Bristol ChemLabS Schools' Laboratory Programme

Colour Chemistry Full Day Visit

Introduction

Bristol ChemLabS is making available its refurbished undergraduate teaching laboratories to groups of school students to support regional Chemistry teachers. The laboratories are the best of their type in the UK and amongst the very best teaching laboratories in the world.

This means opportunities for school students to study at a world-class university with world class facilities outside of undergraduate term time as well as on Wednesdays throughout the year.

The Colour Chemistry Full Day is one of several workshop days involving practical work designed by the Bristol ChemLabS School Teacher Fellow  with practical scripts written in appropriate language. The day follows the same laboratory session as the half day workshop and also includes talks and lecture demonstrations in the afternoon session.

Target Students

A maximum of 80 KS4 students who are capable of going on to study ‘A’ level chemistry. The group may be made up of more than one school.

Teachers

The number of teaching staff accompanying the student groups from each school should be what is considered appropriate by the local school rules, but there should be at least one teacher per group of up to 15 students.

Expected Timings

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Health and Safety

Extremely Important! Students and accompanying staff will be expected to follow the School of Chemistry's rules for visiting school scientists on health and safety in the laboratories as well as the specific health and safety requirements of the experiments.

This information MUST be made available to all pupils and accompanying adults.

This information MUST be made available to all pupils and accompanying adults.
Failure to observe these rules will result in no admittance to the laboratories for students or accompanying staff.

Click for full Bristol ChemLabS Health and Safety Rules

photo by riot_jane

The general rules include

• No eating, drinking or chewing gum in the laboratory.
• Safety glasses MUST be worn correctly at all times even if you wear glasses.
• Laboratory coats MUST be worn done up [we will provide the laboratory coats]
• NO open-toed shoes/sandals or flipflops or BALLET PUMPS (See picture) or any kind of shoes that expose the top of the foot. ONLY substantial enclosed shoes may be worn in the laboratories. Trainers are fine.
• No shorts, skirts or 3/4 trousers, long trousers or jeans MUST be worn.Tights are not acceptable alternatives.
• All long hair MUST be tied back, and long necklaces tucked away.
• No mobile phones/personal stereos are to be used in the laboratory.
• Keep your work area tidy and clean up any spills.
• Report all accidents/injuries and dangerous incidents to a member of staff.
• Wash your hands before and after you leave the laboratory.

Failure to observe safety rules including inappropriate clothing will result in no admission to the laboratories either for students or accompanying teachers.

Bristol ChemLabS has a more than sufficient supply of lab coats and safety glasses available for students and accompanying staff.  However, if students or staff wish to bring their own that is fine. Lab coats and safety glasses must be worn at all times in the laboratory. Failure to do so will result in no admittance to the laboratory or removal from it.

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Outline of Visit

Experiment Details

This practical workshop and has been successfully used with KS4 school students. The experiments look at pigment extraction, smart pigments and colorimetry.
The experiments include:

• The extraction of dyes from natural products, dyeing, the effect of pH
• Thermochromic pigments, fluorescence and phosphorescence
• Measuring the depth of colour and analysis of a coloured solution 

Groups of 10 to 12 students will each have a postgraduate chemist as a demonstrator. All postgraduates (and technicians) are CRB checked through the Science and Engineering Ambassadors (SEAs) or STEM Ambassadors Programme. It is not often that school students will have the opportunity to work with young professional scientists at such close quarters.

The experiments use equipment and that not normally used at GCSE.

Tour of the School of Chemistry

This is not available on this occasion.

Refreshments

Drinks and biscuits are provided.
Students must provide their own lunch (to avoid complications due to dietary requirements).

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Cost

Please contact Sue Williams for details.

Careers Advice

• We will endeavour to make chemistry careers literature available to every student who would like some. We obtain literature about careers in the chemical sciences from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) .
• University of Bristol and School of Chemistry prospectuses will be available.

Students with Special Needs

The teacher in charge of the visit is expected to notify the School of Chemistry in sufficient time if there are students with special needs so that appropriate risk assessments can be carried out.

Photography

Photography of the day's activities is welcomed. Teaching staff have found that images taken in the laboratory make good copy for school websites and newsletters. Images may be taken by School of Chemistry staff for our own websites, articles and other publications. Each school is requested to complete the consent form found at: http://www.chemlabs.bris.ac.uk/Documents/PhotoConsentForm.pdf and return it to Steve Croker by post or fax.

Arriving by Coach or Minibus.

There is no coach parking and very limited minibus parking (by prior booking chem_net@bristol.ac.uk). Coaches can drop off and collect students at a safe point opposite the entrance to Cantock's Close on Woodland Road.

A Map for the School of Chemistry, BS81TS. can be found by clicking here

Contact

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