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CORNWALL COLLEGE
Volume 2, Part 1
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
Cornwall’s Biggest Visitors
Bloodhound Supersonic Car
Engineering and
Technology Afloat
Cornwall college stem science, technology, engineering & maths
Bird Flight Formation
If you’re lucky you will have seen it in the wild and
if not you’ve probably seen it on television and you
may be about to see it at an airport near you. V
formation bird flight isn’t a show for onlookers but an
energy saving strategy that large birds have employed
for thousands of years. Scientists have been able to
prove this by monitoring the heart rate of great white
pelicans flying solo and in group formation. When
in formation the heart rate of the pelicans reduced
significantly, this saves energy and aids them on long
migratory flights. It’s believed that the aerodynamics
of this formation reduces drag on the following
birds and saves energy. The birds take turns leading
the flock to share the load. Engineers at Airbus are
now investigating the possibility of commercial
planes flying in formation to reduce fuel costs and
environmental impact. Let’s hear it for the birds!
2
Volume 2, Part 1
features
Richard Noble
Guest Lecture
introduction
Welcome to the third edition of STEM.
An edition full of firsts!
This has been an exciting time at
Cornwall College, with an overwhelming
interest in STEM activities over the last
months.
We saw more visitors than ever before
at the STEM week events at Camborne
in March and have been working with
an increasing number of schools with
their STEM clubs and other STEM careers
activity.
It was the first visit for the Bloodhound
supersonic show car to Cornwall, and we
will be working with them more closely
when the new Bloodhound education
officer joins us in the new education
centre in the summer.
Our links with the STEM community are
growing stronger; with the first meeting
of the Science Alliance at taking place
in Newquay earlier this year. We have
also seen the first of our new series of
activities with the Institute of Physics
and our first lecture series with the Royal
Society of Chemistry is planned for this
year.
Another first for Cornwall College is a
project to monitor the invasive New
Zealand flatworm in Cornwall and on
a lighter note, the first time a year 10
work experience pupil has submitted
our the science facts snippets you’ll see
throughout this edition – our thanks to
Polly Miller from Fowey School.
Bloodhound SSC project director
and former land speed record
holder Richard Noble delivered a
fascinating lecture to an enthralled
audience of 400.
You can stay up to date with STEM
activity at Cornwall College and find out
how you can be involved by visiting our
website at: www.cornwall.ac.uk/stem or
follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.
com/cornwallcollegestem
Cornwall College is dedicated to
supporting the environment and is a
member of the Carbon Trust’s HE Carbon
Management Programme.
STOP PRESS...
Cornwall College is now STEM Assured.
The advisors and the validation panel
commended the College’s forward
thinking approach to STEM and its
culture of innovation. More details in
the next issue.
Engineering and
Technology Afloat
Falmouth
Marine
School
engineering students work with
local businesses to design and build
a boat to showcase composites to
potential buyers.
inside
06.
Bloodhound SSC and National Science and Engineering Week
09.Make Your Own Fire Extinguisher
10.Engineering and Technology Afloat
17.
STEMNET Ambassador Scheme
18.
Students’ Invasive Non-native Group
22.
Science of Sandcastles
STEMNET Ambassador
Scheme
Become a science, technology,
engineering and maths (STEM)
ambassador and help to inspire
young people.
contacts
For more information about STEM contact Luke Graham at [email protected]
For course information please contact Course Enquiries on 0845 22 32 567
www.cornwall.ac.uk
Cover: Basking Shark - courtesy of Simon Burt Photography
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4
FIBONACCI SEQUENCE
Fibonacci Sequence
This sequence is named after the Italian mathematician
who lived during the 12th century. Often called nature’s
numbering system they occur throughout the natural
world: from leaf arrangements on plants to the scales on
a pineapple they express the population growth in rabbits
and even the development of the spiral in a snail’s shell.
The terms in the sequence are made by adding the
previous two terms, for example:
0 + 0 = 0, 0 + 1 = 1, 1 + 1 = 2, 1 + 2 = 3, 2 + 3 = 5, 3 + 5 = 8,
so the sequence is 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21…
5
Bloodhound SSC and National
Science and Engineering Week
During this year’s British Science Association National Science
and Engineering Week, schools, colleges and universities
followed the theme of Our World in Motion. The theme
gave the potential to explore all sorts of aspects within STEM
subjects but at Cornwall College we opted for speed, and not
just any old speed, but supersonic speed!
For three days Cornwall College Camborne played host to a
team of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians
who are attempting to build a car capable of travelling at over
1,000 mph!
The numbers involved in this project are simply staggering.
The car is 13 meters long and during the run will burn one
6
tonne of fuel in 21 seconds. The fuel will be pumped into a
hybrid rocket by a 750bhp Cosworth engine from a Formula 1
racing car which will send the whole thing down the Hakskeen
Pan in South Africa and along the measured middle mile in
3.5 seconds. Blink and the car will have travelled 70 meters,
count a single second and the car will have travelled the length
of four and half football pitches. And that’s just the headline
figures!
During the three days the team was at Cornwall College they
entertained hundreds of members of the general public, gave
lectures to 14 partner secondary schools and more than 200
Cornwall College students.
BLOODHOUND SSC
Richard Noble
Guest Lecture
Schools Challenge
The schools challenge began four weeks before the
big day as teams of 12 began work on creating a
rocket car of their own. Using a blank of high density
modelling foam provided by Cornwall College, the
teams designed, carved, fine-tuned and painted their
models. With their designs finished the model cars
were brought to the event where they would race in
the Rocket Car Challenge propelled by miniature, but
still very powerful, estes motors.
On the big day students were involved in a number
of STEM related activities run by college staff and
students and the Bloodhound team. Each activity saw
the team earn points which counted towards the end
of day prizes. Surprise challenge on the day was the
pasta tower. This activity required students to build
a tower made of spaghetti and marshmallows that
would support a small chocolate egg. The tallest tower
wins, easy! But it wasn’t. The activity helped students
realise just how hard it’s been to build a lightweight
supersonic car which is strong enough to withstand
the forces it will encounter and keep driver Andy
Green safe . It’s a great one to try at home, check out
page 13 for more details.
Science facts
Each school also took a turn in the Bloodhound SSC
Driving Experience, a test of nerve and skill in the
Bloodhound simulator. They also were treated to a
guest lecture with the Bloodhound SSC team who
baffled and inspired them with the amazing skills
needed to build a car that will travel at over 1,000 mph.
With the 13 meter
Bloodhound SSC
and two tonnes of
EJ200 Jet Engine
as a backdrop,
project director
and former land
speed record
holder Richard
Noble delivered a fascinating lecture to
an enthralled audience of 400. It was a
fascinating hour which first looked back
at the land speed record attempts both
successful and failed right up to 1997
when Thrust SSC piloted by RAF Wing
Commander Andy Green broke the
sound barrier and set a record of 763
mph. The lecture then focused on the
current project and challenges facing
the Bloodhound SSC team. Regular
gasps from the audience punctuated
the presentation as incredible statistics
were revealed. The one that helped
many to contextualise the scale of the
car was this; the fuel pump for the
hybrid rocket which will propel the car
from 500 mph to over 1,000 mph as
actually a Cosworth CA 2010 Formula 1
motor, weighing 95kgs and producing
around 800bhp. When sitting in a
Formula 1 car, that engine is capable
of speeds over well over 200 mph but
in Bloodhound SSC it’s just the fuel
pump. The pump will push one tonne
of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene
through the rocket in just 21 seconds.
It’s an expensive fuel bill but at top
speed the car will cover one mile in 3.5
seconds!
It was a brilliant evening which left
members of the audience of all ages
inspired by the project and no doubt
determined to follow its progress over
the next few years. You too can follow
the project at www.bloodhoundssc.com
Storms in space
Solar activity (sun spots) can cause unusual weather
patterns here on Earth. These solar storms happen on the
surface of the sun and the solar winds make the northern
lights visible. The northern lights (aurora borealis) were
seen as far south as North Yorkshire in January
of this year!
7
Staff Profile
Ed Hornagold – Deputy Head of Engineering & Automotive
at Cornwall College Camborne
STEM - What does your job involve?
EH - I manage the day-today running
of the department, making sure that the
courses we offer provide our learners
with a high quality experience, celebrated
through vocational and academic
achievement, personal development
and employability. It takes a lot of hard
work by the team but it’s worth it, we
have great success rates and we’re in in
the top 10% of colleges nationally which
is brilliant for our learners. We’re also
one of the largest and best providers of
apprenticeships in the South West; with
over 1,700 apprentices. In automotive
and engineering alone we have 263. As if
that wasn’t enough we also run full-time
course in engineering and automotive
from Level 1 through to foundation
degrees.
STEM - What did you study at school,
college, university to get you here?
EH - I did the usual GCSEs at school but
wanted to do something different so I
went to college and to study surveying
but my real passion was sailing and
when I was offered a job with a local
sailmaker traveling around the country
racing at events. I left the sailmakers and
opened a windsurfing shop and school
which was great fun for a few years but
I realised I didn’t want to still be doing
that in 10 years. I went back to college,
got four A-levels then went to Plymouth
University where the surfing is great - I’ve
always believed that you need to enjoy
yourself while working or studying! I got
my degree, was top of my year and won
an award from the IMechE which I was
really pleased with and made my parents
proud. It got me a job with British Gas
on their fast track graduate programme
which was a real whirlwind of technical,
marketing and management training – I
have a lot to thank them for!
8
STEM - You must have been involved
in some exciting projects, what’s been
the most memorable?
STEM - Which historical engineer
would you like to have dinner with
and why?
EH - I have worked on some amazing
projects but probably the most
memorable was with British Gas in a
chalk quarry – we had two 300mm
diameter pipes at medium pressure
feeding a burner. Imagine a Bunsen
burner, when you get the mixture right
you get the hot blue cone at the base
– our blue cone was horizontal, eight
metres long and four metres in diameter.
Basically, the supply was 20,000 times
bigger than your supply at home.
Imagine firing that up for the first time!
EH - There have been so many great
engineers but if I had to choose one it
would have to be Isambard Kingdom
Brunel. He turned his hand to so many
things, he just got on with it and made
things happen - a very driven man inspirational!
STEM - What careers can students
expect to enter with a qualification in
engineering and technology?
EH - The list is huge most people think
engineering is just cutting up metal or
working on cars but it’s so much more.
Everything man-made is engineered and
manufactured. So while there are many
different sectors within engineering
people tend to be on the design side
or the production side – there are of
course those who work both aspects!
The Government has recognised that
to get the economy building again we
need to design and manufacture, it’s
estimated that we need 31,100 new
graduate engineers every year for the
next five years to meet industry demand
in 2017. In the UK there are over 800,000
engineering businesses employing six
million people and currently just 12,000
engineering students graduate annually.
It isn’t just graduates that are needed but
people who have the skills to make the
myriad of items that are manufactured in
the UK.
STEM - Where in the world would
you like to travel and what would you
study there?
EH – I’d love to go to China. I can’t get my
head around how big it is! I remember
doing a bit of research during One World
Week about eight years ago when we
were looking at interesting statistics and
the population of China was over 50%
bigger than the EU and USA put together!
While there I would love to learn more
about their culture and try to learn the
language – so I might be gone some time.
STEM - What exciting developments
can we expect to see coming from
engineering at Cornwall College in the
near future?
EH - It is an exciting time at the moment
as there is a big Government push on
apprenticeships so there should be
more engineering apprenticeships next
year. There are many new technologies,
for example additive manufacturing
and rapid prototyping. These new
technologies will change how designers
work. Basically you can design something
and then use a 3D printer to produce a
prototype, with additive manufacturing
you can design something that you
cannot make in the usual way so it is built
up in layers and a very complex shape
can be produced. The environmental
industry is producing some exciting new
technologies that will have a big impact
on how we produce energy in the coming
years. So much to look forward to!
8
8
Home Experiment
Note – this experiment requires
a naked flame and should be
supervised by an adult.
MAKE YOUR OWN
Fire extinguisher
This is a great way to share a little chemistry with your
friends in the comfort of your own home. For fire to burn
it requires three crucial things, fuel, heat and oxygen. If
you remove any of these a fire simply can’t burn. In this
experiment you’re going to remove one of the three in a
cool way that will impress your friends both young and old.
You will need
A candle
A lighter
Sodium bicarbonate (Bicarbonate of soda from the kitchen
cupboard)
Vinegar (which is an acid)
A jug or glass
Method
Step 1 - Light the candle with the lighter.
Step 2 - Pour some of the bicarbonate soda into your jug or
glass (to add a little mystery you can conceal the label from
your audience so they don’t know what it is).
Step 3 - Now pour some vinegar (again you can conceal
what it is) onto the bicarbonate of soda so it starts fizzing (or
effervescing to use the correct scientific term). Bicarbonate
of soda reacts with acid which in this case is the vinegar.
Step 4 - Leave for a few seconds then start tilting the jug
or glass toward the candle. You should only need to tilt
it gently and not so much that any liquid comes out. The
flame should quickly extinguish.
How does it do that?
The bicarbonate of soda and the vinegar (acid) react to
produce carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is denser (heavier)
than air so sits in the bottom of the glass. When you tilt the
glass you’re actually pouring the heavy carbon dioxide onto
the flame. Carbon dioxide doesn’t support combustion
(burning) so when this dense gas smoothers the flames the
essential oxygen is eliminated and as we said earlier, by
removing either the fuel, the heat or the oxygen it is possible
to extinguish a flame.
9
Falmouth Marine School - Composites
Engineering and Technology Afloat
Engineering students from
Falmouth Marine School, Jack
Cunningham, James McKiernan
and Jamie Young are working
with local businesses to design
and build a three metre boat
that will be used by Composite
Integration in Saltash as a
showpiece for its customers.
They told STEM how they did it.
“The brief for the project was
to design and produce a three
metre dinghy using a Resin
Transfer
Moulding
(RTM)
process. The mould and model
will then be used by Composite
Integration for demonstration
and training purposes to
communicate the use of RTM
to their customers.
“We decided to take part in
this project because it was live
and gave us a chance to work
closely with industry. The real
world aspect of the project, in
as much as there was an actual
customer, piled on the pressure
from the beginning. Once we
had finished the sometimes
frustrating design process, we
decided on the all-important
boat name (the J3), had the
panels and stations cut, and the
build could begin in earnest.
Due to some issues with
warping MDF, the build got off
to a stumbling, yet promising
start, aligning the frames and
then using CAM cut 4mm
plywood to give the shape of
the hull. This was followed by
slowly building up the hull
shape using a combination
of body filler and resin. At
this point spirits were high as
we were ahead of schedule
and everything seemed to
be moving much faster than
anticipated.
“Then came the faring and
sanding, slowly removing the
small high and low spots to
make sure that all the sides
were flat and smooth. This
10
painstaking process covered
everything in a fine layer of
orange dust but was surprisingly
rewarding. The next stage for us
was to coat the boat in a softer
primer; fare and smooth it once
more, before producing the
first moulding.
“Once this first mould is
produced, production can
begin on the final boat, which,
thanks to the RTM technology,
should be a clean and rapid
process in comparison to
traditional
methods.
This
project has been an incredible
learning
experience
for
everyone, giving us the chance
to use new technology and
follow the project from the
drawing board to a final
product.”
The project has certainly
been a great success, lecturer
Alex Whatley said: “ Using
this innovative process will
ensure cleaner, safer working
conditions, and also guarantees
every boat is built to exact
specifications
every
time
with less waste and reduced
emissions.
This project is
the perfect way to introduce
students to the process in
a commercial setting and
prepare them for employment
in the industry.”
Alex isn’t the only one happy
with the result, Stephen
Leonard-Williams,
Director
of Composite Integration
commented:
“It’s been a
pleasure working with the
students, they have shown
professionalism throughout.
We are a commercial company
and therefore not always able
to show potential customers
the projects that we work on.
This will provide a great tool
in demonstrating RTM and
will be used by our trainers as
a teaching aid when delivering
our training courses.”
industry profile
Industry Profile
Preci-Spark
Cornwall’s influence on the world
engineering has been massive. The tin
mining industry was pioneering new
technology and expertise and the impact
can be seen literally around the world.
South Africa, Australia and the Americas
all benefitted from the export of mining
expertise in pursuit of gold, diamonds
and copper and the legacy can be seen
in these locations event today in the
shape of the familiar engine houses and
even the Cornish Pasty as a popular food
in some areas many thousands of miles
from their native home.
Today to focus of industry in Cornwall
has now changed but it is still having
a major impact. Many business parks
and industrial estates around the county
house some incredible cutting edge
businesses producing goods and services
for a vast array of industries. Cornwall
College STEM visited Precis-Spark based
in Wadebridge and we were amazed at
what we found.
Science facts
STEM – Preci-Spark is tucked away on
an industrial estate in Cornwall but
does some incredible things, can you
talk us through the business please?
PS - We opened our Cornwall facility 44
years ago. Primarily involved in making
aerospace components, there was also
originally a section that made moulded
plastic components for the retail market.
The plastic side of the business was sold
about 27 years ago and we concentrated
solely on making components for the
aerospace industry. This side of the
business has grown substantially and
in recent years we have diversified into
making parts for land based gas turbines
and turbo charger nozzles for marine use.
STEM - You champion some advanced
manufacturing techniques, can you
tell us more about some of these?
PS - The most advanced manufacturing
technique that we use in the Cornwall
facility is spark erosion or electric
discharge machining (EDM). This is a
process of controlling the electrical spark
to cut very small holes, slots and profiles
in hard nimonic (special steel) stainless
steel or titanium materials where it
would be impossible to use conventional
engineering methods or practices. This
method of machining is very quick,
accurate and not too expensive. It is
a very versatile process as a variety of
electrode materials can be used.
STEM - Preci-spark is a very
forward thinking business looking
to the future, what can one of your
apprentices expect to achieve after
two years working with you?
PS - After an apprentice has been with
the company for two years they would
have achieved NVQ Level 2 in general
engineering (first year). This would give
them a broad based knowledge of all
the basic engineering skills required to
work in a factory environment. The first
year is college based, working in their
skills centre. The second year they would
be expected to attend college one day a
week and spend four days at work and
would be working towards NVQ Level 3.
At college they would have completed
the first year of a BTEC National Diploma.
STEM - Why are science, technology,
engineering and maths skills so
important to your business?
PS – They are very important to any
engineer. Without these it would
be impossible to pursue a career in
engineering because an engineer has
to calculate accurately, read technical
drawings and reports and act upon
them, understand and use computer
aided programs. To complete a craft
apprenticeship we would expect a
student to have achieved at least C grades
in maths, English science and IT. Without
these grades a student would struggle
with the course work which involves
calculation, reading technical drawings
and writing their own reports.
STEM - What education and careers
advice would you give to our readers?
PS - My advice would be, if you want a
career in engineering, obtain the best
grades possible in maths, English science,
technology and metal work at school
(minimum grade C).
Record breaking cheats
London 2012 Olympic and the paralympic games raised concerns about
athletes using blood doping and abusing steroids to enhance their
performance. This year saw the most advanced anti-doping and testing
procedures in the history of the Olympic Games.
11
Staff Profile
Carol Knight – Curriculum Area Manager for Animal
Management and Veterinary Nursing at Duchy College
STEM - What does your job involve?
CK - I work across both Duchy College
sites, managing a team of 35 very
dedicated staff, all of whom have worked
(or are still working) in some capacity
within the animal industry. Including our
14 to 16 year old learners who are still
in school, we have 552 students taking
animal care, animal management or
veterinary nursing courses. So as you can
imagine we are kept very busy!
STEM - What did you study at
university to get you here?
CK - Zoology at the University of
Nottingham, where I gained an honours
degree before going to work as a zoo
keeper at Newquay Zoo in 1986. I was
promoted to assistant manager and
education officer and came in contact
with Duchy College when I began
teaching the husbandry of exotic animals
to their Level 2 students who came to the
zoo one day a week. In 1994 I took the
leap into further education and joined
Duchy College as a course manager.
Quite a change but very rewarding! Five
years later I was head of department
and now I’m responsible for animal
management and veterinary studies at
both Duchy College campuses.
STEM - As an expert in the
management of exotic species you
must have been involved in some
exciting projects, what’s been the
most memorable?
CK - Spending three months in
Cameroon, West Africa, working as a
project leader for Operation Raleigh. I
led a team into the Korup National Park,
we were looking at the distribution of
the endangered red colobus monkey
for the World Wildlife Fund, I also spent
three weeks in Mauritius, learning about
the work of the Mauritian Wildlife
Foundation which, through the work of
Professor Carl Jones, with whom I was
lucky enough to spend some time, has
managed to bring the Mauritius kestrel
12
and the pink pigeon back from the brink
of extinction.
flora and fauna, that’s what makes it so
interesting to me.
STEM - What careers can students
expect to enter with a qualification in
Animal Management?
CK - Everything from working as an
animal care assistant in an animal rescue
centre, to working in the veterinary
industry. You could work in the fields
of pet nutrition and behaviour, the pet
retail industry or for a kennel or cattery,
zoo or wildlife park. Our Level 3 animal
management courses are equivalent to
three A- levels, offer a strong science
element and highly beneficial hands-on
practical experience plus they focus on
employability skills and progression to
university.
STEM – We understand there are
some exciting developments at Duchy
College Rosewarne, can you give us an
insight?
CK - Straight after Christmas we had the
fantastic news that we had the go-ahead
to develop a brand new £1.7million
Animal Management Centre on campus.
It will have spacious, modern classrooms
for theory lessons, specialist areas to
house exotic species and small mammals
plus a dog grooming salon. The idea is to
develop high quality facilities to replicate
what students will find when they go to
work within the animal industry, giving
them the opportunity to experience the
very best example of excellence in animal
welfare.
STEM - Which historical biologist
would you like to have dinner with
and why?
CK - Although he described himself
more as a naturalist, zoo keeper,
conservationist and author, Gerald
Durrell would be top of the list. I’ve read
every one of his books avidly! I’d choose
him because of his dedication to wildlife
conservation and because of the zoo
connection. He did so much work to
save endangered species and promote
wildlife education worldwide. His maxim
‘learn from what we have achieved, but
above all learn from our mistakes’ really
says it all.
STEM - Where in the world would
you like to travel and what would you
study there?
CK - I have two places that I really want
to visit. The Galapagos Islands; I have a
fascination for the marine iguana and the
Galapagos giant tortoise. Much of my
teaching covers reptiles and their biology.
Also Madagascar because I spent so
much time working with black lemurs at
Newquay Zoo and they were the most
amazing creatures. Madagascar is home
to some incredibly diverse and unusual
Home Experiment
Borneo
Pasta Tower
How tall can you build a spaghetti and marshmallow tower
strong capable of holding a chocolate egg? You’ll need to
use all of your engineering skills for this one.
You will need
100 unbroken strands of dry spaghetti
35 marshmallows
A chocolate egg
Before you start, think…
What building techniques make the tower stronger?
Does the placing of the marshmallows affect the strength of
the tower?
Could you build a stronger tower with more of the same
materials? What alternative materials would be better?
Does the size of the base alter the strength of the tower?
Once you’ve built your tower, take a photo and email it to
[email protected] .
13
Institute of Physics – Staff Development
Cornwall College Camborne and St Austell
played host to the Institute of Physics (IOP)
earlier this year when they welcomed staff
from 14 schools across Cornwall and Devon
for fun evening of staff development. The
IOP’s Alison Alexander delivered a superb
workshop which saw staff from maths, science
and design technology get back behind the
desks to build air-powered dragster launchers.
The launchers look set to be great teaching
resources in all manner of STEM areas,
from engineering and structure strength
to aerodynamics, thrust and trigonometry;
giving students and staff a great interactive
experience and making experiments and
learning easy and exciting.
Mark Frost from Brannel school contacted the
STEM office following the event. He said: “We
really enjoyed it and will be organising an inter
tutor drag off. I expect rockets will also make
an appearance in some shape or form. So
much to learn without a pen - brilliant!”
The Institute of Physics will be coming to
Cornwall College again in September as part
of their Schools and Colleges lecture tour,
this time taking Physics and the games: a
winning formula as their inspiration. For more
information email [email protected].
STEM Clubs are on the up!
Several of STEM’s partner schools have introduced STEM Club’s
to their enrichment activities and they’re proving very popular
with students and staff! Penrice Community College in St Austell
launched their new after-school STEM Club with a real bang as
students built and fired air-powered rockets. Introduced during
a Year 8 assembly, the first STEM Club was attended by over 50
enthusiastic young pupils. Over the following three weeks the
teams built, fired and refined their rockets using some very
simple materials.
During the lessons the students considered aerodynamics, thrust
and trajectory to help their design fly - the furthest was over an
impressive 20 meters.
One of their pupils Henry Stittle has also scooped a STEM award
for his efforts.
If you would like to set up a STEM Club
in your school go to www.stemclubs.net.
14
schools update
Solar Car Challenges
A number of schools have taken advantage of Cornwall
College STEM’s Solar Car Challenge resource. Following
on from last year’s exciting inter-school competition,
several school teams have borrowed the track for in-house
challenges.
The challenge introduces students to a number of new skills
and a chance for them to practise existing ones. Presented
with an identical box of resources which includes solar
panels, motors and construction materials, the teams have
to assemble a car which will be judged on design and
aesthetics before racing in a drag race and going head to
head in a knock-out battle.
Every time the kit goes out it proves to be an excellent day,
with students designing some brilliant concept cars many of
which are very successful. It’s amazing to see the variety of
ideas that come from just a small box of resources; no two
teams have ever built identical cars at any of the schools.
At an event at Fowey school where the sunshine meant
students could actually run the cars in the school
playground an additional endurance category was added to
the challenge. Several cars just kept on going and would
have continued until sunset!
Jowan, from Tywardreath, said: “I really enjoyed putting the
car together; the best part was working on it, testing it out
and then going away and making improvements. Our car
started off a lot heavier but after tests we made adjustments
to take away some of the weight so it could travel faster.”
Science facts
To borrow the Solar Car Challenge track free of charge for
your school email [email protected].
The tide is high
The beaches of Cornwall have some huge tides with a rise and fall of
around seven meters. But in the Bay of Fundy on the Atlantic coast of
North America, the water rises by approximately 16 metres from the lowest point to the highest – that’s the highest tidal range in the world with
115 billion tonnes of water flowing in and out of the bay in the 12.4 hour
tidal period.
15
Student Profile
Kathy Troke-Thomas, from Surbiton, studying the
Foundation Degree in Zoological Conservation
STEM – Why did you choose to take
that course?
KT - I was pursuing a career in
conservation and finding it hard to
progress without a degree. This was a
course that combined a good level of the
practical and theory in a great location
for both terrestrial and marine wildlife.
STEM - What did you study to get into
Cornwall College?
KT - After GCSEs I completed a BTEC
National Diploma in Animal Care but
this was some time before coming to
university as from college to university
I had an eight year gap where I
travelled and worked but my previous
qualifications and relevant work got me
my place on the Foundation Degree in
Zoological Conservation.
Science facts
STEM - You’re a qualified STEM
Ambassador, can you tell us about
that please?
KT - On starting my degree I wanted to
get involved with other work that would
help build my skills and confidence. As
a student ambassador I learnt about
the STEM scheme and have since been
involved with a lot of fun and interesting
school events. Environmental science
is fascinating stuff and often gets
overlooked so I’ve had chances to go to
schools and demonstrate its importance.
Kids love being outdoors and if we can
get them outside looking at a frog or
a pond and relating that to the bigger
science picture then that’s great! The
kids enjoy it and I do to, I honestly never
thought about working with school
16
kids before but they are definitely far
more fun and give you can’t help but be
positively affected by their energy and
enthusiasm once you present science in a
new and interactive way!
STEM - The Student Invasive Nonnative Species Group (SINNG) work
you do sounds fascinating, what have
you been up to?
KT - At Newquay we have a former
student who is coordinating a project
funded by DEFRA, it’s a very worthwhile
project that aims to raise awareness of
Invasive Non-Native Species and their
impact on Britain’s native wildlife. The
Student Invasive Non-Native Group
comprises students that help with raising
awareness, visiting schools, working
with landowners, conducting research
and running biosecurity workshops
plus much more. The aim is to help
make people aware so we can reduce
the impact of these invasive non-native
species, it’s a man-made problem,
people introduced the invasive species
that are threatening the native wildlife
so it’s good that people are trying to do
something about it. I now work primarily
with the education side, liaising with
schools and our partner colleges. We’ve
been working with schools to help
educate them about this issue as control
measures can be simple and we can start
at home with how you manage your
pond. The website if you want to find out
more is www.sinng.org.uk
Shocking!
Electric eels can generate an electrical charge of up to 600 volts in
order to stun prey and keep their predators at bay. Their bodies
contain electric organs with about 6,000 specialized cells called
electrocytes that store power like tiny batteries. When threatened or
attacking prey, these cells will discharge simultaneously, emitting a
burst of at least 600 volts.
STEM - If you could have dinner with
any scientist (past or present) who
would it be and why?
KT - David Attenborough and Gerald
Durrell because they would no doubt
have the most incredible tales from their
travels and I think we owe them a lot in
bringing attention to the natural world
and the importance for its conservation!
STEM - Make a prediction - where will
you be and what will you be doing in
10 years?
KT - I hope that I’ll be working in
conservation doing something that goes
some way to repair the damage that we
human folk have caused on nature and
hopefully be working on preventing
further damage. I reckon I’ll have a dog
and a kayak by then too and beyond that
who knows!
STEMNET AMBASSADORS
STEMNET Ambassador Scheme
STEM Ambassador Scheme
Science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) ambassadors are everyday people from real working
backgrounds who volunteer their time for free to act as inspiring role models to young people.
What is a STEM Ambassador?
Ambassadors are an invaluable and free resource for teachers
and schools. They offer their time voluntarily to enthuse and
inspire students within schools about STEM subjects. They do
this through a variety of activities such as clubs, career talks,
helping with school events, lessons, competitions, and much
more.
Why be a STEM Ambassador?
• Inspire the next generation – If you currently work in a STEM
role or have a background in STEM, you are ideally placed to
help inspire the next generation in these exciting and economically important subjects
• Develop your own skills in communication
and creative thinking
• Enjoy a sense of achievement and make a difference
• Access to STEM related-events – STEMNET provides the structure, training, and access to STEM events locally and nationally
• Have fun!! Enjoy the buzz and energy from young people.
What is the time commitment?
Half-day training (induction process) then participation in one
STEM event a year to remain registered. This could be:
• an event organised by Devon EBP e.g. Big Bang SW, Nuffield Bursary, Enterprise Days
• a request from a school, a monthly list of school and college activity is circulated by email for you to ‘dip in and out of ’
• something you do independently, as long as you inform us to ensure you are covered by our insurance.
Get involved!
Think you could be a STEM
Ambassador or would like a
STEM Ambassador at your
school? Contact - Julia Newill
STEM Ambassador Co-ordinator
[email protected] or
call 01392 215501. You can also
visit the STEMNET website
www.stemnet.org.uk
Science facts
Benefits to teachers and students
STEM Ambassadors:
• are a skilled resource to support teachers in the class room
• provide extra support for extra-curriculum clubs
• can help to develop a varied teaching and learning style
• motivate, build confidence and generate enthusiasm for
STEM subjects
• expand aspirations by being role models and demonstrating the exciting and varied careers in and with STEM.
Incredible flea
Fleas can jump 130 times higher than their own height. In human
terms this is equal to a person six feet tall jumping 780 feet into the air.
When a flea jumps, the rate of acceleration is 20 times that of the
space shuttle during launch.
17
HE news
Students’ Invasive Non-native Group
SINNG is a student Local Action Group based at Cornwall College
Newquay. Launched in 2010, STEM asked the group to give us an
insight into what they do. Here’s what they said.
We are working to increase action and awareness on invasive
non-native species (INNS) and reduce the impact they have
on native wildlife. Action includes practical fieldwork, research,
public engagement and raising awareness. We are mainly student
volunteers and are involved in every aspect of the project
including:
• Attending biosecurity and identification workshops
• Clearing and monitoring work
• Designing the logo and website
• Setting up and managing social media (Facebook, Twitter).
The Non-native Species Secretariat has responsibility for helping
to coordinate the approach to invasive non-native species in
Great Britain. We are responsible to a programme board which
represents the relevant governments and agencies of England,
Scotland and Wales.
These plants and animals got to Britain under their own steam as
there was still a connection (the land bridge) attaching us to the
European mainland.
However as the ice melted so sea levels rose and the connection
was flooded. This effectively stopped any more colonisation by
species that couldn’t cross the water. All these plants and animals
– the ones that established themselves in Britain naturally - are
called native species.
Some species (like elk and lemming) died out naturally as the
climate continued to warm up other species such as wolf and
beaver were eradicated by man only relatively recently – in the
last few hundred years.
Man first arrived in Britain about 8,000 years ago and virtually
all new land animals and plants that have become established
since this date have been brought here by man. These are all
non-native species.
There are many non-native species in Great Britain, a small
proportion of which are invasive.
However, we must not think that all non-native species are bad
– indeed it is only a minority that have serious negative impacts
on our native British species, our health or our economy. These
species we call invasive non-native species.
Science facts
When the Ice Age ended over 10,000 years ago the ice that
covered most of Britain retreated northwards. Following behind
this retreating ice were waves of plants and animals that slowly
colonised Britain as conditions warmed up.
18
Hottest, coldest, wettest, driest
It can sometimes feel like we get every season of the year in just one day
in the UK, but where are the record breakers? Lloro, Columbia is the
wettest place on Earth, with an average annual rainfall of 10,820mm! The
driest place is Dry Valleys, Antarctica which has seen no rainfall in over two
million years! The Lut Desert in Iran is the hottest - at 710C! Vostok, Antarctica
is the coldest at minus 89.20C.
STUDENTS’ INVASIVE NON-NATIVE GROUP
Rachel explained about the various long and short term events
which STEM ambassadors join in with and the new recruits took
part in a number of role play sessions to help them identify how
best to work with school age students.
SINNG is currently working with students at Poltair School
STEM club looking at the invasive Canadian pond weed (Elodea
canadensis) in one of the school ponds and learning how to
control its spread through good biosecurity. The group has also
looked at the native species in the schools wildlife pond and is
now able to work safely without the risk of spreading the invasive
plant from one pond to another.
SINNG works with…
The new STEM ambassadors will be taking their successful SINNG
workshops into other schools and adapting their zebra mussel
game, which effectively demonstrates the effects invasive species
have on native plants and animals in a fun way, to be used for a
variety of age groups.
Poltair School
Cornwall College Newquay’s Student Invasive Non-Native Group
(SINNG) took part in a STEM At Work day at Poltair School, St
Austell. STEM ambassadors Nicola Morris and Kathy TrokeThomas spent the day with 125 Year 7 pupils and had great fun
whilst inspiring the young pupils, who showed real enthusiasm.
The first half of the session saw the children playing a game
which demonstrated the effects the freshwater zebra mussel
(Dreissena polymorpha) has on native aquatic species. The game
clearly showed how the presence of invasive species drastically
alters habitats. A quiz took up the rest of the session and the
children had a number of native freshwater invertebrate species
which they had to identify in teams using microscopes and
identification keys. One student said: ‘I loved looking through the
microscope at the bugs’.
Helicon MBO in the Netherlands
Netwerkschool Helicon MBO Velp has been asked by project coordinator Nicola Morris to participate in the SINNG project. The
question was if their first year water management, urban design
and forestry students would undertake research into a number of
invasive non-native species in the Netherlands. There was a list of
eight plants and four animals. The English teacher at the school
saw the opportunity for students to do the research and work
out the results in English. The results will be sent to Cornwall
College Newquay and be compared with the results in Cornwall.
To find out more about SINNG check out www.sinng.org.uk,
call 01637 857957 or email [email protected]
The students are currently doing their research and will present
the results in a poster.
If you’re a watersports enthusiast you can help protect the
waters you use by following these simple steps when you
leave the water.
STEM ambassadors
SINNG media & education group volunteers were joined by
an ex-student and an aerospace engineer to complete their
training to become STEM ambassadors. The session held at
Cornwall College Newquay by Rachel Delourme, Sustainability
Co-ordinator & STEM Advisor at Cornwall Learning took the
volunteers through their paces giving information on how they
can use their knowledge and skills to inspire young people to
take an interest in the core subjects of science, technology,
engineering & maths.
Top Tips
• Check your equipment and clothing for living organisms.
• Pay particular attention to areas that are damp or hard
to inspect.
•Clean and wash all equipment, footwear and
clothes thoroughly.
• If you do come across any organisms, leave them at
the water body where you found them.
• Dry all equipment and clothing – some species can live
for many days in moist conditions.
• Make sure you don’t transfer water elsewhere.
19
Cornwall’s Biggest Visitors
Every year as the temperature rises and the sea warms up, Cornwall and the south west coast of England
and southern Wales gets a visit from one of nature’s giants. At over 10 meters long and weighing in at
7-tonnes the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus), the world’s second largest fish is probably Cornwall’s
biggest visitor. Despite its size, the basking shark is not a meat eater but instead gets its nourishment from
microscopic plankton. Every year when the waters around the south west warm up, a huge algal bloom is
sparked. This massive abundance of food is what draws the basking sharks to our shores and on occasion
they can be seen in huge shoals of over 200 fish. For your best chance of seeing a basking shark, head to
the south coast of Cornwall on a warm and calm day in June, the Lizard Peninsula is a great spot.
Learn more about these gentle giants at www.baskingsharks.org
20
cornwall’s biggest visitors
Photo courtesy of Simon Burt Photography
21
science of
sandcastles
Next time you’re at the beach and you think you’re as far from a classroom as you could be - think again. You’re
actually in the perfect environment to study physics and engineering. We all love to build sandcastles and proudly
show off our creations to anyone on the beach who walks past; but what makes the perfect sandcastle? Research
has found that the crucial ratio of sand to water is eight parts sand to one part water. At this crucial ratio the water
tension between the grains of sand acts like glue, sticking the grains of sand together. How do we know this?
Well, believe it or not, an international team of researchers examined sandcastle structures with a computerised
axial tomography scanner, normally used for medical research, to study the water and sand particle interaction.
22
SCIENCE OF SANDCASTLES
23
Cornwall Colllege STEM Courses
Below is a selection of courses offered by Cornwall College in the
STEM area. For a full list of courses offered by the College please
visit: www.cornwall.ac.uk
Science
- Applied Science Extended Diploma
- Chemistry AS/A-level
- Biology AS/A-level
- Environmental Science AS/A-level
- Physics AS/A-level
- Human Biology AS/A-level
- Geology AAS/A-level
- Marine Biology & Ecology Extended Diploma
- Veterinary Nursing RCVS Diploma
- FdSc Carbon Management
- FdSc Food Studies
- FdSc Forensic Science
- FdSc Renewable Energy Technologies
- BSc (Hons) Environmental Resource Management (top-up)
CORNWALL COLLEGE
CORNWALL COLLEGE
Technology
- ICT AS/A-level
- Computing AS/A-level
- IT BTEC Extended Diploma - Music Tech. Extended Diploma
- IT Advanced Apprenticeship
- Land-based Tech. Apprenticeship
- FdSc Computer Networking
- FdSc Information Technology
- FdSc Information Technology (E-commerce)
Engineering
- Introduction to Yacht Fit Out & Composites City & Guilds
- Vehicle Maintenance & Repair
- Electrotechnical Advanced Apprenticeship
- Engineering Apprenticeship
- Electrician Apprenticeship
- Electronics AS/A-level
- Engineering Production NVQ2
- Light Marine Engineering C&G L3
- Mechanical Engineering ND
- Marine Engineering
Extended Diploma
- FdSc Engineering
Maths
- Mathematics AS/A-level
- Further Mathematics AS/A-level
Keep in touch with all the activities
at Cornwall College STEM
Website:
www.cornwall.ac.uk/stem
03279MM0912
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/cornwallcollegestem
If you would like to receive the STEM
e-newsletters please send an email to:
[email protected] with your details.

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