We’re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo…

(Well, we’ve actually already been to the zoo, but I wanted a catchy title for this post! )

Last week, I accompanied Year 6 from the primary school I did my PSE at to London Zoo.  By the time we left school, got everyone to the local tube station and walked from Camden Town station to the zoo (and did the whole thing for the return journey, of course), we only had about three hours at the zoo. And we had to stop for lunch in that time as well. Plus an hour was spent in the shop as it seemed every school in London visited the zoo that day.

I’m not sure what the point in going to the zoo was, other than to go “Oh wow!” at the animals. From my point of view, the group I was with did not achieve any educational objectives. (I think officially they were meant to be observing how animals adapt to their habitats.) But I suppose what with it being the last week of term, they wouldn’t have learned much at school anyway. At least this way they got a fun day out for free. (Transport for London waives travel costs for schools in London and the zoo has free school entry.)

And I didn’t get to see the penguins!!! Well, not much

Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition

Yesterday evening, I went to the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition. I looked on the website at what would be there and it looked pretty interesting, so I invited a few friends from my undergrad days along. And it was so much better than we thought it would be! The exhibitors were the leading people in their fields and could converse just as easily with primary school children as they could with us and our physical science degrees.

I’m going to surprise you now and say that my favourite stand was not the “Spot the Penguin?” stand about how software has been developed to identify the spots on African black-footed penguins, which are unique to each penguin. I really enjoyed the nanotechnology displays, which surprised me more than anyone!

The exhibition was amazing and incredibly well planned and thought out. It’s on until Thursday, so pop along if you can.