This year, British Science Week marks its 30th anniversary. Taking place annually in March, British Science Week is a national 10-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths, marked by schools, libraries, museums, businesses and more.
For this milestone, British Science Week (delivered by the British Science Association, BSA) is partnering with the Royal Observatory Greenwich – part of the Royal Museums Greenwich – to bring this year’s theme to life. The theme is ‘time’.
Free resources available now!
The Royal Observatory have contributed to the British Science Week activity packs. There are four free-to-download resources with inspiring ideas and activities for early years (0-4), primary (4-11), secondary (11-14) age groups as well as mixed-age community groups.
The Royal Observatory’s activities include ‘The Seasons Wheel’, where users creatively map out the differences they experience throughout the year and identifying seasonal changes (early years and community) and ‘Water Clock’ which guides primary school students to build a one of the most ancient time-telling devices.
The Live Assembly #BSW24
Join the Royal Observatory’s Curator of Time (yes, a genuine job title!) for a livestream assembly hosted at the home of time, the Royal Observatory Greenwich. We’ll take primary school students across the whole of the UK on a journey exploring the origins of telling time, and the evolution of time-telling instruments.
We’ll find out what solutions inventors and innovators of the past came up with to measure time, help navigators at sea, and standardise time – ensuring people in and across communities were using the same or similar time.
Finally, a live audience will be joining the presenters at London’s only Planetarium, located at the Royal Observatory, for a demo of the ‘Water Clock’ activity, demonstrating how people living centuries ago used an easy-to-access resource to help measure time.
Find out more and register your class
Young people and their futures
The Planetarium at the Royal Observatory will also host a panel discussion, streamed live online, to launch British Science Week.
The discussion will explore the concerns young people have about the future and how science, society and decisionmakers in organisations, politics and beyond can work together to address these.
BSA research has found that young people are – unsurprisingly – very worried about the impact of the climate crisis on their future, with over 7 in 10 (71%) ranking it as one of the issues that will impact their future most. Just under half (48%) of 14-to-18-year-olds surveyed by the BSA selected climate change as one of the most important topics for the Government to invest research into; only 18% selected pandemic preparedness and AI respectively (Future Forum, 2022).
Young people also want to see provision of mental health services for all. 91% of 14-to-18-year-olds said that providing mental health services to all is important to support wellbeing in the future (Future Forum, 2022).
This discussion will take place on 7 March 2024, with a live audience of young people from London. Confirmed panellists are:
- Nelufar Hedayat, journalist and director (moderator)
- Clover Hogan, Founder and CEO, Force of Nature
- Alex Holmes, Deputy CEO, The Diana Award
- Kai Leighton, Director of The Mental Shift CIC and youth board member at youth mental health charity Beyond
Hannah Russell, Chief Executive, BSA says:
“At the BSA, we’re delighted to be working with the Royal Observatory Greenwich to celebrate British Science Week’s 30th anniversary. The historic significance of the Royal Observatory to modern timekeeping across the world makes them the perfect partner for this year’s theme of ‘Time’.
“As part of this year’s activities, we are really pleased to be offering students from across the UK access to the Royal Observatory’s collection during British Science Week, and the opportunity to learn about the history of timekeeping, as well as its relevance to their lives in the present day. We’d like to thank the Royal Observatory for their support in creating a British Science Week programme which is awe-inspiring, cross-curricular and open to all. We can’t wait for the Week to begin!”
Paddy Rogers, CEO, Royal Museums Greenwich says:
“The Observatory was England’s first purpose built scientific building. It has since become the home of Britain’s most significant and iconic reference standards, Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian of the world. Teaming up with the BSA, we intend the public to enjoy to learn and love the science behind the icons. This will be a truly exciting week.”
British Science Week takes place nationwide 8-17 March 2024. Download resources, plan your activities and find out what is happening around the country throughout site and on social media.
Royal Observatory Greenwich are a Major Partner of British Science Week 2024.