Fish and Ships Project
Fish and Ships is a two-year project run by the School of Marine Science and Technology from the Dove Marine Laboratory. It aims to teach STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) in a new and innovative way. It is directed primarily at children in years 6 and 7 who do not have a family history of university attendance, this links in with the Headstart and Aimhigher initiatives.
This is one of four university lead STEM projects being run across the region; our other partners are the Universities of Sunderland, Teesside and Northumbria.
Study Sites
Four primary schools are taking part in the study, which is based around the River Tyne; each school has taken ownership of one of the following four sites:
- North Shields Fish Quay
- Hebburn
- Gateshead/Newcastle Quayside
- Wylam
At each of these sites, a particular type of boat has been dominant e.g. at North Shields there is a strong fishing community, at Hebburn the ship yards have traditionally provided work. The Tall Ships and Keelboats were common visitors to the quayside and Wylam, was a popular Victorian pleasure ground that had a rowing boats for hire and a ferry.
Each school is investigating the uses and structure of the vessels from their study site. They are thinking about how the different industries have shaped the communities that work in the area and they are exploring how the biodiversity in the river differs at each sites as the salinity and physical characteristics change.
Resources
We have found from experience that some activities engage children more than others; we are therefore using a wide range of strategies to make the project lively and stimulating. These include model boat making, taste sessions, hands on touch tank opportunities and the use of specially designed games.
One of the main themes of the project is fun learning underpinned by scientific investigation. The children are encouraged to use enquiry based leaning, to use all their senses to investigate the world around them. They are encouraged to pay attention to detail, i.e. when trying to classify animals into their scientific groups or draw animals accurately. They have identified animals and plants that are found in The River Tyne, thought about how they are adapted to their environment and what position they occupy in the food chain.
Food Tasting Sessions
Today’s children are often very removed from food sources in a way that previous generations were not. They frequently find it difficult to make the link between the food on their plate and the animals that they see in their natural surroundings. To overcome this, pupils had a food tasting session were they had the opportunity to eat a range of seafoods including: herrings, salmon, mussels, prawns and crabs, all which were locally sourced.
River in a Box game
This board game was designed and constructed exclusively for this project, it revolves around a plan of the River Tyne. Children have a variety of tasks to complete which allows them to expand their local knowledge, investigate the river’s structure, develop new skills and think about the role that the Tyne plays in our regions identify.
Outdoor Learning
A major element of the project is outdoor learning. A range of visits were organised such as a trip to the School of Marine Science and Technologies towing tank facility were the pupils were able to test their model vessels. The children saw firsthand how a working shipyard operated when they toured A and P’s yard in Hebburn. They had a behind the scenes visit to North Shields fish quay to look at look at fishing vessels and methods and, finally, explored their maritime heritage during a trip to the Newcastle/Gateshead quayside. The children also got an insight into science in a university setting when they visited the Dove Marine Laboratory and took part in a rocky shore investigation.
Summer Schools
One component of the Fish and Ship project is to help with the transition from primary to secondary school science. We run summer schools for children from both types of school to help them with this transition. It also allows them to work together to explore science in their everyday lives in a fun and exciting way. Secondary school children from year 7 spent 3 days investigating several marine habitats, including sand dunes, rocky shore and salt marshes. The primary school children were invited to attend a weeklong ‘Robinson Crusoe’ themed summer school were they had the opportunity to learn survival skills and design, build and race a raft.
Continuity
To provide continuity the project will be repeated during 2010 with a new cohort of year 6 children from the same four primary schools. Some of the children who have already taken part will visit their old schools to introduce the Fish and Ships project.
We will continue to work with the existing cohort in their new secondary schools, extending the Fish and Ships project and offering new STEM opportunities.
Student Ambassadors
Throughout the project a team of trained and CRB checked university student ambassadors are helping to support the children. They offer practical help but also acted as role models, encouraging the young people to think of university as a viable option for the future.
For further information please contact Susan Gebbels, Research Associate, Dove Marine Laboratory, Cullercoats, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE30 4PZ.
Please click here to try our interactive River on a Disc game.