Brian Cox and Maggie Aderin-Pocock try out robotic arms and pollution solutions in latest Royal Society school experiment series

Two of the fundamental forces of science broadcasting, Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Professor Brian Cox, have joined with the Royal Society to bring out-of-this-world experiments to the classroom in the latest round of Brian Cox School Experiments (featuring Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock). 

Aimed at teachers of students aged 11-14, the three new topics explore robotics for astronauts, microplastic pollution, and green energy for a sustainable future. They aim to help science teachers put experiments with real-world relevance at the heart of their lessons. 

The full series, including three topics launched earlier in the year, is now available on the Royal Society’s website and YouTube channel.

Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, space scientist, BBC Sky at Night presenter, and award-winning children’s author, said: 

“As a scientist, the thrill of that ‘Eureka!’ moment is unbeatable and practical experiments allow students to feel that sense of accomplishment for themselves. 

“I still remember a brilliant chemistry lesson in school, where the teacher deliberately didn’t tell us what to expect. The joy I felt discovering what we had been looking for sparked a lifelong interest in science.” 

“It has been amazing working with students across the UK to film these videos. Great scientists are born in the classroom, and with science at the heart of so many of the problems facing our world today I hope we can help inspire the next generation.”

In the latest instalment, students will design their own robotic arms able to perform simple tasks, investigate how microplastics enter the environment when washing clothes, and create a wind turbine that can pick up pennies using the power of a hairdryer. All the experiments link directly to topics in the curriculum across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Each resource features three videos and downloadable worksheets for students, teachers and technicians. The first shows teachers how to set up and carry out the experiment in a classroom, with a teacher walking Maggie through the practical and demonstrating to a class. The second and third videos feature Brian interviewing the businesses and scientists using these techniques to make new discoveries, and tackle problems like plastic pollution and space exploration. 

Charleigh Farrow, teacher at Ribblesdale School, said: 

“These resources will be an invaluable tool to help teachers deliver relevant, engaging and creative hands-on practicals in the classroom. The pupils loved filming these videos with Maggie and were fascinated by the science behind the seemingly simple experiment she taught them.”

The Brian Cox School Experiments will support teachers, especially non-specialist STEM teachers, to embed practical learning into the curriculum. The focus on industrial applications and latest research taking place within each topic contextualises the experiments and demonstrates their relevance and importance in today's world.  Interviews with scientists working on pioneering technologies give students an insight into the career opportunities that may be available to them in the future.

The Science Education Tracker, published in March 2024, found that on average students wanted to be doing more hands-on science, but the frequency of doing practical work has declined in the classroom. The percentage of students in years 7-9 doing practical work at least fortnightly dropped from 47% in 2019 to 38% in 2023. Therefore, these resources aim to support teachers to do practical work in science lessons with their students, to increase young peoples’ access to hands-on investigation.

The complete set of resources are available on the Royal Society’s website and YouTube channel, the STEM learning UK resource library, and the Times Education Supplement (TES) resources pages.