Wellcome Trust “creates science legacy” from London 2012

From today, pupils at every school and college across the UK will get the opportunity to learn how their bodies work during exercise, movement and rest with free experiment kits from the Wellcome Trust’s In the Zone initiative, inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Sir Steve Redgrave will deliver the first of the free experiment kits to St Paul's Way Trust School in east London this morning, where he will demonstrate a special science lesson and take part in experiments with the children to understand how the human body works.

Exploring questions such as whether having longer legs helps you jump further and what happens inside our bodies and minds when we take part in sport, the kits are brimming with all the equipment and resources necessary to carry out scientific experiments related to human physiology. By the end of March, every primary and secondary school and further education college in the UK will have received their own kit.

Two different kits will be delivered to schools - one for primary and one for secondary. Each kit contains a selection of experiments targeted at different age groups, all linked to relevant science and physical education curricula.

For primary schools, activities include: 'Brilliant Bodies', targeted at students aged 4-5, which investigates balance; 'Stupendous Steppers', for students aged 5-7, which explores how many steps you take to do different activities; 'Super Athletes', for students aged 7-9, which considers whether having longer legs helps you jump further; and 'Heart Beaters', for ages 9-11, which examines the effects exercise has on your body and how fast you recover.

For older pupils, there is a whole range of experiments targeted at secondary schools. 'On Your Marks…Get Set…Breathe', for ages 11-14, looks at how exercise affects breath and breathing rate. 'From Strength to Strength', for students aged 14-16, explores the strength of muscles and how they are used during movement. Finally, 'I've Got the Power' investigates how the cardiovascular system adapts during different exercises or sports and is designed for students aged 16-19.

In spring 2012, In the Zone goes on tour with a live and interactive exhibition for the whole family that will travel to festivals and county shows across the four nations from March until September. Designed and delivered by At-Bristol, one of the UK's leading science and discovery centres, the exhibition promises to delight, inspire, entertain and engage people with the amazing human body.

Visit the Wellcome Trust website for more information, including images of the school experiments and details of all the Wellcome Trust's In the Zone activities.