On Tuesday 25 February, Year 6 pupils from prep schools came to Bryanston for our Junior Science Day.
The day began with the pupils entering the ‘BrySci Exploratorium’ which included an array of different hands-on activities and experiments. Pupils spent time investigating to stimulate their natural curiosity and link with our ethos of enquiry-based learning.
Next up was The Nobel Prize and Gases Lecture – this was a demonstration lecture that included ‘extreme’ elephants’ toothpaste, exploding hydrogen balloons, setting alight methane bubbles and the wonders of dry ice.
After lunch (a highlight for the prep school pupils!), pupils became part of the CSI: BRY team and were tasked with trying to solve case number 300118: Theft Of Fred Sanger’s Nobel Prize. They studied the crime scene, read the police report, and then completed several forensic tests in order to eliminate suspects from their enquiry.
In the Biology department, pupils analysed hair samples and fingerprints that were found at the crime scene as well as completing a Benedict’s test looking for sugar in the suspect’s tea.
In the Chemistry department, pupils completed flame and precipitation tests to determine the composition of an unknown powder found at the crime scene. They checked to see which suspect may have cut themselves by testing for blood and then determined which suspects had pens with ink that matched the ransom note.
In the Physics department, pupils conducted a CCTV motion analysis to determine which suspects could have potentially had the opportunity to steal the Nobel Prize.
All pupils then needed to discuss the evidence they had collected and to rank it in order of most useful/reliable to decide which suspect was guilty.
Whilst the pupils were engaged, teachers met with Bryanston Science’s Heads of Department for an interesting discussion about scholarship preparation, extension work and life beyond the Common Entrance curriculum.
