Friday 8 February 2013 Year 9 pupils from four Leeds schools have learned a new recipe that’s out of this world – the ingredients for a comet (cooking temperature minus 78 degrees Celsius). ‘Head chef’ was Conor Davies, a lead space educator with the National Space Academy, the educational arm of the Leicester-based National Space Centre. Using a physics lab at the Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) as his ‘kitchen’, he mixed water, sand, carbon, red wine and Worcester sauce together with lashings of dry ice to cook it at the right temperature. The comet recipe was the culmination of a space masterclass at GSAL, delivered by Conor to pupils from David Young Community Academy (DYCA), Roundhay and Lawnswood Schools, plus GSAL’s own students. As well as seeing a comet take shape before their eyes, the students considered the contributions of space technology to modern life, from nappies to fake snow, and created a scale model of the solar system – if the sun is a football, the earth is a peppercorn 25 metres away. They calculated the area of solar panels needed to power the Hubble telescope and learned about the search for life on other planets. Following a successful pilot last year in Leicester, the National Space Academy is rolling out the masterclass programme across the UK, run by lead educators based in the various regions. Conor Davies said: “By bringing space science into the classroom we encourage students to consider the implications of space technology on our lives and inspire them to pursue STEM subjects further.” GSAL head of physics, Tom Rogerson, said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to see the relevance of space science in everyday life, and to develop a sense of awe and wonder at the universe.” Dr John Hern, teacher of science at DYCA, said: “It’s been an absorbing and engaging hands on exploration of the solar system and what space technology has given us. It has provided valuable revision and curriculum extension for Year 9 who have already studied some aspects of the subject.” Pupil opinion was divided as to the day’s best bits. The DYCA students said: “Watching the meteorite was very exciting”, “I liked the snow” and “The scale of the solar system is amazing”! General Senior School News
