Spring term

Crime Scene Investigators

A rock was discovered in a National Park… it had a hand print on it. The area was sectioned off by a security guard who would only tell us that a team of specialist investigators were on the way. We wanted to learn more about what a National Park was and where in the United Kingdom we would find them. 
We begin to work in role as the team investigating this rock with the mysterious hand print. We were contacted by the National Parks as they needed to tell us that strange holes were being discovered next to the Standing Stones in 5 different parks. What did this mean? Our investigation began.

The team decided that people must be coming to dig these holes at night so they set up CCTV cameras to try and catch what was happening. We used our scientific knowledge of shadows to create the footage of what the cameras saw.

The team continued to work in the background developing their scientific skills. As we work a lot at night we need to wear clothes that will reflect light in order to keep us safe. We tested which materials reflected light the most.

This term we have been working as a team of Rockhounds specialising in all things to do with Rock. Our first task was to prove to our client, Dr Dora, that we were experts in different rock types. We tested lots of rocks to test their properties. She then asked us to travel to Heimaey in Iceland to find basalt. When we arrived the local people were upset that a carbon capture company were planning on pumping carbon into the basalt on the island. They believed this might cause earthquakes. We investigated tectonic plates and proved that them shifting would cause earthquakes, not the carbon capture which is in fact good for the environment.