Skill 6.1 Preparing a Short Presentation
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, aims to help students develop the skill of acquiring information from presentations and demonstrates how good presentations are structured and delivered. Students are challenged to: • identify good and bad practice in the delivery of presentations •…
Skill 5.13 Writing for Different Audiences
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, revisits students' scientific writing skills but with a focus on writing for a more general audience. This is akin to the sort of writing found in newspapers, magazines and some websites. The task requires students to write an article for an audience of GCSE…
Skill 5.12 Writing a Practical as a Research Paper
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity sees students write up a practical report in the form of a research paper. This helps to promote more thought about the relevance of the practical work students undertake at A-level. The activity provides an opportunity for students to apply their scientific writing…
Skill 5.11 Evaluating Scientific Writing
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, challenges students to assess their scientific writing according to set assessment criteria. Students are encouraged to: • formulate criteria for evaluating written work • discuss the concept of weighting different categories of criteria • carry…
Skill 5.10 Compiling a Bibliography
In this activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, students learn about the importance of a comprehensive and accurate bibliography, before compiling one of their own for an article they have written previously. In the activity, students become acquainted with and practise the way a bibliography is compiled using…
Skill 5.8 What Abstract?
In this activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, students learn how to write an abstract. These are often seen as the most important part of a scientific paper as they contain the key information in a brief explanation. In the activity, students write an abstract based on a scientific article. Upon completion,…
Skill 5.9 Writing an Abstract
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity requires students to write an abstract for a scientific review article they have produced. Students discuss the key features of an abstract and look at the difference between abstracts for research papers and reviews. They are then challenged to produce an abstract…
Skill 5.7 Writing a Scientific Review Article
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, in this activity students write a review article, paying particular attention to the structure, content, language and format used. Following the activity, students should be able to: • use their knowledge of the structure of scientific review articles to write a review on…
Skill 5.6 The Structure of Scientific Research Articles
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity requires students to examine the structure of scientific research articles, highlighting the differences between review papers and scientific reports. The activity will help the students to: • formulate criteria for evaluating written work • carry out…
Skill 5.5 Arranging a Scientific Report
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, helps students to identify the structure of scientific studies and compare these with a standard written scientific report. The activity helps students to consider the differences between a scientific report that could be cited by others in the scientific community,…
Skill 5.4 Recognising a Scientific Report
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity gets students to recognise a scientific report, which has a uniform structure standardised throughout the scientific community. Following the activity, students should be able to recognise that a scientific report will: • have a title, abstract, clear study…
Skill 5.3 Copycat
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, challenges students to consider what plagiarism is and why it is wrong. Students are shown that plagiarism is passing off somebody else’s work as their own. It can include getting another person to write their work, cutting and pasting from the internet or…
Skill 5.2 Appropriate Levels of Communication
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity requires students to pick out what makes a science story accessible and learn how to write at an appropriate level for a particular audience. Students analyse a piece of writing to look at how easy to read and understandable it is. They also use the Gunning Fog index…
Skill 5.1 Writing a Summary
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, challenges students to summarise information from different sources on the same topic. Developing this ability will help students when they encounter complex activities and information. During the activity, students will practice: • locating and using sources…
Skill 4.8 Processing and Representing Data
In this activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, students are given a set of raw data and are asked to convert it into a data table before selecting an appropriate visual presentation. The activity will help students to: • organise large amounts of data effectively and clearly into a table • interpret…
Skill 4.7 Matching Graphs
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity encourages students to develop skills in analysing graphs and matching graph shapes to different phenomena. The activity looks at different shapes of graphs and how they describe the relationship between two variables. It is a revision activity from GCSE and is therefore…
Skill 4.6 Interpreting Graphs
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity helps student to formulate questions relating to graphs and so gain a deeper understanding of the data represented. This activity asks students to look at a graph and interpret the information it contains. They are then asked to devise questions which can be answered…
Skill 4.5 Using Data to Tell Stories
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, challenges students to explore a large data set to identify any interesting trends. Students are then asked to suggest an explanation for each of the trends they identify. Similarly, the students are asked to identify and explain anomalies in the data. The activity…
Skill 4.4 Processing Large Data Sets
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity requires students to examine a complex table of data and generate statements relating to the evidence it contains. The activity will help students to: • extract information from numerical data • identify any patterns and trends • link conclusions…
Skill 4.3 Learning from Tables
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, introduces students to the skills needed to examine a complex table of data and generate statements relating to the evidence. The activity will help students to: • extract information from numerical data, and identify any patterns and trends • link conclusions…
Skill 4.2 Types of Visuals
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity gives students a more detailed look at how specific objects can be represented in different ways, either by diagrams or by different scientific imaging techniques. Students compare different visuals of the same object and understand differences in the way the object…
Skill 4.1 Visual Representations
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, introduces students to different types of visual representation that they may meet in their advanced science course. Students interpret the information contained in the visuals and discuss how different visual representations are linked. They get practice in considering…
Skill 3.6 Going Beyond an Article: Asking Key Questions
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity helps students to be able to: • identify the underlying scientific principles that relate to a brief article • formulate questions about the article • explain key pieces of information presented in the article. In the activity, students are first…
Skill 3.5 Making Sense of Text: In Your Own Way
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, challenges students to read a piece of text and then represent it in the way that best helps them to remember it. In doing so, students are encouraged to: • locate the themes and keywords within an article • summarise the key pieces of information •…