School Workshops
Curious Science – Secondary Schools
Curious Science gives students the opportunity to discover the answers to some curious questions – and meet some extraordinarily curious people who made extraordinary advances and changed the world in extraordinary ways.
This workshop ties in perfectly with the theme of British Science Week 2026, “Curiosity: What’s Your Question?”.
Introduction
Scientists have always been curious – from the cave artists of the Stone Age, curious about using plants to make paint, to the Stuart engineers, curious about using forces to build a new London from the ashes of the Great Fire.
From the doctors of World War II, curious about ways to save the lives of victims of the Blitzes, to the space scientists if today, curious about the possibility of life on other planets.
Highly engaging, revelatory and thought provoking and informative, Curious Science workshops can accommodate up to 60 students at a time in sessions lasting from an hour upwards, allowing a member of our team to work with a large number of students in a single day …
| Year Groups | KS3 |
|---|---|
| Curriculum | Science |
| Pupil Numbers | 60 students per workshop |
| Space | School Hall |
KS3: Curious about Engineering?
Has it ever crossed your mind that bridges are built from all sorts of materials – for all sorts of reasons? What are the advantages and disadvantages of these materials – and do bridge builders have any preferences? And what about cars? Have you ever been curious about how they move? Not their engines – but how they cope with a whole array of different forces acting on them? It’s quite a feat!
Individual in Focus (1): Alice Perry, whose curiosity about the way things work led to her becoming Europe’s first woman engineer – and one of the first women engineers in the whole world!
Individual in Focus (2): Ralph Braun, whose curiosity about why there were no vehicles adapted for wheelchair users like himself, saw him designing and inventing such vehicles himself – and founding a business to support other people with disabilities.
KS4: Curious about Life?
Have you ever wanted to know why scientists go to so much effort to classify animals and plants? What do we mean by “classification keys” – and how do we use them? And have you ever wanted to know how (and why) electricity and the cardiac system go together like a horse and cart? And what happens if the electrical circuits are disrupted?
Individual in Focus (1): John Edmonstone, who went from a life of slavery to becoming one of the most influential Black British scientists ever. So influential that he even taught Charles Darwin!
Individual in Focus (2): Otis Boykin, whose curiosity about ways of making electricity safer to use enabled the invention of the pacemaker – an invention that saves tens of thousands of lives each year?
Participating schools will also receive free, downloadable Fact Sheets on each of the Individuals in Focus.
How many pupils can take part?
Curious Science can accommodate up-to 60 students per workshop – that’s up to 300 KS3 students in one day!
Are there any technical requirements?
Each working space needs to be equipped with laptop/screen/projector, so students can view the supporting PowerPoint throughout.
Where will the workshops take place?
These workshops require the use of your school hall, drama studio or large open space (not a sports hall).
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