At the moment, I single-handedly organise and lead the Exploring Everyday (Bio)Chemistry Society at The Tiffin Girls’ School
The idea of running a scientific club had been slowly growing in my mind since the start of the 2018 summer holidays. Having just finished all my GCSE exams, it was almost expected that I would want to completely avoid any curricular activities; however, I remained passionately interested in the subjects I chose to study at Sixth Form and started really looking forward to studying A-Level Chemistry in particular. Curious as to what the A-Level course would be like, I came across the FutureLearn course on ‘Exploring Everyday Chemistry’ run by the University of York. In six weeks, I was exposed to the fascinating organic chemistry and biochemistry that underpinned so many commonplace products and concepts- ranging from fragrances to beverages.
I decided on modifying the course content and researching relevant topics in greater detail to start up our school’s very own Exploring Everyday (Bio)Chemistry Society; the concept of connecting chemistry with everyday products is a brilliant one that would encourage engagement with science (particularly for younger pupils in KS3 and 4).
What makes this weekly club unique is that, each half-term, I carry out and lead experiments to enhance the course content and help younger students (and myself) develop vital practical skills.
So far, the sessions have been a great success and we have covered a large variety of topics from perfumes to edible water bottles.
I have written the following posts about some of the most exciting sessions:
- Wake Up And Smell The Solvents
- Keep Calm and Curry On
- Unraveling the Secrets of Spider Silk – 1
- In The Lab: Synthesising Polymers
- Further Experimentation with Polymers
- The Shape Of Water
- Wildflowers and Chemistry
Curiosity Killed The Cation 