Staffs University hold an annual Big Biology Day every October, and, without saying too much in the first paragraph, it counts as one of the family event highlights of the year.
It's truly a family-friendly event, with a wide range of activities and exhibits that will appeal to toddlers upwards. The Biology department put on a great show, with exhibits from microscopic samples (and lab benches filled with microscopes), to a mock-up forensic scene, to live animals (furry, feathered, scaly, slithering and crawling) which can be seen at close quarters and - in most cases - handled.
Top marks must be given to the department staff, who all share their subject with real enthusiasm. During a short break at the most recent "Bug Day" (Invertebrates Science Fair), my children got into a discussion with one of the senior lecturers in the department, whose main area of interest is bees. They enjoyed a surprisingly lengthy and in-depth discussion (my daughter was nine years old at the time has the questioning skills of a journalist and the ability to soak up information like a sponge) and this was completely unplanned, but pitched just right for our family. The Big Biology day is the same.
There are activites to colour; interactive games, quizzes and puzzles; there are the animals to see, and there are many leaflets to peruse, posters to view and many varied activities for parents, children, students and educators alike. The exhibition (for want of a better description) spans two floors, with the microscopes and forensic crime-solving activities upstairs. This is a great advert for higher education, for biology (and I'm a chemistry graduate) and for Staffs University. It's great that they are continuing with their series of community days - this Big Biology Day (October); their Invertebrates Science Fair (April) and their new Science Technology Engineering and Maths day (they hosted the West Midlands Big Bang fair in June).
And, while searching for the date for the STEM day, I've discovered that earlier this year they introduced a Fete (August) based on gaming and social online gaming. I'll be looking for that (and sharing it when I find it) next year!
Top marks must be given to the department staff, who all share their subject with real enthusiasm. During a short break at the most recent "Bug Day" (Invertebrates Science Fair), my children got into a discussion with one of the senior lecturers in the department, whose main area of interest is bees. They enjoyed a surprisingly lengthy and in-depth discussion (my daughter was nine years old at the time has the questioning skills of a journalist and the ability to soak up information like a sponge) and this was completely unplanned, but pitched just right for our family. The Big Biology day is the same.
There are activites to colour; interactive games, quizzes and puzzles; there are the animals to see, and there are many leaflets to peruse, posters to view and many varied activities for parents, children, students and educators alike. The exhibition (for want of a better description) spans two floors, with the microscopes and forensic crime-solving activities upstairs. This is a great advert for higher education, for biology (and I'm a chemistry graduate) and for Staffs University. It's great that they are continuing with their series of community days - this Big Biology Day (October); their Invertebrates Science Fair (April) and their new Science Technology Engineering and Maths day (they hosted the West Midlands Big Bang fair in June).
And, while searching for the date for the STEM day, I've discovered that earlier this year they introduced a Fete (August) based on gaming and social online gaming. I'll be looking for that (and sharing it when I find it) next year!
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