Primary workshops

In this workshop students discover what colours really are, understand how objects become coloured, and how chemists can use dyes and pigments in industry. Students get the chance to investigate uses of colour, looking at what white light is made of, how light behaves and how our eyes work in order for us to see colour/objects.

They will take part in a wide variety of practical based activities; from learning about the history of dyes and how they were made, to creating their own paints and natural dyes as well as getting hands on with 3D eye models to help them gain a deeper understanding of colour in the real world.

A bee quiz provides a fun-filled introduction to the topic. Pupils take on the role of a “bee” and study their jobs and themselves using microscope slides and a model bee to decide how bees pollinate flowers, collect nectar and use it to maintain their lifecycle and ours. They use real flowers, magnifying glasses and see-like-a-bee goggles to help them on their journey. All of this takes place before they get hands on with science equipment in the Baylab to discover more about honey; they will detect different types of sugar, confirm antibacterial properties and the mineral content of honey. As they buzz their way through this workshop, students will improve their laboratory skills as they record, evaluate and discuss their results.

From “chew to poo”, this workshop focuses on our digestive system and the different food groups. Students will investigate how to fully digest a banana sandwich, following its passage through the mouth, oesophagus, stomach and intestines. Students will then conduct chemical tests on different food groups, and learn what a healthy, balanced diet looks like.

Baylab has developed a new and exciting workshop focused on the cardiovascular system. The workshop will look at the composition of blood, the circulatory system, structure and function of the heart as well as looking at heart disease, heart health and lifestyle.

The students will have a go at making their own fake blood, using microscopes to look at blood smears, modelling the circulatory system as well as getting hands on with anatomy models, blood vessels and much more.

By the end of the workshop, students will have a good understanding of the core structures and function of the heart and cardiovascular system, heart diseases and their impact, and ways to look after their own hearts though healthier lifestyle choices.

This workshop gives students the chance to think about what makes human beings unique. They learn more about DNA, what it is and where it is found, and how the structure makes each person different, exploring mutations and their effects on displayed characteristics.  It links to the real world in many ways, such as studying the genetic causes of disease, development of diagnostics and drugs, and also in forensic science and sequencing genomes.

Here, students will extract their own DNA from their cheek cells and walk away with a small piece of in a necklace or keychain.