Presenter: Hannah Jeffares, hannah@z-arts.org
Theme: Working with audiences under-represented in the physical sciences
Reporter: Kathryn Boast
One sentence summary: Through creative, story-led engagement, “Terri and the Time Machine” teaches the Year 3 science curriculum whilst also dispelling stereotypes about scientists.
Description
Funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, “Terri and the Time Machine” is a collaboration between Z-Arts, a cultural hub for children and families in Manchester, and award winning theatre company, One Tenth Human. The project merges the digital and real world through creative story-led engagement, working with 22 classes across 13 schools in Greater Manchester that span very diverse and largely deprived areas. The questions the team is trying to answer are:
- Can a year-long theatrical narrative help increase motivation, engagement, aspiration and even achievement in Year 3 learners?
- Can digital technologies be used to create sustainable, high-quality but affordable arts-based learning programmes for schools?
A ‘machine’ arrives in the Year 3 classroom with a note attached explaining that it is a ‘matter transporter’ belonging to Terri, a scientist. Children are immediately immersed in this world: they must act as expert investigators to help Terri re-build her time machine, sending and receiving objects via this matter transporter. The material covered is fully linked to the Year 3 science curriculum and makes the connection between thinking scientifically and thinking creatively, for both children and teachers.
Contrary to the children’s initial expectations, Terri is a young Black woman from Leeds. This is a deliberate choice on the part of the creators. The children meet her through video calls or recorded videos, and over the year they solve lots of problems together through weekly sessions. This use of technology makes the project sustainable and accessible for schools.
In addition to working with Terri, children also meet other experts, who are STEM professionals. Although the original plan was to involve only one or two STEM professionals, it went down so well that the programme was adapted to include more of this – there are now 10 involved, largely interacting through Zoom sessions, with some parts pre-recorded and some live. Out of the 10 professionals, seven are women, seven are from global majority ethnicities, and none ‘do potions wearing white coats.’ This has changed the children’s perceptions of who scientists are and what they do.
However, it is important to find the right people – those who are relatable and present well in front of children. Draw on groups such as STEM Ambassadors and university outreach networks, as well as your own networks of people you know, remembering that the right person might not call themselves a scientist. The team help the STEM professionals find the right things to say, making the experience accessible for researchers who otherwise might find it scary to talk to a class of young children.
The project evaluation suggests that participating children start talking about science at home, and when asked to draw a scientist, they will draw someone different at the end of the programme than at the outset.
During the first phase of the project, time was taken to build a relationship with teachers, enabling true collaboration, with the project developing based on their feedback. The programme also includes CPD for science teachers, featuring a mix of drama and arts techniques alongside some science.
Key messages
- Children will buy into the narrative and are engaged by the fun and magic that it brings into the classroom.
- The use of technology (live and recorded video) makes the programme sustainable and accessible for schools.
- The use of STEM professionals is key, but it’s important to find the right people for the job.
- Collaboration with teachers has shaped the programme for the better.
- The programme also includes CPD for science teachers in the participating schools.
Resources
https://www.z-arts.org/creative-learning/terri-and-the-time-machine/
This is the main web page for the project. It includes an excellent video that illustrates how the project sessions work, with reactions from students and teachers.
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