primary science – Page 2 – Whizz Pop Bang Blog

Carl Sagan’s Golden Record

Posted on 24th August 2023 | by Jo at Whizz Pop Bang | Leave a Comment

Carl Sagan was an astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, professor and science communicator who was fascinated by extra-terrestrial life. You can read about him in Whizz Pop Bang 98: Aliens!

Carl was involved in American space exploration since it began in the 1950s. He put together messages that were sent into outer space in the 1970s on the Voyager Golden Record.

By NASA – Great Images in NASA Description, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6455682

Copies of the Golden Record were carried by Voyager I and Voyager II. They contained:

Messages in 55 ancient and modern languages
Sounds from Earth
Images of humans and Earth

By NASA/JPL – The Sounds of Earth Record Cover, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=137443

The discs contained diagrams that explain where Earth is and how to play the record. Scientists spent a long time working out how to communicate these messages to aliens!

Here are some examples of things that were included on Carl Sagan’s Golden Record. You can find a full list of everything that was included here.

Greetings in ancient and modern languages

English (this was recorded by Nick Sagan, Carl’s son, when he was six!)

Akkadian (an ancient language used in Mesopotamia about 6,000 years ago)
“May all be very well.”

Arabic
“Greetings to our friends in the stars. We wish that we will meet you someday.”

Cantonese
“Hi. How are you? Wish you peace, health and happiness.”

Hebrew
“Peace”

Korean
“How are you?”

Nguni
“We greet you, great ones. We wish you longevity”

Polish
“Welcome, creatures from beyond the outer world.”

Rajastani
“Hello to everyone. We are happy here and you be happy there.”

Spanish
“Hello and greetings to all.”

Welsh
“Good health to you now and forever.”

Music

Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F. First Movement, Munich Bach Orchestra, Karl Richter, conductor

New Guinea, men’s house song, recorded by Robert MacLennan

Mexico, “El Cascabel,” performed by Lorenzo Barcelata and the Mariachi México

“Johnny B. Goode,” written and performed by Chuck Berry

Georgian S.S.R., chorus, “Tchakrulo” collected by Radio Moscow

Peru, wedding song, recorded by John Cohen

Images

We can’t include the photographs and diagrams included on the Golden Record because of copyright but you can see some of them here. These show some of the same subjects that featured on it.

The cratered surface of Mercury
NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

If you want to find out more about fantastic scientists like Carl Sagan, subscribe to Whizz Pop Bang, the awesomely amazing science magazine for kids! Learn about inspirational scientists of the past and present every issue – our readers are the in credible scientists of the future!

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COMPETITION CLOSED – Win brilliant science books by Dr Helen Scales!

Posted on 26th June 2023 | by Jo at Whizz Pop Bang | 255 Comments

Helen Scales is a marine biologist, writer, broadcaster, teacher and scuba diver who stars as our Science Hero in Whizz Pop Bang 96: Coasts. Read more about her in this issue, now available in our shop. She tells us all about her exciting job, including some of the books she has written, and we’re so excited to have five sets of two of these books to give away to mini marine biologists!

Scientists in the Wild: Galápagos by Helen Scales follows a group of marine biologists as they set sail to study the amazing wildlife and habitats of the Galápagos. To get the job done they will climb volcanoes, get sneezed on by marine iguanas, watch dancing birds, launch a deep-diving submersible and explore the dazzling underwater wonders of Galápagos.

Great Barrier Reef by Helen Scales (released 6th July 2023) introduces this incredible, intricate Australian ecosystem to young readers. Discover the plant and animal inhabitants of the Great Barrier Reef in this beautifully illustrated book, then find out what we can all do to ensure its survival.

To enter the competition, simply answer the following question in the comments:

Where is the Great Barrier Reef?

a) Australia

b) South America

c) Antarctica

The competition closes at midnight on 31st July 2023. For full terms and conditions, please visit: https://www.whizzpopbang.com/terms-and-conditions/.

Want to know more about Whizz Pop Bang – the awesomely amazing science magazine for kids?

Whizz Pop Bang is an award-winning science magazine that brings science to life for children aged six to twelve (and their parents too)!
Each monthly issue is packed with experiments, puzzles, science news, crafts, jokes, inspiring scientists, competitions and more!
Our aim is simple – to help children develop a love of science. We love to imagine what they might discover or invent one day!

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Ancient Egypt Magazine issue 55 from Whizz Pop Bang science magazine for kids

Whizz Pop Bang: ANCIENT EGYPT Magazine Issue 55

Posted on 9th June 2023 | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment

The Hidden Science of Mummies and Pyramids

Do you know a mini-scientist who is learning about the ancient Egyptians at school? Or are they just fascinated by history and science and want to discover more about this interesting time period?

Whizz Pop Bang Issue 55: Ancient Egypt magazine

Inside issue 55, ANCIENT EGYPT, kids will get to unravel the mysteries of mummies, decipher hieroglyphics, and even create their very own mummy! They’ll also explore tomb matching games, make papyrus, play the Pharaohs’ board game, and crack secret codes. It’s a perfect mix of fun and learning that’ll keep them engaged and entertained.

Inside an ancient Egypt magazine for kids

Discover what an Egyptologist does

“DNA is the blueprint for life, so studying ancient Egyptian DNA helps us unlock the secrets of the mummies, such as their family history and the diseases they carried.”
Dr Konstantina Drosou

In each issue, Whizz Pop Bang features a remarkable scientist, and this time we introduce Dr Konstantina Drosou, a Lecturer in Biomedical Egyptology. Dr Drosou sheds light on the significance of studying ancient Egyptian DNA. Dr Drosou’s expertise adds a new dimension to the exploration of ancient Egypt, offering young readers a glimpse into the fascinating world of scientific research and discovery.

Did the Ancient Egyptians invent the toothbrush?

In addition to the ancient Egypt activities, Issue 55 delves into the intriguing history of the toothbrush. Children will learn about the evolution of dental hygiene and the inventors who paved the way for modern oral care. Find out how the ancient Egyptians’ chewing sticks and toothpicks turned into today’s toothbrushes.

Magazine article for kids about the invention of the toothbrush.

For Parents: Extra-Curricular Reading and Learning Support

If your child is fascinated by ancient Egypt, or they are covering this topic at school and need some extra support, this magazine will provide valuable educational content. The activities, experiments, and historical information will deepen their understanding of this ancient civilization. By engaging in hands-on projects, children will gain a more comprehensive knowledge of the ancient Egyptians. Whizz Pop Bang’s ANCIENT EGYPT Magazine is an excellent supplement to their primary education, offering a fun and interactive way to explore this captivating subject.

For Teachers: Enhancing Ancient Egypt Education in Primary Schools

Lesson plan to teach primary aged children about ancient Egypt.

As a teacher, you strive to make learning exciting and memorable for your students. Whizz Pop Bang’s ANCIENT EGYPT Magazine can be a valuable resource to enhance your ancient Egypt curriculum. The magazine’s activities and experiments align with the national curriculum, providing an engaging supplement to your lessons. If you are have a subscription to our ever-growing library of teaching resources, you can even incorporate the magazine’s content into your teaching plans. Use the downloadable lesson plan and PowerPoint presentation provided and create interactive and engaging classroom experiences. These resources enable you to bring ancient Egypt to life and ensure that your students not only gain knowledge but also enjoy the learning process.

Ancient Egypt Teaching Resources

Supporting Your Home Education Journey

For families who home educate, Whizz Pop Bang’s ANCIENT EGYPT Magazine will come in really handy to help your children. Designed to be educational and engaging, it allows parents to create a well-rounded curriculum for their children. With its hands-on activities and experiments, the magazine caters to different learning styles, making it ideal for homeschooling environments. By incorporating the magazine into your home educating, you can provide your child with a comprehensive understanding of ancient Egypt while fostering their curiosity and love for learning.

Whizz Pop Bang is committed to making learning fun and accessible. By creating engaging content that aligns with the national curriculum, we support both parents and teachers in their quest to provide children with a well-rounded education. Whether your child is exploring ancient Egypt for their own interest or you’re seeking innovative ways to teach the topic in the classroom or at home, our ANCIENT EGYPT Magazine, Issue 55 is an excellent educational resource.

Unleash the wonders of ancient Egypt and watch your child’s love for learning flourish. Spark curiosity, foster exploration, and make learning about ancient Egypt an exciting adventure with Whizz Pop Bang.

Buy issue 55: ANCIENT EGYPT

Have you got a copy of the magazine? If you do, here’s a helpful kit list of items you’ll need to be ready for the activities featured in this issue. Don’t worry there’s still loads of science fun to be have even if you don’t have every single item on the list!

Kit list of items needed for Whizz Pop Bang issue 55: Ancient Egypt

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Teaching about pulleys in year 5

Posted on 5th June 2023 | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment

Are you looking for planning resources for teaching forces in year 5? Here’s how you can use our new downloadable pulley investigation resource to easily create a memorable lesson that produces the sticky knowledge Ofsted will be looking for…

An investigation into pulleys

Our pulley investigation requires pupils to build a simple pulley and then add more to create a pulley system. They will compare the difference that adding more pulleys makes to the force used by measuring. A bucket is added to one end and pupils use a form of measurement, e.g. weights from the maths cupboard or a non-standard unit such as Unifix™ cubes, to record the results and help them come to a conclusion about why pulleys are useful.

How should the lesson be recorded?

Should pupils record every step of a practical lesson? From my experience, no, as this kills the enjoyment and does not reflect what they have learned. However, there are benefits to revising learning to help the knowledge to stick. Revisiting the lesson the next day is beneficial. In upper key stage two, pupils should be practising writing up part of their investigation in a passive voice.

Download the lesson pack now

Guided reading

To help consolidate pupils’ learning, why not introduce some forces-themed reading into your English sessions? Download our fascinating reading comprehensions linked to this lesson pack.

Take me to these resources

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 £197.99 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 have an individual membership option so teachers and home educators can access all of our amazing downloadable resources for just £20 for the whole year.

Subscribe for your school

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Teaching pollination in year 3

Posted on 3rd May 2023 | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment

As part of the unit plants, you will need to teach your pupils how plants reproduce. A key part is the role insects play in pollination. They do not need to understand it in great detail, but should know the term and have a general understanding of how it happens. The lesson pack we have created alongside this month’s issue called ‘Buzzy Bees!’ is a great simple, hands-on activity in which pupils will pretend to pollinate flowers as if they are bees.

The lesson pack contains:

A lesson plan linked to the national curriculum
A PowerPoint presentation
Instructions
Printable resources
Instructions for a whole-class waggle dance!

Great news! You don’t need any specialised equipment, just a paintbrush and two different coloured powders – either powder paints or icing sugar and cocoa powder.

Do you want to sneak more science into your school day?

Our reading comprehensions are a great way of getting more science content into your school day. On the website, all the reading comprehensions can be searched for by topic and year group, allowing you to pick ones which relate to your current science teaching or ones which revisit a previous topic. Each lesson plan has a ‘cross curricular’ box which lists reading comprehensions that link to the learning for that lesson. This month, for year 3 we have an interview with a super scientist who has found a way for bees to help people in poverty.

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.

We’ve also got an 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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COMPETITION CLOSED – Win a bug-tastic bundle of STEM gifts!

Posted on 1st May 2023 | by Kirsty Williams | 1 Comment

We’re super excited to announce that we’ve teamed up with Laurence King Publishing and Insect Lore for May’s online competition which we are running on Instagram and Facebook only! Head over there to find out how to win this bumper prize!

Science gift competition bug bingo Whizz Pop Bang science magazine Insect Lore Butterfly Garden

You could win:

Bug Bingo Game – This beautifully illustrated bingo game features 64 species of bugs from around the world. Identify all kinds of insects – from the giant hawker dragonfly to the kissing bug and the orchid bee to the sacred scarab – mark them off on your card and bingo! Bug Bingo brings a fun and educational twist to the traditional game as players learn the names and colourings of both favourite species like the honey bee and more exotic bugs like the vampire moth. Contains one masterboard, 64 superbly illustrated bug tokens, 12 bingo cards and brightly coloured counters for you to mark up your card, as well as a leaflet containing basic information and a few quirky traits for all of the bugs featured.

Butterfly Garden – Experience the miracle of metamorphosis with this unique Butterfly Garden! Observe caterpillars grow and change into butterflies, and then release them. The kit includes a 30cm tall reusable habitat for easy butterfly watching and a voucher for 3-5 caterpillars with food. Once you have received your caterpillars, they will eat, spin silk, and grow to TEN times their original size! After 7-10 days watch as they hang upside down and form their chrysalides! Then watch as they emerge as beautiful Painted Lady Butterflies and observe them for a couple of days before releasing into nature.

Science gift competition Insect Lore Butterfly Garden

A 6-month magazine subscription for Whizz Pop Bang! Keep your young scientist engaged with a monthly magazine subscription filled with hands-on science activities, the latest scientific news, jokes, puzzles, and more! The best part? Loads of the supplies needed for the activities can be found in your kitchen cupboard.

Science gift competition Whizz Pop Bang science magazine

We are running this competition on Instagram and Facebook only! Head over to our socials to find out how to be in for a chance of winning one of three of these awesome bundles.

Enter on Facebook

Enter on Instagram

T&C’s: This giveaway closes at midnight on Wednesday 31st May 2023. One winner will be selected at random from all entries via Facebook and Instagram and will be contacted in the first week of June. This competition is open to UK residents only. Winner will be informed via your original comment by @whizzpopbangmag – please be wary of scams, do not give personal details or follow any links from other accounts. For full terms and conditions visit buff.ly/3ij98Q3 This competition is in no way affiliated, endorsed, sponsored or administered by Instagram or Facebook.

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Teaching rocks year 3

Posted on 11th April 2023 | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment

Do you find teaching about rocks a bit dull?! We have created a fun-filled lesson that will bring this subject to life. Pupils will learn how scientists have used rock strata to define when the K-Pg mass extinction happened.

Where would this lesson fit into my medium-term plan?

This lesson would be suitable after pupils have been taught what fossils are, as it explains how scientists know which fossils are from the dinosaur era. Our knowledge organisers are a good way to support your pupils’ vocabulary and ensure progression through the school.

How is this lesson better than a worksheet?

Most children will remember an active, interesting lesson better than the information they complete on a worksheet. They will create their own rock strata sandwich complete with fossils and a K-Pg boundary using bread, sweets and biscuits!

In our downloadable lesson packs, we include everything you need to teach the lesson, apart from some inexpensive resources. Included in this lesson pack is a PowerPoint presentation that explains rock strata and the K-Pg boundary. The pack also includes a sheet of instructions for making the sandwich and a silly science quiz, where pupils will guess which animals roamed with the dinosaurs and are still living today!

If you are not a subscriber to our school resources, you can subscribe here for your school or take out an individual teacher membership here, which will give you access to all of our downloadable resources.

How can I get more science into my school day?

An easy way to get more science content into your school day is to give your pupils quality science-related text during reading time. We have loads of downloadable reading comprehensions as part of our resources. This month we have added three more for year 3 linking to the unit of rocks.

We also have a bank of spectacular science images that are perfect for promoting discussion. They feature a striking scientific image along with a couple of questions. As you click through the PowerPoint presentation, the answers to the questions will be revealed. Pupils should try to answer the questions as you go. The presentation added this month for the unit ‘Rocks’ is called ‘Asteroid crash!’. It only takes ten minutes, so it can slot into those awkward times in the school day, such as straight after lunch while you are waiting for everyone to come in.

See all our discussion topics available for rocks here.

If you would like some FREE samples, sign up here for a magazine and an example lesson pack for years 2 to 6.

How much does it cost to gain access to all of the Whizz Pop Bang resources?

Prices start from as little as £197.99 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 have an individual membership option so teachers and home educators can access all of our amazing downloadable resources for just £20 for the whole year.

“Whizz pop Bang has developed a refreshing look at science and its resources bring this subject to life” Class teacher Caroline Burton

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Detective science day

Posted on 6th March 2023 | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment

Do you want to plan a whole-school science day? We have a mystery for the whole school to solve! The children will practise their observational skills and learn about the job of a forensic scientist.

Before the pupils come in, set up a crime scene. The crime is that someone has eaten the last cookie from the staffroom. You will need to decide which member of staff is the culprit and plant the evidence accordingly. There will be lots of clues; a handwritten note, some footprints, a glass with clear fingerprints on. The crime scene will need to be in an area that the whole school can visit and access during the day. You could set it up in the hall and have a whole-school assembly to explain the crime. The evidence could then be put on a crime scene board and each year group given one piece of the evidence to investigate, just like forensic scientists.

Check out our detective science issue!

Part of crime detection is looking carefully for clues. Pupils could play lots of games in which they must spot the odd one out; for example, fill two trays with objects so they look identical, but with something missing from one tray – can they spot it?!

Year 1

They will investigate footprints. Pupils will first compare their shoeprints to find out if they are the same. They could then ask all the members of staff for their shoeprints. Can they match any of them to the ones at the crime scene?

Years 2 and 3

They will be taking fingerprints. Are all of our fingerprints the same? Discuss how they are unique. Follow these instructions to take fingerprints.

fingerprint-instructions-1 Download

Year 3 pupils could take the fingerprints of all the staff members and see if they can match any of them to the ones at the crime scene.

Years 4 and 5

Can they match a pen to the note from the crime scene? Give pupils a selection of pens, each one belonging to a different member of staff. (You will need to use water-soluble pens for the test to work.) In the crime scene, make sure there are some pieces of kitchen roll with ink spots on them, which match the note left by the cookie-stealing culprit.

Pupils will try out chromatography. You will demonstrate how to do it and then they will test the staff members’ pens, making sure they work methodically to ensure it is a fair test. Do any of the pens match the clue in the crime scene?

Chromatography-instructions Download

Year 6

They should already know that humans are all different and that we carry characteristics from our parents. Explain that we all have DNA – in fact, all living things have DNA – and that it can be used to help to solve crimes. Scientists can extract DNA from all sorts of evidence, including hairs, fibres, etc. Explain that it would require specialist equipment to do this, but we can extract a DNA strand from a strawberry.

Download our lesson pack here for the full instructions:

At the end of the day, bring the whole school back together. Ask each class if they think they know who took the last cookie. Work through the crime scene board and see if they all came up with the same member of staff. Did they manage to solve the crime?

As part of the day, pupils might like to read about some real-life detectives or some animal thieves. Check out these reading comprehensions available to download from our website:

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.

Whole school membership

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.

Individual membership

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FREE science activity – craft your own solar system!

Posted on 9th January 2023 | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment

Whizz Pop Bang is the world’s most awesomely amazing kids’ science magazine, bursting with hands-on experiments, facts and fun! Every magazine is packed full of hands on science activities to help your kids fall in love with science. Here is a FREE science activity to help you entertain, excite and educate your child.

Learn the order of the planets by making a model solar system. Just download, print, add scissors and glue, and your astronauts-in-training will do the rest. It’s out of this world!

Download

Our experiments are designed for children from 6 to 12, but this experiment is particularly perfect for year 5, P6 (Scotland) and 9-year-olds and 10-year-olds as it ties in with the National Curriculum topic about the solar system they will be taught this during this school year.

Find loads more science activities, puzzles and games in our award-winning monthly kids science magazine, Whizz Pop Bang!

Did your mini-scientist enjoy this activity? This is just one of the many fun paper craft activities from the Whizz Pop Bang Snip-Out Science Book. Click the image below to discover how much more fun your budding scientist can have with this book!

Not a subscriber? Sign up here!

Fill your child with science wonder with a subscription to Whizz Pop Bang, the award-winning magazine for 6 to 12-year-olds. Watch their face light up with glee when their very own magazine zooms through the letterbox! Packed full of hands-on science awesomeness, it’s the gift that keeps of delighting, month after month.

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Interview with Tim Peake – download this FREE reading comprehension

Posted on 12th November 2022 | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment

We want to inspire the future generation of scientists with our monthly magazine! That’s why, every month we interview inspirational scientists about their jobs so children across the globe can learn about fascinating areas of science and what it takes to do these jobs.

We interviewed astronaut Tim Peake and wanted to share it here for free so that everyone can be inspired by Tim’s story. This pack also includes a reading comprehension question and answer sheet for schools and home educators to teach kids.

Interview with astronaut Tim Peake reading comprehension

This interview delves into what it is really like to travel in space. Tim Peake describes what it feels like to take off in a rocket and to feel weightless, as well as his scariest moments. A must-read for your aspiring astronauts.

This downloadable reading pack includes:
– An interview with Tim Peake for you to print or for your child to read on a tablet.
– Reading comprehension question sheet and answer sheet.

Interview-with-astronaut-Tim-Peake Download

Yr5-Tim-Peake-Questions Download

Yr5-Tim-Peake-Answers Download

Our teaching resources are designed for children from 6 to 12, but this reading comprehension is particularly perfect for year 5, P6 (Scotland) and 9-year-olds and 10-year-olds as it ties in with the National Curriculum topic about earth and space they will be taught this during this school year.

Did your mini-scientist enjoy learning about Tim Peake? Why not discover our other space themed issues of Whizz Pop Bang in our shop here! Or click on one of the magazines below for some of our favourite space issues!

Not a subscriber? Sign up here!

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