Science Cultural Capital Challenges - Spring Term

Earlier in the school year, we wrote about the science department's Cultural Capital Challenges for Autumn Term 1 and Autumn Term 2. You can read about the Spring Term challenges below, which saw even higher participation from students. As a reminder, "cultural capital" is defined as key knowledge that students need to become well-rounded citizens ready for the wider world. These challenges are also important as they cultivate an appreciation for human creativity in the sciences.

Spring Term 1 - Rosalind Franklin

The first half-term challenge focused on a British chemist and X-ray chrystallographer called Rosalind Franklin. In 1952, while working at King's College London, she produced 'Photo 51' - a detailed x-ray image that showed for the first time that DNA has a spiral structure. From this, other scientists were able to work out the double-helix model of DNA. It was important to celebrate Rosalind Franklin's work as she did not receive full recognition during her lifetime. Today, though, she is celebrated as a pioneer.

Students' challenge was to find the DNA molecule at the science museum - click to view the responses full size!

 

Spring Term 2 - Wangari Maathai

In the second half-term, students learned about Kenyan environmental scientist, Wangari Mathaai. She was the first African woman to receive the Novel Peace Prize. She founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, encouraging rural women to plant trees to restore their main sources of income and protect the environment. Through this initiative, over 50 million trees were planted - combining science, sustainability and community action to help combat deforestation, soil erosion, and climate change. 

Students' challenge was to take the pot and seeds provided by teachers to grow a plant during the Easter holidays! Well done to the students who took part - you can view their responses below. 

Science Cultural Capital 4