BP launches new school challenge to celebrate light

The BP Educational Service (BPES) provides inspiring and engaging resources to support the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. The group brings to life the topics that young people learn in the classroom by providing real-world examples, challenges and information using videos, interactive activities, worksheets and much more. These resources are developed with the help of teachers and educational specialists, and are free for teachers and parents of 4-19 year olds. They are curriculum linked and reflect our focus on energy, environment, leadership and business skills within key curriculum areas.

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The BP Educational Service has launched a new Light and Pinhole Cameras resource and a Pinhole Photography Competition to help young people aged 11 to 14 explore and celebrate the science of light. The new video-led resources provides schools with the opportunity to celebrate the International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies 2015, and pupils are also encouraged to build cameras and send in best pinhole photos as part of a competition.

The International Year of Light is a global initiative adopted by the United Nations to raise awareness of how optical technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to worldwide challenge in areas such as energy, education and sustainability. Teachers can use this flexible curriculum-linked resource to help students explore the science behind photography, including light rays, lenses and photosensitive material.

The resource comes complete with a pinhole camera practical, which can be used in a Science lesson, as a D&T project or a STEM Club activity. Step-by-step instructions are available to guide students through the process of making their own cameras. The Light and Pinhole Cameras resource is part of a new collection of resources called ‘Where’s the Science in that?’, which aims to make science relevant for young people aged 7 to 14, and encourages them to see themselves as scientists of the future.

So far, students can explore the real-life science in The Park, The Beach, at The Airport and in Photography. Each video is built around the curriculum, and features young presenters asking a question sparked by the world around them, finding the answer themselves through undertaking research or practical experiments, and challenging students to find out more.

The content development for ‘Where’s the Science in that?’ has been informed by the Enterprising Science research partnership of BP, the Science Museum Group and King’s College London. The resources are written and tested with teachers at every stage of their development.

In addition to this, to celebrate the International Year of Light, the BP Educational Service is running a Pinhole Photography Competition. All pupils and schools need to do is send their best pinhole pictures to [email protected]. The photos will be displayed in an online gallery, and each month there will be a £25 Amazon voucher for the best one. Entrants need to include their school name, pinhole camera photos and a caption, student name and age for each photo.

Visit www.bp.com/bpes or contact [email protected] for more information.