It’s DAY FOUR of WHIZZ POP BANG’s SEVEN DAYS OF PRIZES!
This month’s Whizz Pop Bang magazine is all about SCIENCE SUPERPOWERS, so we’ve arranged a competition that is all about a real-life superhero who wants to save the Earth: Greta Thunberg!
We’ve got six copies of We Are All Greta by Valentina Gianella to give away! This beautifully illustrated book will take you on a journey of hope, resilience and curiosity as we take a a look inside Greta’s life. From drinking water to fossil fuels, from hashtags to education, the book is packed with scientific facts and ideas of things we can all do to help protect our planet.
Just answer this question in the comments to be in with a chance of winning one of six copies!
How many trees are cut down every year?*
1. 15 2. Around 15 million 3. Up to 15 billion
*According to figures reported by WWF
This competition closes on 31st December 2019. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms
Mr Tyler, a Year 2 teacher at Great Moor Community Infant School in Stockport, answers the question ‘how can teachers help to get kids and parents more involved in science?’ He came up with a simple answer that’s really easy to implement!
Each month, when Whizz Pop Bang arrives in his classroom, Mr Tyler creates a new Whizz Pop Bang scrapbook.
The children take it in turns to bring both the scrapbook and the copy of Whizz Pop Bang magazine home for the weekend so they can have fun doing a STEM activity, reading the magazine or just doing the puzzles. The children love writing in the scrapbook and proudly sticking in their photos, experiment results and observations. It’s not compulsory, it’s not homework – it’s all about having fun with science at home – and kids, parents, teachers and even Ofsted are loving it!
Toby Tyler, Teacher at Great Moor Infant School in Stockport
Mr Tyler also uses the tag #WPBShare on Twitter to proudly share his class’s Whizz Pop Bang achievements – check it out and tweet us your class’s science achievements too @whizzpopbangmag
The Whizz Pop Bang Pee Power issue is proving a big hit! We’re loving this review posted by a teacher on facebook…
“I told one of my classes of girls that following the very popular issue all about pooh the latest issue is all about wee. They were very excited. Where but in a science lesson can children talk about wee and pooh? A few months ago we were testing acids and alkalis using pH paper and I mentioned that a couple of years ago one girl tested her urine. Quite a few hands went up to volunteer to do the same, so of course I let a couple of girls go off to the loo with plastic cups. And instructions not to spill them on the way back! My girls love WPB; they can read them if they finish their science early or if we have a few minutes. Most popular with 6 year olds for some reason!”
Madeleine Holmes
Looking for ways to build girls’ confidence in science?
“The positive work that Whizz Pop Bang does to challenge and break down gender stereotypes has really hit a chord with the girls in our school. They love everything about the magazine, from its gender balanced covers to the articles and practical ideas that appeal to them and especially the features on contemporary and historical female scientists and engineers.
Every issue features female scientists discussing their jobs, and there’s rarely a month goes by without girls in my class asking about how you get in to engineering, or become a fossil hunter. The content and the presentation are really helping to open primary school-aged girls’ eyes to the huge variety of careers they could follow and helping them realise that there is no such thing as a job women can’t do!
The focus on historical scientific figures such as Agnes Arber, Florence Nightingale and Rachel Carson has encouraged girls in my class to engage in independent research into significant female scientists of the past and their contributions. It’s also sparked debates in class about why, historically, there are so few prominent women in scientific fields and, most importantly, what they want to do to change this. Whizz Pop Bang has inspired many of the girls in our school to think about and consider careers that they would never have been aware of otherwise. We have seen a marked increase in girl’s interest in, and engagement with, STEM subjects. This year our science club was 70% girls and 8 out of 12 of our Science Lab Technicians were girls.”
Paul Tyler, Mearns Primary School, Glasgow
Supporting upper KS2 with SATS…
“Using Whizz Pop Bang has revitalized our science teaching. The quality of the resources are first class and particularly support cross curricular links through the reading comprehension activities. We have found these to be particularly useful at the upper end of KS2 where science can be used as a vehicle to support SATs, making use of skills of inference and deduction based on relevant scientific topics. In addition the planning offers exciting practical ideas, particularly useful to teachers who are not scientific specialists. The children absolutely love carrying out the real-life experiments.” Sally Cowell, Head teacher at Shaw Ridge Primary school, Swindon
Science ideas for gifted and talented groups
“I originally ordered Whizz Pop Bang for my then 7 year old. At the time, I was a microbiologist with a real passion for science and wanted my children to have the same passion and natural curiosity. Following the birth of my second child, I retrained as a primary school teacher, specifically Early Years. My passion for science never left me and I like to use science investigations with my class of 4 and 5 year olds to promote cross curricular learning and natural curiosity. I also run the Gifted and Talented group for which I also use ideas and investigations from Whizz Pop Bang. Recently we made the straw DNA model. The children loved it. The investigations can be tailored to any age group from 4 – 12. I absolutely love it.”
Mrs Sara Thomas, Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School, Burton upon Trent
Find out how Whizz Pop Bang can transform science in your school with our monthly magazines, and new downloadable science and reading resources! Visit our schools page for more info and to download a free sample pack.
Congratulations to award winning physicist and #STEM ambassador Dr. Jess Wadehas been awarded a medal of the Order of the British Empire for services to gender diversity in science.
Dr. Jess Wade is a physicist and an incredible advocate for women in science and engineering. During 2018, she’s embarked upon a challenge: to write one Wikipedia page per day about an “awesome underrepresented group working in science and engineering.”
Dr Wade researches polymer-based LEDs in the Blackett Lab at Imperial College London. As part of her outreach work she has led public engagement initiatives to promote women in STEM, including schools outreach work in physics and coordinating international women in physics academic conferences. She’s leading the way as an inspirational woman in science helping to break down barriers, and give girls the confidence to see themselves as scientists.
Read an interview with Jess about her Wikipedia page per day here.
Jess is also a proud STEMette and STEM ambassador, helping to promote fellow STEMettes such as author Angela Saini who wrote Inferior and Superior.
Follow Jess on Twitter to and join the world of science girl power!
Dr Jess Wade is a Whizz Pop Bang science adviser; a member of our behind-the-scenes team who help to ensure that our content is up-to-date and accurate.
In every issue of Whizz Pop Bang magazine we have a mix of female and male scientists to inspire girls and boys, and particularly showcase women in STEM roles. Breaking down gender stereotypes is an important part of Whizz Pop Bang magazine as we strive for a future of equality. Find out more here.
We also feature famous historical scientists, focusing just as much on the female scientists as the male scientists. Find out which historical scientists we’ve featured so far in Whizz Pop Bang, and if you’re a teacher looking for science and reading resources we’ve got reading comprehensions ready to download and go with our schools subscriptions!
Inside this issue of Whizz Pop Bang science magazine you’ll find all sorts of ways to trick your eyes, learn how microscopes work and you can even have a go at making some fantastic 3D glasses.
LEARN HOW TO WRITE YOUR NAME IN BRAILLE: Ever wondered how blind people read braille? In this issue we teach you the braille alphabet so you can learn how to write your name. How long will it take you to remember the pattern of dots that create the letters in your name?
YOU WON’T BELIEVE YOUR EYES! Learn how eyes work, then play some tricks on your peepers with our speedy science activities.
SILLY SCIENCE: How do creatures who live in the dark sense their surroundings? Find out about six creatures who live in the dark and have developed some amazing ways to sense their environments, find food and avoid danger.
HOW STUFF WORKS: Take a close look inside a microscope, and enter the competition to win a pocket microscope!
SENSATIONAL SCIENTISTS: Read all about Patricia Bath’s medical inventions and how they’ve restored sight to thousands of people.
Loads of awesome eye-deas to keep your budding young scientists entertained! Visit our online shop to buy this issue for just £4.75 with FREE UK delivery. Got a question about Whizz Pop Bang or subscribing? Check out our FAQs or get in touch by emailing our friendly customer services team: hello@whizzpopbang.com
It’s International Women’s Day 2019 and to celebrate we’ve got three copies of this super cool book to give away! To enter this competition simply answer this question…
Which famous female scientist discovered that Earth has an inner core, as well as a mantle and outer core? 1. Inge Lehmann 2. Katherine Johnson 3. Agnes Arber
Answer in the comments box below by midnight on Sunday 10/3/19 👇🏾 (Hint: the answer is in the QUAKE RATTLE AND ROLL issue of Whizz Pop Bang!)
We have one simple aim for Whizz Pop Bang, and that’s to help as many children as possible to enjoy the wonderful world of science.
A few months ago a man called Brian Mildenhall, who works for a charity in Nepal, phoned and asked if we could donate some magazines for the children he helps. Brian works for a charity called Freedom Kit Bags which was set up to help end period poverty in Nepal. As well as supplying sanitary wear for women and girls, the team behind Freedom Kit Bags deliver education too.
Brian took a box of Whizz Pop Bang magazines on his most recent trip out to Nepal, and just last week he sent us these heart-warming photos of the children reading them at school. We’re all so touched to see our magazines in the hands of Nepalese children and teachers, helping them to read English and enjoy science. Thank you Brian and team for doing what you do! ❤️👍🏾🧠
Students learning English with Whizz Pop Bang
Secondary students reading Whizz Pop Bang science magazine in Nepal
The whole class learning together
Boys enjoying their Brilliant Brains issue!
Staff at the school with their magazines
The Freedom Kit Bag signs to help communities understand how to help young women and girls
Women signing up for their kit bags
Girls looking at what’s inside the kit bags, all so happy to have what they need
Big shout out to Whizz Pop Bang girls today – it’s international women and girls in science day 👩🏽🔬🎉👨🏼🔬👏🏾 We’re hugely proud to be inspiring scientists of the future… girls & boys!
Thanks to these two super scientists from Shaw Ridge primary school for sending in their rendition of the periodic table song, you’ve got amazing memories!👇🏿
Big shout out to our 10 Awesomely Amazing recycling heroes in our RUBBISH SCIENCE issue!
♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️
1. Melati and Isabel Wijsen who set up Bye Bye Plastic Bags
2. Sammie Vance with her recycled plastic buddy benches
3. Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu who set up soleRebels designing shoes from old tyres
4. Ryan Hickman, age 9 runs his own recycling company
5. Aaron Westbrook 3D prints prosthetic limbs from recycled plastic
6. Anna Bullus who set up Gumdrop ltd making shoes with pink soles from recycled gum
7. Esther Bird campaigned to stop single-use plastics being used at her school
8. Julia Bray, Ashton Cofer and Luke and Natalie Clay converted styrofoam cups into activated carbon
9. Zymal Umer set up Zee Bags to make gift bags from recycled newspaper
10. Amy and Ella Meek from Kids Against Plastic campaign to help families, cafes and councils to be ‘Plastic Clever’
So inspiring to see so many kids taking the initiative, the future’s looking greener everyone! 👍🏽
Whoop whoop! Exciting times for Whizz Pop Bang!!! Firstly we’re thrilled to announce Whizz Pop Bang founder Jenny won highly commended at the StartUps Awards 2018 in the Women in Business category!! 👏🏼 🏆 🤩
AND Jenny appeared on BBC4 on the Tomorrow’s World Live show as one of the many people inspired by the program. Cracking week for Whizz Pop Bang!
