Worlds collide in Science Match! This is a chance for school students to meet up with two different scientists or experts, over the internet and in the comfort of their own classrooms. Students get to ask questions and set challenges for the experts, and at the end, the students get a chance to vote on whose research is the best!
Provide an opportunity for students to connect with researchers.
To demonstrate that there are many pathways into scientific careers and that these sorts of jobs are for anyone.
To better understand how these experts got to where they are now.
To connect students with positive role models.
- Children 7-12
You can do it with all those groups, but we did it with professionals from different fields like public engagement or the cultural and creative sector.
The Science Match format allows for students to meet up with experts and to take ownership of their own learning by being able to ask the expert questions on the aspects of the subject that they find most interesting. This sort of activity can be used to either introduce students to a variety of topics, focus on a particular subject. Students can also be introduced to a variety of potential career pathways.
The online aspect of this activity makes it very easy to organise and can easily be integrated into a lesson plan or schedule, it also allows for contribution from experts, no matter their location.
This activity is carried out online using online teleconferencing software, such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Students can either connect from their house or from the classroom school. A link to connect to the zoom meeting will be available to the students and teachers.
The activity takes approximately 45 minutes.
First of all, you need to decide what topic(s) you would like to discuss during this event, you may want to consult the school curriculum to check what subjects the students will need to learn about.
When you have decided on a topic you need to reach out to experts on your chosen subjects and check their availability, confirming a time and date for the activity to take place.
It may be useful to ask the speakers to fill in a quick questionnaire about themselves, which can then be shown to the pupils before the activity.
You may want to help the speakers with their demonstrations before the activity.
Set up the online meeting and send students and speakers the link before the event takes place.
At the start of the event the speakers are given a set amount of time to introduce their subject or field of research, and following this students are able to ask questions or challenge the speakers in some way.
At the end of the event, the students then vote on which speaker research was the most interesting to them.
This format was taken from PSIQUADRO and The Our Space Our Future project, which use this school-based activity to educate school pupils about emerging space research, as well as giving them an opportunity to meet researchers from the space-sector. To find useful teaching notes and other resources on how to conduct this event, as described above, please click here.