'Danger at St. Magnets' Kinetic Theatre Workshop

Lesson: Science

Class: Kingfishers EYFS and KS1 Year: 2014 - 2015

On Wednesday 28th January all the children took  part in a fun and engaging, inter-active science show performed by the Kinetic Theatre company. The show, entitled, Danger at St. Magnets,’ focused on the  Classification of materials, magnetism and heat sections of the National Curriculum for Science. During the show the children were encouraged to recognise a variety of materials and  sort them into groups of natural and man-made. Properties (appearances, hardness, magnetic, non-magnetic), reasons for selecting materials and the concept of heat travelling from hot to cold was demonstrated throughout. KS2 children learned about thermal expansion with a demonstration of the bimetallic strip.Magnetism was also illustrated with an electromagnet.

The story of the show : set in 1946, in the staff room of St Magnet's Primary School in the sleepy village of Upper Copperbottom. the distinguished headmaster has been asked to judge the village marrow competition when the school cook notices the boiler is on the blink. Could there be a fault with the bimetallic strip in the thermostat? Or are any other materials involved? Furthermore why is there a magnet in the stockroom? Who has stolen the prized silver trophy? and what is the music teacher doing in the village church belfry? It transpires that treachery is afoot and the saboteur wants to destroy the school! If the boiler isn't fixed quickly there is a serious threat of explosion!