What do you get when you combine a scenes-of-crime protective suit, some hair and make-up products and a traditional cup of English breakfast tea?
No, it’s not a seriously glammed up episode of Silent Witness. It is, in fact, a very popular A-level science course.
Confused? Let’s rewind a bit.
After just 16 students took science courses at his college in 2016, FE teacher Harry John Smy found himself asking: how do we solve a problem like the current uptake of science at A level?
The answer it seems, is with a unique approach. Smy, who teaches at Suffolk New College, first gives his thanks to Walter White. Breaking Bad, he says, did for science what England football manager Gareth Southgate did for waistcoats this summer: it made it interesting.
To further pique students’ interest, Smy took inspiration from three great loves of teenagers: food and drink, grooming products and crime TV shows.
He introduced measurements and laboratory techniques through making a cuppa, he taught chemical changes through the way that food is cooked, and considered the biological practices in hair and beauty.
He also focused on the real-life context of science in lessons, showing pupils how the subject is used to assist police and criminal investigations. “One of the best moments for me each year is the first lesson the students put on their crime scene suits. It always creates great excitement, phones come out and everyone is selfie and Snapchat-mad. The trick is to ensure that the excitement is captured and channelled, and we would be foolish not to recognise the impact of popular culture,” he writes.
And you can bet your favourite bunsen burner that it’s working. More students than ever are feeling the chemistry for science (sorry, not sorry about that pun) at Suffolk New College. This year, 65 students chose to take a science A level.
