School science teachers are being urged not to fear breaking health and safety rules and reintroduce exciting and engaging practical demonstrations to the classroom.
Judith Hackitt CBE, chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), was at Bacon's College, London, alongside Dr David Brown, chief executive of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), to encourage more hands-on science demonstrations in schools.
Hackitt and Brown performed The Flaming Hands, one of the safe, risk-assessed science demonstrations included in IChemE's "Top 10 Flash Bang Demos". By releasing methane into a bubble mix solution of soap solution, glycerol and distilled water, Hackitt and Brown were able to set alight the bubbles on their hands, safely displaying the scientific principles of combustion.
Hackitt said: "I fully support IChemE's and the Government's initiatives to bring science to life by integrating these sort of classroom demonstrations that make children excited about science - "flash-bang" makes it enjoyable and memorable. Classroom demos can be spectacular and safe, and here are 10 of them that can be easily downloaded and put into lessons."
Brown said better science lessons mean better student uptake in further education. "The best way to learn science is to do science," he said. "Practical demonstrations are far more appealing and likely to stick in the mind than learning it from a textbook."
