Everyday Materials Archives

Science communicator

7 July, 2023/0 Comments/in creative, curious, logical Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Science (Primary) Algebra, Animals Including Humans, Earth and Space, Electricity, Everyday Materials, Evolution and Inheritance, Forces, Forces and Magnets, Geometry, Light, Living Things and Their Habitats, Maths, Measurement, Number, Plants, Position and direction, Primary, Properties of shapes, Rocks, Science, Seasonal Changes, Sound, States of Matter, Statistics/by Melanie Horan

Science communicators communicate science to the general public. They need to make scientific research understandable to people who may not have a background or career in science. Science communicators can be a science journalists or work in a university press office promoting the scientific research carried out by academics. They may deliver science shows or organise events at science festivals, schools or science centres or design and make interactive exhibits for science centres.

Attributes: creative, curious, logical

Useful links:

The Primary Science Teaching Trust has a downloadable slideshow (PDF) about Caroline Riggs and a downloadable slideshow (PDF) about Ginny Smith who are both science communicators. They also have a downloadable slideshow (PDF) about Dr Sarah Bearchell who is a children’s science writer and presenter and a downloadable slideshow about Margaret Donald who is an operations coordinator. It’s part of their resource A Scientist Just Like Me.

Polar scientist

7 July, 2023/0 Comments/in creative, open-minded, passionate Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Maths, Maths (Primary) Animals Including Humans, Earth and Space, Everyday Materials, Geography, Living Things and Their Habitats, Maths, Plants, Primary, Rocks, Science, Seasonal Changes, States of Matter/by Melanie Horan

Polar science helps to inform the sustainable use of resources and to protect the planet. It includes many different types of research in the polar regions. Glaciologists study the ice in the polar regions. Space physicists study how space interacts with the upper atmosphere using lasers. Atmospheric scientists look for pollution, ozone and other changes to the atmosphere. Marine or terrestrial biologists study life in the polar regions, while oceanographers study the seas and oceans. Geologists study the rocks and sediments in the polar regions to understand the climate in the past. Meteorologists study the links between the polar atmosphere and changes in global weather.

Attributes: passionate, creative and open-minded.

Useful links:

The Primary Science Teaching Trust has a downloadable slideshow (PDF) about Prem Singh Gill who is a polar scientist. It’s part of their resource A Scientist Just Like Me.

Meta researcher

7 July, 2023/0 Comments/in curious, patient, resilient Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Computer Science, Maths (Primary), Science (Primary) Animals Including Humans, Earth and Space, Electricity, Everyday Materials, Evolution and Inheritance, Forces, Forces and Magnets, Light, Living Things and Their Habitats, Maths, Number, Plants, Rocks, Science, Seasonal Changes, Sound, States of Matter, Statistics/by Melanie Horan

Meta researchers study research itself. They study research methods, reporting, reproducibility, evaluation, and incentives. They ensure, promote, and defend robust science, free from biases. They ensure all results from scientific investigations are evidence based.

Attributes: curious, patient, resilient

Useful links:

The Primary Science Teaching Trust has a downloadable slideshow (PDF) about Emma Wilson who is an a meta researcher. It’s part of their resource A Scientist Just Like Me.

Colour Technologist

19 September, 2018/0 Comments/in attention to detail, creative, organised Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 DT, Maths (Primary), Science (Primary) DT, Everyday materials, Maths - Geometry - Position and Direction, Maths - Number, Properties and changes of materials, States of matter Addition and subtraction, DT, Everyday Materials, Fractions, Geometry, Maths, Multiplication and division, Number, Number and place value, Position and direction, Primary, Science/by Melanie Horan

A colour technologist uses the science and technology of colour application and its subsequent performance. They are responsible for developing and producing dyes and pigments for manufacturing areas such as textiles, paints and inks for printers. Colour technologists can be involved in all stages of the production process, from design to testing and marketing. Work may include developing new dyes and pigments to provide specified colours, monitoring colour reliability during production, testing the colourfastness and stability of dyes and pigments under simulated conditions over typical life-spans and refining processes for the production of dyes and pigments to save costs and minimise environmental impact.

Attributes: creative, organised, attention to detail

Systems Engineer

19 September, 2018/0 Comments/in collaborative, imaginative, resilient Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 DT, Maths (Primary), Science (Primary) DT, Electricity, Everyday materials, Forces, Maths - Algebra, Maths - Geometry - Properties of Shapes Algebra, DT, Electricity, Everyday Materials, Forces, Geometry, Maths, Primary, Properties of shapes, Science/by Melanie Horan

Systems engineers design and create systems to meet specific needs by combining and integrating people, components and processes into a whole system and ensuring each of those components work correctly. Systems are used in industrial processes to increase output, but a toilet, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, an automatic iron, a car and even the human body are all systems. Larger systems include moveable bridges, manufacturing plants or the International Space Station.

Attributes: collaborative, imaginative, resilient

Design Engineer

13 January, 2018/0 Comments/in collaborative, creative, open-minded Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 DT, Maths (Primary), Science (Primary) DT, Everyday materials, Maths - Geometry - Properties of Shapes DT, Everyday Materials, Geometry, Maths, Primary, Properties of shapes, Science/by Jonathan

Design engineers create the initial blueprints and schematics for various structures, systems, machines, or equipment. Design engineers research using mathematical modelling to work through new developments and innovations. They turn research ideas into technical plans for prototypes using computer-aided design and computer-assisted engineering. They collect and analyse data from prototype testing, modifying designs ahead of manufacture or installation. Designer engineers are employed in many different industries including research and development companies, construction firms and product manufacturing plants.

Attributes: collaborative, open-minded, creative

Useful links:

The Primary Science Teaching Trust has a downloadable slideshow (PDF) about Kath Waring who is a chartered civil engineer. It’s part of their resource A Scientist Just Like Me.

Polymer Scientist

13 January, 2018/0 Comments/in committed, hard-working, self-motivated Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Science (Primary) Everyday materials Everyday Materials, Primary, Science/by Jonathan

Polymer scientists use chemical polymers to build useful and unique materials such as Kevlar, Teflon, fiberglass, polyester and nylon. Polymers are long strings of several molecules in a repeating pattern. Polymer scientists can manipulate a polymer’s properties depending on what types of molecules they use and how they’re connected. To perform these kinds of tasks, scientists use knowledge of organic chemistry, structural patterns and sometimes computer modeling programs to help plan the polymer synthesis. Some polymer scientists work on creating new polymer materials and others develop existing polymer designs.

Attributes: hard-working, self-motivated, committed

Patent Examiner

13 January, 2018/0 Comments/in organised, passionate, resilient Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Science (Primary) Everyday materials Everyday Materials, Primary, Science/by Jonathan

Patent examiners inspect the technical and legal aspects of an invention in a patent application. Patent examiners get to see the latest developments in technology. They look for any evidence that the invention already exists then work out how it works, what it does, and what the new and inventive aspect of the invention is by using their technical expertise. Patent examiners then use this information to search through specialised databases. They then analyse the patent application and identify any legal issues that may be wrong with the application. They will then continue to work with the applicant to bring their application to a state where it meets all the legal requirements and a patent may be granted.

Attributes: organised, passionate, resilient

Metallurgist

13 January, 2018/0 Comments/in curious, observant, patient Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Maths (Primary), Science (Primary) Everyday materials, Maths - Ratio and Proportion Everyday Materials, Maths, Primary, Ratio and Proportion, Science/by Jonathan

Metallurgists deal with extracting and processing metals. They work with metals such as steel, aluminium, iron, and copper and often work with alloys (metals that are mixed with each other or other elements) to create materials with specific desirable properties. Metallurgists can work in a number of areas including civil engineering, aircraft manufacture, automotive engineering and the defence industry. They usually specialise as chemical metallurgists, extracting metals from ore, physical metallurgists, studying how metals behave or process metallurgists, designing metal parts.

Attributes: observant, patient, curious

Product/Process Development Scientist

13 January, 2018/0 Comments/in imaginative, open-minded, organised Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Maths (Primary), Science (Primary) Everyday materials, Maths - Geometry - Properties of Shapes Everyday Materials, Geometry, Maths, Primary, Properties of shapes, Science/by Jonathan

Product and process development scientists improve the efficiency and profitability of manufactured products. Process development scientists optimise the performance of manufacturing systems. They identify and develop new processes for product manufacture and implement process controls to ensure the products are of a high quality. Product development scientists work with research scientists to develop new ideas and scientific discoveries to be used in the manufacture of new products. They also develop and improve existing products.

Attributes: organised, imaginative, open-minded

Science communicator

Polar scientist

Meta researcher

Colour Technologist

Systems Engineer

Design Engineer

Polymer Scientist

Patent Examiner

Metallurgist

Product/Process Development Scientist

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