Category: Whizz Pop Bang

Teaching the Vikings

Posted on | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment on Teaching the Vikings

Are you looking for inspiring planning resources for teaching about Vikings in upper key stage 2? Here’s how you can use our new downloadable Vikings teaching resources to easily create a memorable lesson…

Where to start?

Before you use the lesson pack, pupils should already know when the Viking period was, and be aware of how they lived. This lesson pack links with history and science, particularly with the topic ‘Properties and changes of materials’.

Pupils will carry out a simple investigation to see what affects how well an oil lamp burns. This lesson involves making an oil lamp, which means using fire! We have checked the primary CLEAPS guidance and have given you some tips for your risk assessment. However, you will need to review it and make any alterations for your class. Pupils will plan their own investigation to answer one of three questions, which are included in the PowerPoint presentation, along with simple instructions to make the oil lamp.

Oil lamp lesson pack

The downloadable pack includes:

  • A differentiated lesson plan
  • A PowerPoint presentation
  • A suggested risk assessment
  • Vikings silly science puzzle
Download the pack here
Individual membership

Quality reading texts related to the Vikings

We have a whole issue dedicated to the Vikings, which is full of fun facts and information suitable for primary-aged children. Our teachers have created two reading resources with questions linked to the National Curriculum and Curriculum for Excellence:

Whizz Pop Bang magazine and teaching resources are brilliant ways to enhance your school’s science teaching:

  • We provide downloadable science lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, hands-on investigations and science reading comprehensions written by primary school teachers.
  • Whizz Pop Bang teaching resources link to the National Curriculum, ensuring correct coverage.
  • All of our resources are year group specific, ensuring progression between the years.
  • We make cross-curricular links to other subjects, such as English, Maths, History, Geography, Art, Design and Technology and PSHE.

Prices from as little as £254.99 per year for a copy of Whizz Pop Bang magazine through the post each month and whole-school access to our ever-growing library of downloadable teaching resources, with unlimited teacher logins.

We’ve also launched a new individual membership option so teachers and home educators can access all of our amazing downloadable resources for just £20 for the whole year. 


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Win a copy of Viking by DK

Posted on | by Curtis Read | 49 Comments on Win a copy of Viking by DK

We have THREE copies of the wonderfully educational and entertaining book from DK – Viking – to give away!

Join the Vikings as you launch a raid, brandish a sword, sail a warship, and watch a burial ceremony at sea. Hear classic stories, called sagas, to learn more about the origins and beliefs of these fierce folk.

Like all Eyewitness titles, Eyewitness Viking comes crammed with information, infographics, statistics, facts, and timelines designed to educate and entertain the younger reader.

If you’re feeling brave, put the giant fold-out Viking wall chart up on your bedroom or classroom wall as a handy reference tool for school projects.

To win one of THREE copies, answer this question in the comments:

What did Vikings wear on their heads?

  • Helmets
  • Crowns
  • Wigs

This competition closes at midnight on 30th April 2024 and is open to UK residents only. Whizz Pop Bang competition terms and conditions are here.

Vikings is published by DK on 4 April, £9.99. 


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Win a copy of Extreme Planet: The Deep!

Posted on | by Curtis Read | 134 Comments on Win a copy of Extreme Planet: The Deep!

We have THREE copies of the brand new book from Laura Cowan – Extreme Planet: The Deep – to give away!

Are you brave enough to delve into the chilling darkness of… THE DEEP? With no light, no heat and miles
of sea above you, it might be the strangest, most extreme place on Earth. So, climb inside a submersible and plunge deep down beneath the sunlit surface to discover disturbing and unusual creatures, explore alien-looking worlds and visit the deepest place in the entire ocean, all in this weird and wonderful flap book.

To win one of THREE copies, answer this question in the comments:

How many arms does an Octopus have?

  • 2
  • 8
  • 4

This competition closes at midnight on 31st March 2024 and is open to UK residents only. Whizz Pop Bang competition terms and conditions are here.


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British Science Week FREE resources

Posted on | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment on British Science Week FREE resources

Are you looking for some interesting resources on the theme of ‘Time’ for British Science Week? Whizz Pop Bang has produced a whole magazine called ‘Time Quest’.

Our teachers have created a STEAM-based lesson pack ready for you to use. Download it for FREE!

English curriculum sand timer lesson packDownload

There are also reading resources ready for you to use for FREE!

All other curricula Cuckoo clocks reading resourcesDownload
All other curricula Ten ancient living things reading resourceDownload
English curriculum periodical cicadas reading resourceDownload

We have thousands more resources available on our website.


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WIN Chris Packham’s new book – Superhero Animals!

Posted on | by Nicky Williams | 522 Comments on WIN Chris Packham’s new book – Superhero Animals!

We have FIVE copies of Chris Packham’s brilliant new book – Superhero Animals, with beautiful illustrations by Anders Frang, published by Red Shed.

“You have the power to help animals now, so that they will keep helping you, your family and your friends in the future.”
– Chris Packham

Get up close to nature with naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham OBE and encounter the amazing animal superheroes that will help us save the world.

From pollinating plants and the humble earthworm to the soil and the ocean — through fascinating facts and practical guidelines, Superhero Animals invites us to take a closer look at the natural life around us and teaches us how to care for it at a time when it is most urgent to do so.

To win one of FIVE copies, answer this question in the comments:

What is the largest animal in the animal kingdom?

A Hippopotamus
B Blue whale
C Elephant

This competition closes at midnight on 29th February 2024 and is open to UK residents only. Whizz Pop Bang competition terms and conditions are here.


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British Science Week – ­Time

Posted on | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment on British Science Week – ­Time

Are you looking for some STEAM ideas for this year’s British Science Week on the topic of time? February’s issue, called ‘Time Quest’, is full of great ideas.

The lesson pack for year 3 is on the maths objective of estimating time. Pupils will create their own sand timers which measure an exact amount of time, for example, one minute.

Pupils will use their timers to test their time perception. For example, can they talk non-stop for a minute? Or stand like a statue? As we all know, depending on what you are doing, time can feel like it’s passing more quickly or slowly!

The magazine also has a perpetual calendar to craft, instructions to make a leapfrog game and a shadow clock.

Click now to buy a copy of the magazine

How to keep the science theme of time in your reading sessions

Using science texts in guided reading or whole-class reading sessions is an easy way for children to delve further into the subject matter and acquire more knowledge. Here are the reading comprehensions that link with this topic:

Whizz Pop Bang magazine and teaching resources are brilliant for enhancing your school’s science teaching:

  • We provide downloadable science lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, hands-on investigations and science reading comprehensions written by primary school teachers.
  • Whizz Pop Bang teaching resources link to the National Curriculum, ensuring correct coverage.
  • All of our resources are year group specific, ensuring progression between the years.
  • We make cross-curricular links to other subjects, such as English, Maths, History, Geography, Art, Design and Technology and PSHE.

Prices from as little as £204.99 per year for a copy of Whizz Pop Bang magazine through the post each month and whole-school access to our ever-growing library of downloadable teaching resources, with unlimited teacher logins.

Buy your school subscription here

We also have individual membership option so teachers and home educators can access all of our amazing downloadable resources for just £20 for the whole year. 


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Teaching thermal conductivity in year 5

Posted on | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment on Teaching thermal conductivity in year 5

Are you teaching the topic properties and changes of materials to year 5? One of the objectives is teaching thermal conductivity; continue reading for two great science investigations…

Save the ice cubes!

This lesson pack contains an investigation in which pupils try to stop ice cubes melting by wrapping them in different materials. It’s like giving the ice cubes their own little winter jackets! The PowerPoint presentation explains how items stay warm or cold. Pupils are expected to design their own comparative test, with some guidance given in the PowerPoint presentation. They should decide how to record their results and write their own conclusions.

Download now

Blubber glove

In this lesson, pupils will be able to feel the difference with their hands. This hands-on approach encourages students to actively participate in their learning, transforming them from passive observers to enthusiastic explorers. They will find out how animals stay warm in cold conditions by creating a blubber glove using different materials to see which is the best insulator. They will try to make it a fair test by using a thermometer to make sure the icy water stays a similar temperature during their investigation.

Download now

It can be a tricky topic to teach as pupils often find it hard to understand that an item can stay warm and cold. Issue 102 ‘BRRRRR! The science of keeping warm’ is the perfect companion for your book corner whilst teaching this topic.

How to get more science into your reading sessions

Using science texts in guided reading or whole-class reading sessions is an easy way for children to delve further into the subject matter and acquire more knowledge. Here are the reading resources that link with this topic:

Whizz Pop Bang magazine and teaching resources are brilliant for enhancing your school’s science teaching:

  • We provide downloadable science lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, hands-on investigations and science reading resources written by primary school teachers.
  • Whizz Pop Bang teaching resources link to the National Curriculum, ensuring correct coverage.
  • All of our resources are year group specific, ensuring progression between the years.
  • We make cross-curricular links to other subjects, such as English, Maths, History, Geography, Art, Design and Technology and PSHE.

Prices from as little as £254.99 per year for a copy of Whizz Pop Bang magazine through the post each month and whole-school access to our ever-growing library of downloadable teaching resources, with unlimited teacher logins.

We also have individual membership option so teachers and home educators can access all of our amazing downloadable resources for just £20 for the whole year.


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WIN a guide to the night sky!

Posted on | by Kirsty Williams | 533 Comments on WIN a guide to the night sky!

We have FOUR copies of the brand new book from astrophysicist, Lisa Harvey-Smith – Universal Guide to the Night Sky to give away!

Wherever you are in this world – whether that be in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, in the city or a remote region – this book guides you through the remarkable features of planet Earth’s starry sky.

Receive a personal tour through the wonders of the universe from astrophysicist Lisa Harvey-Smith. Explore comets and meteors, stars, planets and moons. Find galaxies and glowing gas clouds. Spot supernovae and enjoy eclipses. Learn everything you need to know about binoculars, telescopes and photographing the stars. You will never look up at the stars in the same way again.

Featuring intergalactic illustrations by Sophie Beer, this global guide to the sky is your ticket out of this world.

To win one of FOUR copies, answer this question in the comments:

What is the name for scientists who focus on observations of the skies?

A Astronomer
B Biologist
C Chemist

This competition closes at midnight on 31st January 2024 and is open to UK residents only. Whizz Pop Bang competition terms and conditions are here.


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How does huddling help penguins stay warm?

Posted on | by Jo at Whizz Pop Bang | Leave a Comment on How does huddling help penguins stay warm?

Many animals, including walruses, penguins and monkeys, huddle in groups to keep warm. The centre of a huddle of Emperor penguins can reach 24℃ when the air temperature is as low as -40℃!

Watch a video about how huddling works here!


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