by Mark Langley.
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, no doubt many of you will be looking for ideas to link your class activity with a day that may be on many of your students minds. In our video, Mark Langley, one of the Professional Development Leaders at the National Science Learning Centre demonstrates how to make soft centred chocolates, using enzymes, which if created in a food safe environment, using food materials and following a scrupulous hygiene regime, can be eaten or given to loved ones.
This activity is a useful way to bring vocational science ideas into the classroom, and is a good demonstration of how science is applied in the real world – in this instance how creme eggs get their soft gooey centre.
If you have enjoyed this demonstration and are interested in learning about other ways and methods of delivering vocational science in your class activities, the network of Science Learning Centres has a range of vocational science courses going on across the country or you may be specifically interested in Mark’s own course BTEC and Applied: Successful pathways for 14 – 19 year Science.
You may also be interested in reading the National STEM Centre’s Valentine’s Blog.
Do you have any other Valentine’s Day Science activities you’d like to share? How did they go? How have you applied them? Let us know and we can share them with others.
Filed under: biology teaching, chemistry teaching, continuing professional development, Demonstrations, science demonstrations, Secondary and Post-16, Video, Vocational Science Tagged: | vocational science
It is no good emailing this out on a Friday 4 days before Valentines day when we need to order the enzyme!
Hello Jackie,
Thank you for your comment. For future reference what sort of lead time would be useful to you?
Ah, but it could be used for an Easter activity instead !
Good thinking Amna. The activity has a nummber of uses that are not directly related to festivals or holidays.
Hi thanks for the idea I will try and use it towards Easter as
I am sure it is a lovely activity. Just to let you know lots of schools cannot access you tube links as they get blocked.
Thata right, probably cant do it today but can try round easter time. But a very good idea. Thanks
To be useful in time for valentine’s it would be helpful to have this sort of information at least 2 weeks before. You tube is blocked for us too
Hi Becky,
Thanks for the feedback. I’ve had an offline comment with another teacher about a 14 day lead in time. he also mentioned that he orders materials on a Thursday, which is something to take into account as well. Another suggestion that has come up is to provide a P.S of when and what the next “festival/celebration” video/blog post will be about, so I’ll work on this as well for you.
The YouTube issue. a thorny one – our research has shown that around 75% of teachers use YouTube for research or have used it in class, obviously this leaves 25% who haven’t or can’t. Can you access Vimeo or suggest another hosting company?
This sounds like good fun. I will add it to my ice cream making from the UpD8 people.
As far as You tube goes, our school removes the filters for staff so we can use it in class. How can anyone manage without You tube clips?
Neil
I download You Tube clips at home and take them in to school.