SSERC Bulletin 272 Complete

Tracker revisited

The free, open-source Tracker software package, written by Doug Brown of Cabrillo College, has been a favourite of ours at SSERC for over a decade. Tracker is many-faceted, but at its core is the ability to analyse video and still images. Students working at home could perform meaningful practical work using the application.

Studying animal cells at BGE using liver cells

In this time of COVID-19, SSERC has received several enquiries from teachers and school technicians about the safety and desirability of carrying out cheek cell sampling for microscope work. While this is a safe activity,, it does require that learners to adhere strictly to the guidance.  As an alternative, here we set out a protocol using fresh liver as a readily available and cheap source of animal cells suitable for microscopic examination by learners.

Determining the iodine value without Wijs

For some years now there has been an activity on the SSERC website about the synthesis and testing of biodiesel. The test for unsaturation traditionally uses Wijs solution (alkaline iodine monochloride). This is expensive to buy and hazardous to make: here we offer a simple, quicker, safer method.

SSERC professional learning courses

Ann update on our professional learning operations.  Face-to-face courses will take place with appropriate COVID processes and procedures in place,
including social distancing. (The programme is, of course, subject to change, depending on the situation with the pandemic).

The STEM Ambassador Programme in Scotland 

STEM Ambassadors are volunteers from a wide range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related jobs and disciplines across the UK. They offer their time and enthusiasm to help bring STEM subjects to life and demonstrate the value of them in life and careers. SSERC manages the STEM
Ambassador Programme in Scotland on behalf of STEM Learning.

IOP Teacher Award 2020 – Dr Catherine Dunn

All at SSERC are delighted to learn that our colleague Catherine is a winner of the Institute of Physics Teacher of Physics Award 2020.

Treehouse 

Treehouse is an online education platform full of interactive, inspirational and confidence boosting modules to support schools, their teachers, and pupils to be the best version of themselves.

Jayne Hamilton

Jayne’s experience as winner of ENTHUSE Award, Excellence in STEM Teaching (Secondary)

A Young STEM Leader case study

A case study of Turnbull High School in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire which has been delivering the Young STEM Leader Programme (YSLP) for the last two years.

Health and Safety

Coronavirus and the cleaning of equipment

An update on needs and methods for the cleaning of laboratory equipment during the pandemic.

Update of chemistry risk assessments

All the chemistry risk-assessments have recently been updated.

Sealed radioactive source disposal

With many councils adopting a ‘zero waste to landfill policy’, what should a school do if it wishes to dispose of a source?

All H&S content