1Hi Sue.
2Hi Mike.
3So what happened to you last week?
4Oh, I was sick with the flu.
5What's this I hear about a big assignment we've got to do?
6Oh, well, basically, we've got to find two science experiments
7to do with a group of 8-year-old children at the local primary school,
8and we've got to complete it by the end of the week.
9That sounds like hard work.
10Where are we supposed to get the ideas for these experiments from?
11Well, I managed to get hold of two books from the library.
12Oh, well done!
13How about if we take a look at the experiments in this book first
14and see if anything looks suitable?
15I can make notes as we go, about equipment and the purpose of the experiments.
16Okay, let's see...
17the first experiment is called 'Make your own hovercraft',
18which sounds very ambitious!
19Mind you, you only need 20 balloons and a table -
20you don't need any special engines or anything like that!
21What do you do with it all?
22Er, you blow up the balloons and you balance the table on them,
23upside down of course, and the kids get to ride around on it.
24You know, the other kids sort of push them around the room.
25The main purpose is to show how hovercrafts work,
26and how things hover around on just a cushion of air.
27Okay, that doesn't sound too bad.
28Okay, ready for number two?
29Now this one is called 'Unusual Measures of Lengths',
30and you basically use lots of paperclips.
31The kids go around the class measuring things -
32you know, how long the desk is, and that sort of thing,
33and then they all compare their answers.
34And, basically, because not all paperclips are the same lengths,
35they should come up with some strange answers.
36It's supposed to demonstrate the importance of having fixed units of measurement.
37Yeah, that's not bad.
38Okay, now for number three you need rock salt or copper sulphate.
39Oh, I'm not sure about that!
40Well, just put down the rock salt then...
41apart from that you only need a jar of water.
42And basically you dissolve lots of salt into the water
43and watch the crystals form,
44so it basically teaches the kids about growing crystals.
45Yeah, I suppose it would be nice to grow something.
46Hmm, let's move on and have a look at number four.
47Okay, this one is called 'Spinning colour wheel'.
48It looks like you get some cardboard and draw a circle on it,
49divide it into six equal segments and colour each one in using different colours,
50then you thread a piece of string through the middle.
51So we'd need some string as well.
52Yes, sorry...
53and you spin the wheel around
54and if you can get it spinning fast enough,
55hopefully the colours all merge and show up as white.
56Oh, I didn't know that.
57What's the principle behind it?
58Well it's pretty elementary physics, really.
59It teaches them about how white light or ordinary light is made up.
60Hmm, well that doesn't sound too bad.
61Now there's only one more left in this book isn't there?
62What does that one say?
63Um, well it's another one where they'd get to make something.
64Sounds very interesting.
65You need quite a lot of equipment actually -
66a hand drill, an old record,
67a pin or needle, some paper and a bolt.
68Hmm, go on, what do they have to do?
69Well, they basically make a record player.
70The main idea is to teach them about recording sound,
71but hopefully they'd also see that you need motion and an amplifier to make the sound heard.
72Okay, well it does sound interesting.
73Shall we go through all of those again and decide if any of them are going to be suitable?
74Right, number one.
75I thought this one sounded nice: there'd be lots of activity
76and it doesn't need too much in the way of equipment.
77Yes, that's true, but...
78don't you think it's a bit risky to get a group of 8-year-olds pushing each other around a classroom like that?
79Someone could get hurt.
80No, I don't like the sound of that one at all!
81Maybe you're right.
82What about number two, with the paperclips?
83It sounds tame enough.
84Yes, a bit too tame if you ask me.
85I think it needs to be something a bit more active and interesting than that, don't you?
86Yes, I suppose you're right.
87We won't get a very good mark if the children don't actually enjoy the experiments,
88and I suppose we could turn them off science for good!
89Well, what about the next one, number three?
90Now, I quite like the idea of this one.
91Yes, so do I,
92but I seem to remember when we did it at high school
93we had to wait up to a fortnight before we saw any halfway decent results.
94Oh, yes well, that won't be any good then.
95We'll only see the kids for one or two hours at the most.
96Yes, and we have to do the experiments and write up our results within a week,
97so that one won't do at all.
98Okay, well, what did you think of number four?
99I like the idea of it, but
100do you think it will be a bit elementary for them?
101Well, they are only eight you know!
102I know, but you know what I mean.
103Don't you think the activity itself is a bit babyish?
104Hmm, maybe you're right.
105They might have fun but, I mean, cutting out a circle and colouring it in?
106Okay, well, what about number five?
107I thought this one sounded a bit too good to be true - great equipment!
108Yeah.
109But don't you think it's a bit ambitious for this age group?
110I mean, I don't want to start off something and then have to abandon it if they just can't cope with it.
111I could see us ending up doing just about all of the work for them.
112I guess you're right.
113Oh well, maybe we could store that idea away for later.
114Yep, let's hope this second book has something better!