Building Bridges: Materials in Our World
The visit to Oxford by Year 7 students is designed to draw together learning from the Materials in Our World enrichment theme.
Students and their teachers will 'Meet the Materials in Our World Researchers' from the Inorganic Materials for Advanced Manufacturing Centre for Doctoral Training in a series of interactive workshops at Wadham College.
Canny Catalysts: In this session, students will discover the importance of catalysts, how they work in the human body and how they can reduce the amount of energy needed in chemical manufacturing.
Incredible Crystals: Handling and looking at a range of different crystals, students will explore how the arrangement of atoms influences crystal structure, and how crystallography can be used to investigate the shape of molecules.
Promising Polymers: What is a polymer? In this session, students will discover a range of natural and human-made polymers and their useful properties for more sustainable materials now and in the future.
Phenomenal Photo-switches: This session explores the ways in which we can use light and fluorescence to processes and send signals, exploring both visible and non-visible types of light.
Sensational Sensors: Which things can and can’t humans sense? Starting with the familiar human senses, students then explore how scientists can use chemical sensors to go beyond these to investigate phenomena like pH.
In 'The Treasure Trove', students and teachers will start with an interactive talk on the diversity of forms and function found in the natural world. They will then follow a Treasure Trove Trail to explore the fascinating and unique collections of Oxford University Museum of Natural History, including the 34 Critical Raw Materials exhibition.
Our visiting students and teachers will also enjoy lunch in either Keble College or Wadham College.
Find out more about the aims of our Building Bridges Partnership Project.
