Bringing science to life in schools

Science is being brought to life for children during the Zoolab Tour, which is visiting schools involved in Teesside University’s Meteor scheme.

Habitats are the theme of a Zoolab session involving children from Sacred Heart RC Primary School in Middlesbrough. During the session the Year Six children (aged 10 and 11) look at how creatures adapt to different habitats in the wild – and come face to face with a few animals too.

Zoolab sessions in the past have involved children meeting a variety of creatures including a cockroach, frog, snake, tarantula, rat and giant snail.

Joe Bulmer, Teesside University’s Schools & Colleges Partnerships Assistant (Pre-16), said: 'The Zoolab tours engage with approximately 500 children through the University’s Meteor Programme. The workshops are very hands-on and are fascinating, entertaining and fun, adding another dimension to learning.'

Zoolab run a range of curriculum-based workshops for children through workshops which complement the National Curriculum. Other Zoolab tour topics will include the The Food Web, which looks at the vital role sunlight plays in our lives and Rainforest Roadshow, which introduces children to some of the animals which live there.

The Zoolab tour runs from February 22 to March 3. It visits around 500 children at schools from the University’s Meteor programme, which aims to inspire primary and secondary school children to think about higher education.

The tour has been organised as part of the Meteor Programme STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Integrated Education Strategy. This is funded by One North East, aimed at helping promote awareness of science, technology, engineering and mathematics with young people in the local area.

Teesside University first launched Meteor in 1999 as an initiative to inspire primary children from six Middlesbrough schools to think about the benefits of further and higher education. Since then Meteor has expanded massively and now includes young people in secondary schools throughout the Tees Valley.

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