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BioEd Newsletter
Winter EDITION 2009

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Welcome to the first BioEd
e-newsletter from the Society of Biology.

This edition is filled with information on free teaching resources, CPD opportunities, biology competitions and exciting talks at the 2010 ASE Conference.

Read on to find out more......

1) Society of Biology News

SCAS Programme

Schools and Colleges are able to become members through the SCAS programme. As a member of SCAS, your school or college will receive a subscription to our leading journal Biologist and the Journal of Biological Education.

Combined, these journals will keep your school or college up to date with:

• the latest policy and curriculum developments
• results of research into the teaching, learning and assessment of biology
• reviews of new teaching resources
• research at the leading edge of the biosciences
• the work of the Society at national and regional levels

Fees

UK Schools annual fee £80
Overseas Schools annual fee £110

For more information about these resources, please contact us.

Biological Nomenclature Fourth Edition 2009

Biological Nomenclature, published by the Society of Biology, is a brilliant resource for teachers, students, lecturers in higher education, and awarding bodies. Its aim is to establish and promote a universal use of language, to provide consensus and accuracy in the use of biological terminology. This publication is a key part of our commitment to supporting biology education.

If you have not already ordered your copy, you can download an order form from our website Click here .

The Nuffield Curriculum Centre, in partnership with us, has developed a Practical Biology website for teachers of secondary school biology. The website allows teachers to download tried and tested biology experiments that should work in any school laboratory. The practicals can be used as starting-points for investigations and also for enhancement activities, such as clubs or open day events.

To visit the website, click here.

British Biology Olympiad

The British Biology Olympiad (BBO) is a competition to reward the best young biologists in the country. We support a team of dedicated volunteers who organise the competition.

HURRY! REGISTRATION FOR THE 2010 COMPETITION CLOSES
18th DECEMBER 2009

Download an entry from from our website

2) Teaching Resources

We are a contributing partner in the Getting Practical – Improving Practical Work in Science Programme.

This professional development programme is aimed at teachers of science and their supporting colleagues who wish to improve the effectiveness of their practical science teaching for the benefit of the young peoples’ learning. The course examines the pedagogy behind practical science teaching and offers teachers the chance to reflect upon their current practice and make small changes to improve the way they manage practical work lessons. We are looking for schools across England to get involved and register their interest in receiving the CPD package of training from our Getting Practical trainers based in your area.

Supporting Getting Practical is a website, http://dmtrk.co.uk/t/I1-2PIE-1C81VM-1IRDN-1/c.aspx, where there is a resource section full of high quality resources from our partner organisations and other groups supporting practical science education. To register your interest in receiving the CPD for your staff or school, please contact [email-masked]

Getting Practical is funded by DCSF with coordinating partners ASE, CLEAPSS, national network of SLCs, CSE at Sheffield Hallam University and contributing partners the SSAT, IOP, Society of Biology, RSC, Gatsby SEP, National STEM Centre and the University of York with support from SCORE, the Royal Society, Gatsby SAPS, the National Strategies, LSIS, The Wellcome Trust and the YSC at the Ri. The independent evaluators are the IOE at the University of London.

The Society for General Microbiology have a new resource available to schools called HIV & AIDS.
This 12 page A4 full colour booklet contains the latest information about the disease and includes a two page spread at the end of the booklet that contains data supplied to the SGM by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS from the 2008 Report on the Global Aids epidemic.

For further information contact SGM

DNA in a DAY Training Course

Members of the Society of Biology are entitled to a £10 discount from Edvotek's 'DNA in a Day' training course. This one day hands on training course is designed to help you improve your students results and understanding. Courses take place on a variety of dates around the country and teachers can register to attend by completing the registration form available on our website.

Bringing Cutting Edge Science into the Classroom

Contemporary science topics fascinate pupils as they are regularly featured in the media as exciting and controversial. From December 2009 the Science Learning Centre Network is running a range of courses, funded by Research Councils UK (RCUK) that will enable teachers to engage with contemporary science and its practitioners, and equip teachers with new contexts and activities to deliver the curriculum in an accessible and stimulating way.

There are 12 courses and topics include Biodiversity, Drug Discovery and Development, Food Security and Agriculture, Genetics, Lifestyle and Health, Measuring Performance in Sport and Sustainable Science.

For more information on the Bringing Cutting Edge into the Classroom programme visit cuttingedge

Ask a Physiologist

If your students have a question about physiology, please submit it to The Physiological Society and they will make sure that it is answered by an expert.

A submission form can be downloaded at http://dmtrk.co.uk/t/I1-2PIE-1C81VM-1IPDO-1/c.aspx. Please send this form to [email-masked].

The Society will either post your question on their website or include it in their Society magazine Physiology News.

Chemistry for Non-Specialists

Are you teaching chemistry in a secondary school but hold a specialism in a different subject? Then this course is for you! Organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Chemistry for Non-Specialists course is designed to provide teachers with the confidence, flair and enthusiasm to teach chemistry at KS3 or KS4. The 4 day course costs only £200 and covers key chemistry concepts, providing hands-on experience of both student practical work and teacher demonstrations.

There are courses running throughout England in 2010 – to find a course near you and for more information visit http://dmtrk.co.uk/t/I1-2PIE-1C81VM-1IPDN-1/c.aspx.

Survival Rivals

November 2009 is the 150th anniversary of the publication of “On the Origin of Species” and to celebrate Wellcome Trust are providing free experiment kits to all state secondary schools across the UK.

Survival Rivals is a series of experiments which allow young people to undertake practical science. There are three kits in the series: I’m a Worm, Get Me Out of Here looks at natural selection; Brine Date looks at sexual selection; and The X-Bacteria looks at antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

Each experiment will help young people to see the link between Darwin’s ideas, modern evolutionary principles and contemporary biomedicine.

Over 8,000 kits have been sent out to schools across the UK, have you got yours yet? Order now at http://dmtrk.co.uk/t/I1-2PIE-1C81VM-1IKZ6-1/c.aspx and keep an eye on the website for more Survival Rivals news.

3) Competitions

Darwin 200 Photographic Competition: The Results!

Charles Darwin's career was founded on his childhood fascination with the biology on his own doorstep. This fascination took him around the world and led to an understanding of life that has shaped the modern world. It is Darwin's spirit of exploration and investigation that we aim to celebrate with support from the Wellcome Trust and our partners the Horniman Museum and the Grant Museum of Zoology, in the hope that we may inspire the same spirit in the wider public.

Overall Winner Tree Frog, Simon Roberts- pictured

Junior Young Person Winner The Survival of the Fittest, Takeo Broadhurst

Junior Young Person Commended Through The Rhino, Amber Haslam; Bee meets his maker, Tim Protheroe

Young Person Winner Amazon Frog, Alastair Macfarlane

Young Person Commended Urban Mother, Katya Schouvaloff; Beauty FromThe Beast (Southern Hawker,Aeshna Cyanea), Sam Baylis

Student Winner Embrace, Magdalena Nieduzak

Student Commended A Different Nature #7, Judith Lyons; Eat And Be Eaten, Bastiaan Brak

Adult Winner Crocodile Fish, Richard Hutchinson

Adult Commended Deadly Love, Michael Hin; Orang-utan Contemplating Invertebrate Life, Dr Susan M Cheyne

All the winners were invited to attend the Award ceremony hosted by the Horniman Museum on Friday 20th November, where each category winner received a cash prize from the Society of Biology, presented by Dr Mark Downs.

Members of the public can visit the Competition Winners Exhibition for FREE at the Horniman Museum, Gallery Square from Friday 20 November 2009 – Sunday 11 April 2010

Biology Challenge

Building on the success of BBO, this competition is designed to enable pupils from all types of schools to enjoy taking part and for as many as possible to be rewarded for their participation. For more information click here.

In order to register for the 2010 competition please complete an entry form from the website and email it to [email-masked] before January 15th 2010.

Animals in Research Competition

The Physiological Society is hosting a competition for students to win a £50 Amazon Gift Voucher and £100 for their school. It is open to Key Stage 4 students, who must answer the following question in no more than 200 words: Why do we use animals in research? Entries must include the student’s name and age, the teacher’s name, school and email address.

Please send your entries to [email-masked] by 31 March 2010.

Further details can be found at http://dmtrk.co.uk/t/I1-2PIE-1C81VM-1IPDM-1/c.aspx.

4) Association of Science Education Annual Conference January 2010

Effective Practical Science Seminar

Wednesday 6th January 2010 2pm – 4:30pm

Getting Practical and SCORE along with the International Committee at the ASE are hosting a seminar on ‘Effective Practical Science’ with an international flavour. We invite you to share your interest and enthusiasm for practical science in education during an interesting and informative afternoon of discussion as part of the ASE Annual Conference.

The seminar will host guest speakers from Europe with a variety of experiences of practical science in education offering perspectives from the UK, around Europe and working in the Far East. Their talks will form the basis of further ‘round table’ discussions focusing on topics such as student attitudes to science across the world, handling assessment of practical work in schools and the contribution of practical science to developing ‘global citizens’ and scientists of the future. This is an excellent opportunity for science educators from all over the world to get together and discuss key practical science issues. Further information can be found on the Getting Practical website .

Please see the conference pages of the ASE website, http://dmtrk.co.uk/t/I1-2PIE-1C81VM-1IPDL-1/c.aspx for further information about registration, accommodation and the social programme.

“Inspirational Science, The best in science teaching and learning”

The conference incorporates the largest science exhibition in Europe. There are multicultural and international events throughout, but Wednesday is also International Day “Science without Frontiers”. The ASE is a member partner of several international and Europe-wide science education projects including Science Across the World (SAW), the Cultural Understanding through Science Project (CUSP) and the CoReflect Project which brings together eight diverse and multi-disciplinary teams from seven European states to develop web-based activities for school children aged 10-11 and 15-17.

Come along to a CoReflect workshop on Wednesday 6th January, or join them for a workshop and reception on Thursday 7th January 2010, try the resources and meet some of the project members.

More information about the ASE Conference
Contact: [email-masked] for information about the CoReflect Project

BIOLOGY IN THE REAL WORLD

The Biology in the Real World talks aim to help teachers bring science to life by providing examples of current contemporary research linked to topics within GSCE Science and Post 16 biology courses. High profile biologists highlight their research in relation to the curriculum and explore how their specialist area of biology can affect our everyday lives.

This one day lecture programme on Fridaythe 8th January is organised by NUCLEUS (a group of learned societies and other not for profit organisations, including the Society of Biology) who work together to provide free curriculum enrichment and career advice on different areas of biology. The talks provide an insight into ongoing research in the areas covered, hence providing excellent subject specific, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers of biology in schools and colleges.

For more information on the talks contact the education department  or for information regarding attending the ASE conference click here .

Join us for a sparkling reception on the Society of Biology's stand at this year's ASE Conference on Thursday 7th January (4pm until 5pm) on stand BS5 and meet our new CEO Dr Mark Downs, PhD FSB and speak to the Head of Education, Ms Rachel Forsyth, MSc MSB about our work on education policy!

We would like to thank SCORE (Science Community Representing Education) for kindly sponsoring refreshments.

Keep us up-to-date!

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© 2009 Society of Biology
9 Red Lion Court, London, EC4A 3EF
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