My Science Club very much shares the values underpinning GSSfS by being:
learner-focused - the resources let pupils investigate things they are interested in
inclusive - all the activities are designed in this way
collaborative - through contexts that are relevant to pupils’ lives
4 schools explored the scientific question ‘How can we recycle paper? The activity inspires discussion about protecting our planet through responsible consumption of day-to-day resources. Read about their experiences here.
Irchester Primary School, Wellingborough
Kristina Castle, Scientist in residence
Our Year 1 and 2 science club had a wonderful time using these easy-to-follow resources. We discussed paper making at the start of the session, and as we had made paper before in a previous club they already knew quite a lot about the process – however, they had lots of questions about making different coloured paper, and also adding seeds to paper to make our paper ‘grow’.
The resources really helped me to guide the pupil’s questioning. The list of resources and the short video saved so much time in the lead up to the club, meaning I was ready to go within 20 minutes of printing the guidance notes!
This activity brought ‘recycling’ to life for the pupils, we talk a lot about recycling in the past but on reflection the pupils didn’t really understand what happens to the paper in our recycling bins after they’ve put it there. When we sorted our paper into colours and pulped it we imagined we were in a recycling factory, which I think really helps to bring the topic to life.
Monk Fryston Primary School, Leeds
Vicky Walsh, Y1 teacher and Science Leader
My Year 1 class are enthusiastic scientists, and always get very excited about learning new information, so the My Science Club session on recycling paper was the perfect next step to follow on from our work on materials in the Spring term. It stimulated wonder and curiosity, and opened up a whole new area of investigation that we are still pursuing!
“I am an Eco Warrior. It is an important job because we recycle the paper we use. It turns into new paper, so we can use it all over again” - Tilly aged 5
The resources provided helped to steer discussion and encourage the pupils to think of their own scientific questions.
Can you recycle paper if it has sparkly bits on it? - Erin aged 5
How do they recycle paper in a factory? - Charlie aged 6
We also introduced the “I wonder…” speech bubbles during this discussion, and this is where it got really exciting.
I wonder what will happen if we make it wet again? - Maria aged 6
I wonder if we can recycle it again? - Rose aged 5
The next step, once we had made the recycled paper, was to think about sustainability, and this was where the My Science Club resources were invaluable. This was a tricky concept for the children, but following the structure of the planning helped to steer the discussion onto the sustainable development goals. Some children also remembered seeing the icons on science displays around school.
Top tip - don’t leave the pulp too long because it turns slimy and smells disgusting, even when it’s dried!
The children have been so enthusiastic about their ideas, that we have continued our investigations, using different coloured paper, adding seeds, and using the dried paper to make traps. We have also continued to make more paper, and seeing how long we can leave it before we dry it, and finding new places to dry it around school. The investigations have been endless, and stimulated so much discussion. I will definitely use these resources again, and can see the potential for use with children across school.
Simmondley Priamary School, Glossop
Amelia Bower, Science Lead
The My Science Club paper recycling resource enriched our science provision by providing tangible examples of science in action, we worked together to create recycled paper from old newspapers.
Before the main session we considered different uses for paper, from wrapping to writing paper and even the miracle that is ‘the wet paper towel’.
Armed with pre-prepared pulp and a heap of old newspapers, the pupils rolled up their sleeves and got to work. This pulp served as the foundation for our new recycled paper. The pupils loved sieving and rolling the pulp. As the pupils were working they asked questions confidently such as:
‘How long will it take for the pulp to dry?’
‘Will our paper be the same colour as newspaper?’
‘How does paper turn white and why is it white?’
The pupils eagerly dove into each activity, getting delightfully messy in the process. They loved the feel of the wet pulp between their fingers and cheered as their paper transformed before their eyes. Through these experiments, our young scientists not only gained a deeper understanding of recycling but also discovered the joy of creating something new from old materials.
Our paper-making activities directly supported Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. By learning about the importance of recycling and witnessing first-hand how old materials can be transformed into new ones, the children gained a deeper appreciation for the need to reduce waste and conserve resources.
Greenmount Primary School, Leeds
Nikki Hall, Science and EYFS leader
The Science Club at Greenmount Primary School in Beeston, Leeds comprises of 15 pupils aged 5 to 11 years old. It was intriguing to see how children from age 5-11 were all engaged despite the wide age range. The activities catered to all age, ethnicity, background, knowledge or beliefs, and enabled children to bring their own knowledge to the table. The Science club resources enabled the mixed aged pupils at our school to become engrossed by all things science, focusing on elements not linked to the National Curriculum, but a fun and engaging focus on the Science all around us.
The activities stimulated discussion and pupils related their learning to their own lives:
"We have a compost bin at the bottom of the playground and we throw our apples in it"
- Laiba, year 2
"At dinner we put our leftovers in the green bin and we feed what we can to the chickens"
- Mohammed, year 4
"I am going to make my own paper at home and colour on it"
- Yusuf, year 1
The resources were super easy to follow, print and navigate along with a clear website. I liked delving into the different ideas for different ages sections, and also found the early primary ideas still lent themselves to the upper primary pupils in my club. The resources needed for each session were easy to collect within a primary school and took 5 minutes to grab prior to the session.
Paul and Bryony are co-founders of My Science Club and are both dedicated to supporting all educators teaching science in any setting.
We can be contacted at hello@myscienceclub.com