Thursday 13 March marked the opening day of the Big Bang Science Exhibition at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre. It is the largest celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths for young people (primarily aged 7-19) in the UK.  

Queenswood Year 7 pupils attended the event along with over 15,000 other students nationwide, experiencing for themselves Science in action, making, shaking, breaking, building and exploding a whole range of things, putting their classroom learning in context and embarking on a journey of discovery. The day featured explosive theatre shows, including  ‘Fireworks – Real Science or Just Bangs?’ on the Hydrogen stage, ‘Who Wants to be a Superhero?’ on the Titanium Stage and ‘The Most Disgusting Show in the World’ on the Oxygen stage.

Year 7 girls had the freedom to explore the arena floor, visiting hundreds of exhibition stands. The Arena was divided into themed sections – On the Move, Energise, Go Global, Think Digital, The Source, X+Why?, Alive and Farm to Fork. Pupils had a chance to immerse themselves in engaging activities, and there were decisions to be made – whether to enter the Astrodome and explore the night sky; climb through a nose and learn about the secret life of snot (and make their own!); visit the Zoo Bus and use USB microscopes to bring microbes to life on a 46” screen; or use a pantograph (a giant drawing machine) to make miniature silhouettes of their friends.

The Fair is more than just a great day out; it’s an opportunity to meet some of the country’s leading scientists and engineers and to discover how school subjects can lead to fantastic, rewarding careers.