Outreach

The School of Chemistry strongly believes in engaging with the next generation of scientists through a wide range of activities such as science discovery open days for school and college students from primary to pre-university level. The School is keen to share its fascination with chemistry and present the latest in research findings to as wide an audience as possible.

The School welcomes approaches from external organisations, groups and individuals to interact and participate in the world of chemistry.

Upcoming events

28th National Meeting for Scottish Teachers of Chemistry Friday 24th May 2024

Friday 24^th May 10.00am – 3.00pm.

The 28^th Meeting of ‘The Nigel Botting Meeting for Teachers of Chemistry’ will take place in person, on Friday 24^th May at the School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews. The meeting will return to its most traditional forum in Lecture theatre-A of the Chemistry (Purdie) Building.

This year’s programme includes talks, ideas and discussions on sustainability – from decarbonising our energy to aspects of becoming greener in schools and in teaching. As usual there will be plenty of teaching ideas, activities and sharing practice, RSC updates for schools and the addition of a new discussion format.

Programme

10.10 Welcome to Delegates (Chair: Morag Easson, Firrhill High School)

10.15 Paul Webb (University of St Andrews) - Where will all the carbon come from?

10.45 Lyndsay Mitchell (Culloden Academy) - It's not a marathon, it's a (teaching) sprint

11.05 Nicola Jordan/Laura-Alexandra Smith (The Royal Society of Chemistry) - RSC Scotland Update

11.15 Breakout discussions led by Colin McGill (Edinburgh Napier University) and Facilitators - Breakout rooms with different questions returning to theatre A to summarise

12.10 - 13.20 Lunch and Exhibitions

AFTERNOON SESSION (Chair: Chris Lloyd, SSERC)

13.20 John Cochrane (SSERC) STEM Leader 7

13.35 Brian Chalmers (University of St Andrews) - School placements for chemistry undergraduates

13.50 Douglas Philp (University of St Andrews) (Chair: David O’Hagan, St Andrews) - The origin of life

14.15 Adrian Allan (Dornoch Academy) - The art of astonishment - Using Magic to Teach Chemistry

14.55 Closing remarks

15.00 Departure

The Nigel Botting Meeting (twenty-eighth National Meeting) for Teachers of Chemistry in Scotland, explores a wide range of chemistry topics, teaching ideas and questions in education and links to the world around us.

This year’s conference is opened by Paul Webb from the University of St Andrews on a topic of great interest for all as sustainability is embedded across our chemistry and science curricula. As society moves to a low carbon economy and removes fossil fuels, we will still need to make organic molecules like drugs and polymers. Where will that carbon come from?

Next, a change of pace, as chemistry teacher, Lyndsay Mitchell will share the successes and challenges of improving our practice through ‘teaching sprints’. Teaching sprints are designed to help overloaded teachers improve their practice over a short period by making tiny changes. Then Nicola Jordan and Laura-Alexandra Smith will provide a brief update on the Royal Society of Chemistry’s activities and support for teachers and schools across Scotland.

This year’s meeting introduces a new discussion format by popular request. Come and have your say! This section will be led by Colin McGill and a team of facilitators to assist each breakout discussion and to gather views, to feed them back to the wider lecture theatre forum and also to key organisations beyond this meeting.

Questions:
• How should senior phase chemistry be assessed?
• How does the content of the senior phase chemistry curricula need to change?
• How can we improve the use of practical work in chemistry?
• How can we improve chemistry within the BGE?

After sharing the main discussion points in lecture Theatre A, conversations may continue at lunch in the Willie Russell Building adjacent to the lower exit of the Purdie Building.

Following lunch, John Cochrane of SERCC will have an update on the Young STEM Leaders programme which aims to inspire young people to develop an interest in pursuing STEM subjects. Brian Chalmers will outline a programme at St Andrews University that places Chemistry Degree students in Schools and offers a pathway to teaching. Following on, Doug Philp will consider a bigger question: The origin of life. Self-replication defines living systems both at the level of the cell and also the molecule (DNA). Can we emulate Nature? We will learn how well chemists can design self-replicating molecules in the lab.

The day will finish with a flourish as we are delighted to welcome back Adrian Allan from Dornoch Academy. Performing chemistry demonstrations and magic illusions both require practice, showmanship, audience interaction and suspense followed by a moment of astonishment. Adrian will present a selection of magical chemistry teaching ideas that can be used to mystify, enthuse and engage students in the classroom!

There will of course be time to visit the exhibitors and to reconnect and share ideas with others.
We are delighted to continue to offer FREE Registration and lunch to all delegates thanks to generous sponsorship from the Royal Society of Chemistry, SSERC and the University of St Andrews.

Full programme download - Nigel Botting Meeting for Teachers of Chemistry 2024 programme (PDF)

Registration open now - Register here for the Teachers Meeting (Free)

For enquiries please contact David O’Hagan by email: do1@st-andrews.ac.uk

Recent events

Colouring pages are aimed at motivating and inspiring young creative minds.

These colouring pages are aimed at motivating and inspiring young creative minds in STEM, to show budding minds that science is for all—to help them relate their lives, interests and backgrounds with people working in science.

Each colouring page relates to a chemist who is either working or has previously worked in the School of Chemistry at the University of St Andrews. The illustrations are based on the lives and research of scientists coming from various backgrounds. Along with colouring in, students can also go through the profile of these chemists that briefly explains the science they do, their hobbies, their favourite subject in school and more fun facts about them.

To explore the colouring pages and resources, please check the website: https://www.science4all.co.uk/

For more information, please contact Dr Danica Glenda Pinto at dgp1@st-andrews.ac.uk

26th National Meeting for Scottish Teachers of Chemistry Friday 26th May 2023

‘Future Prospects for Chemistry’

Friday 26^th May 10.00am – 3.00pm.

The 26^th Meeting of ‘The Nigel Botting Meeting for Teachers of Chemistry’ will take place in person, on Friday 26^th May at the School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews. The meeting will return to its most traditional forum in Lecture theatre-A of the Chemistry (Purdie) Building.

We are delighted to continue to offer FREE registration to all delegates thanks to generous sponsorship from the Royal Society of Chemistry (Education Div), SSERC and the University of St Andrews.

This year the meeting explores ‘Future Prospects for Chemistry’. Programme below;

10.10 Welcome to Delegates– (Chair: Morag Easson, Firrhill High School)

10.15 Ideas for SQA Assignments

Chris Lloyd (SSERC)

10.45 YSLP: Leading Scotland's Future

John Cochrane (Greenfaulds High School)

11.05 Antimicrobial resistance and what can we do?

Prof Rebecca Goss (University of St Andrews)

11.35 RSC Scotland Update

Dawn Gilles (RSC)

11.50 TechFest STEM Next – an Essay competition

Yashka Smith (TechFest, University of Aberdeen)

12.10-13.20 Lunch and Exhibition

AFTERNOON SESSION (Chair: David O’Hagan, St Andrews)

13.20 Supporting chemistry teachers - what can the RSC Education Division Scotland do for me?

Katy Alder (James Gillespie’s High School/ RSC Education Division)

Rachel Henry (Dumfries High School / RSC Education Division)

13.40 School-University chemistry education interaction

Peter Johnson (Stewart’s Melville College)

14.00 Sustainable Packaging

Craig Sterling (CEO, CuanTec Ltd)

(Chair: Chris Lloyd, SSERC)

14.20 The ethics and practicalities of using AI in assessment and automatic feedback generation

Prof Russell Morris (University of St Andrews)

14.55 Thanks & Departure

26th National Meeting for Scottish Teachers of Chemistry Thursday 19th May 2022
Exciting demonstration lectures to local school students
Engaging pupils during school visits in Fife, Perth & Kinross, Angus and Dundee.

The ChemBus usually makes six day trips per year to schools in Fife, Perth & Kinross, Angus and Dundee (three during November and three in February, details will be sent out to Schools in advance). The ChemBus is organised by the Tayside local section of the Royal Society of Chemistry although it is heavily supported by St Andrews staff and students. Please contact us by e-mail for details, chem-rsc@st-andrews.ac.uk.

ChemBus Information/FAQs (also available as a PDF)

What is ChemBus?

ChemBus is a minibus that takes chemistry experiments and demonstrations designed for S1 and S2 pupils out to Schools in Tayside, Angus, Fife and Perthshire. Our team is usually made up of seven members of staff/students from the University of St Andrews.

What happens during a ChemBus visit?

Demonstration
We start with a short demonstration, about 15 to 20 minutes long, centred around the properties of gases. We try to make this demonstration very interactive asking the pupils questions and getting them to help with some experiments, e.g. dipping flowers into liquid nitrogen. Questions include asking the pupils to name the gases in the atmosphere and to estimate the temperature of liquid nitrogen. When possible, we give out prizes for correct answers.

Hands-on activities
The rest of the ChemBus visit consists of four hands-on activities for the pupils. The groups are split into four and we try to get them to have a go at as many activities as possible in the available time. By necessity this is very flexible and very much dependent on the timings at individual schools. The four activities are outlined below

1. Making Invisible Inks
2. Properties of Polymers
3. Properties of Carbon Dioxide
4. Making Gold Coins

How many people can participate in each ChemBus session?

Typically we see 25-40 pupils per session.

How long is a ChemBus session?

Each session lasts for the duration of a teaching period in the host school (usually 40-50 minutes).

Can ChemBus visit our school for a full school day?

Yes! We actually have three options (this is dictated by school availability and bus route for that day)

1. We can do a full school day, typically this would allow ~200 pupils to take part over 6/7 sessions.
2. We can do a morning, usually 1st period through to lunchtime, depending on our travel time to the next destination (typically 4 sessions, we may have to leave slightly earlier to get to our next school).
3. We can do an afternoon, usually from lunchtime until the final period of the day (typically 2 sessions).

What does the school need to provide?

Ideally we need 2 laboratory class rooms (one for the demo, one for hands-on activities) access to gas for Bunsen burners and ideally a fume cupboard. Other than that all we need is local information, such as lesson times, length of lessons and number of pupils in each session. In addition, directions to the school and any other appropriate information would be very much appreciated.
December 2019
November 2018 to February 2019
The ChemBus usually makes six day trips per year to schools in Fife, Perth and Kinross, Angus and Dundee (three during November and three in February, details will be sent out to schools in advance).

The ChemBus is organised by the Tayside local section of the Royal Society of Chemistry although it is heavily supported by University of St Andrews staff and students. Please email the School for details: chem-rsc@st-andrews.ac.uk.

ChemBus information

What is ChemBus?

ChemBus is a minibus that takes chemistry experiments and demonstrations designed for S1 and S2 pupils out to schools in Tayside, Angus, Fife and Perthshire. The team is usually made up of seven members of staff and students from the University of St Andrews.

What happens during a ChemBus visit?

Demonstration
The visit starts with a short demonstration, about 15 to 20 minutes long, centred around the properties of gases. Demonstrators try to make this very interactive, asking the pupils questions and getting them to help with some experiments, for example, dipping flowers into liquid nitrogen.

Questions include asking the pupils to name the gases in the atmosphere and to estimate the temperature of liquid nitrogen. When possible, prizes are provided for correct answers.

Hands-on activities
The rest of the ChemBus visit consists of four hands-on activities for the pupils. The groups are split into four and demonstrators try to get them to try as many activities as possible in the available time. By necessity this is very flexible and very much dependent on the timings at individual schools. The four activities are:
- Making invisible inks
- Properties of polymers
- Properties of carbon dioxide
- Making gold coins.
How many people can participate in each ChemBus session?

Typically there are 25 to 40 pupils per session.

How long is a ChemBus session?

Each session lasts for the duration of a teaching period in the host school (usually 40 to 50 minutes).

Can ChemBus visit our school for a full school day?

Yes, there are actually three options (this is dictated by school availability and bus route for that day).
1. A full school day, typically this would allow around 200 pupils to take part over 6 to 7 sessions.
2. A morning session, usually 1st period through to lunchtime, depending on the travel time to the next destination (typically 4 sessions, the bus may have to leave slightly earlier to get to the next school).
3. An afternoon, usually from lunchtime until the final period of the day (typically 2 sessions).
What does the school need to provide?

Ideally there needs to be two laboratory classrooms (one for the demo, one for hands-on activities), access to gas for Bunsen burners and a fume cupboard.

Other than that, all that is necessary is local information, such as lesson times, length of lessons and number of pupils in each session. In addition, directions to the school and any other appropriate information would be appreciated.
13 February 2019

As part of the University’s First Chances programme, sixteen National 5 and Higher School students visited the School of Chemistry. They took part in a hands-on study of the links between the structure of certain molecules and their fragrance, as used in cosmetics and perfumes etc, given by Dr Alan Aitken, and then learned about renewable energy and fuel cell technology in a lecture from Dr Richard Baker.

The picture shows how a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (a PEMFC) works. These are electrochemical devices - similar to batteries - that convert chemical energy from a fuel like Hydrogen and an oxidant, usually oxygen from air, directly to electrical energy in the electrical circuit attached to the two electrodes. They are very efficient and much more environmentally friendly than power generation systems based on burning fossil fuels.

The First Chances scheme is a major initiative of the University of St Andrews.
22nd and 23rd July 2019

Twenty-nine high school students from all over the World visited the University to take part in the Summer Academic Experience Course (SAEC) summer school. They took part in a wide range of events and attended lectures and laboratory classes in Science subjects. This year, in Chemistry, they attended lectures on Renewable Energy and Fuel Cells and about the use of Electron microscopes to analyse materials. Many researchers at the School of Chemistry carry out research on new technology for generating electricity including fuel cells, new kinds of batteries based on Lithium and Sodium ions, and solar cells. The School also has excellent Electron Microscope facilities.

In the afternoons, the students completed two sessions where they worked in the undergraduate teaching laboratories. In the first session the students evaluated two potential compounds for use as selective extractants for copper ions. This process is used industrially to concentrate and purify copper metal from a variety of ores.

In the second session the students isolated pigments from spinach leaves. These molecules are essential to allow the plants to photosynthesise. Firstly they extracted the leaves to remove the pigment compounds, they were then able to purify the resulting extract and isolate each pigment compound (in this case, b-carotene, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b). Finally, all the samples were analysed using UV-visible spectroscopy.
1 July to 5 July 2019

For many years, the University has organised a Summer School in association with the educational charity, the Sutton Trust. Visiting high school students from all over the UK attended lectures and other events in Science subjects. This year, in Chemistry, they attended five lectures. These covered Renewable Energy and Fuel Cells; the use of Electron Microscopes to analyse materials; new materials with unusual electrical properties known as ferroelectrics; the chemical structure of molecules used to give fragrances to perfumes and cosmetics; and how Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy can be used to determine the structure of molecules. In the photo, Dr Tomas Lebl shows the NMR laboratories to visitors.

The Sutton Trust is a major educational charity with whom the University of St Andrews have long links.