The British Interactive Group

Inquiring Minds Photo credit: David Bennett

The Manchester Science Group will be presenting 3 workshops at the British Interactive Group Event 2006:

Wednesday, July 26th
3:30pm to 4:30pm Inquiring Minds

Inquiring Minds is a Creative Partnerships Manchester Salford action research project that explores creative ways to capture the imaginations of disengaged Year 8 pupils from a Manchester secondary school in learning key stage 3 science. The project combines access to The Manchester Museum’s curators and collections, afterschool workshops in exhibition and design, filmmaking and weblogging to develop a framework with science teachers ensuring the research findings can be applied by science teachers in the classroom.

Speakers: Dr Erinma Ochu (action researcher), Dr Michelle Lockwood (science communicator), Mrs Anne-Marie Proudfoot (School coordinator), Louise Sutherland (Curator for learning - secondary)

Thursday, July 27th
9:00am to 10:00am A Day in the Life

A Day in the Life developed as an action research project to explore creative ways to engage scientists in communicating what they do to the public without taking up too much of their time. The outcomes include two exhibitions giving an extraordinary insight into the daily lives of scientist researching different aspects of our bodies, minds and universe. One is a commissioned exhibition from photographer David Bennett and the other is a disposable cameras project through which scientists document their day and write a short diary – and is developing as an alternative science careers guide for schools on CD-ROM.

Project funders: A Wellcome Trust VIP Award, Research Councils UK and The University of Manchester

Speakers: Dr Erinma Ochu (science communicator), Dr Michelle Lockwood (science communicator), David Bennett (Photographer) tbc

Friday, July 28th
9:00am to 10:00am You know it makes sense

You know it makes sense originated as a hands-on workshop on the senses/ perception for primary schools. It’s been developed and adapted over 2 years with University of Manchester ‘perception’ scientists and actors as the target audience changed from primary to secondary schools (30 people) to adults (80 people) at science festivals. In its various delivered formats the sense demos have been integrated into a comedy drama sketch, a pub quiz and is to be developed as a board game.

Project funders: Wellcome Trust VIP award and The University of Manchester

Speakers: Dr Erinma Ochu (science communicator), Dr Michelle Lockwood (science communicator), Dr Ellen Poliakoff (Lecturer, Experimental Psychology)