When investigations go wrong! "Well, that worked last time I did it!" - it happens all the time. Console yourself with the realisation that some of the best Science teaching and learning comes from experiments that go wrong. The discussion and reasons given for not getting the answers the class expect are very valuable.

Was the equipment set up properly? Is everything working? Were extraneous factors involved? What should we try next?

Remind pupils that no real scientist accepts a one-off result!

Interactivity Many of the activities mentioned in the topic pages on this site are interactive whiteboard activities, ideal for whole-class teaching. If you do not have an interactive whiteboard in school, you may wish to invest in a wireless mouse (£20-£30) that can be handed round from pupil to pupil, so that everyone can take part.
Check with your network administrator before purchasing.

Sometimes you can't see the whole of an interactive whiteboard activity screen, because the toolbar and menus on Internet Explorer get in the way. The secret is to press the F11 key (at the back of the keyboard). This lets you see the whole page without the menus, etc. To return to normal, just press F11 again.

Using the Digital Camera

• Use to take photos of stages of an investigation.
• Insert into Word, Publisher or PowerPoint document to provide a record.
• Use in a Materials Walk or pond dipping excursion

Using the Digital Blue Video Camera

• Take short movies of an investigation. Insert into PowerPoint.
• Film an interview between 2 pupils where they are explaining a scientific process.
• Animate a scientific process using plasticine, eg peristalsis
• If you have a projector, use the Digital Blue camera as a way of helping the whole class to see an investigation clearly. Open the software and point the camera at the experiment - the image is projected on the screen for everyone to see.

Using the Digital Microscope

• Can be used in hand-held mode or sitting in its cradle.
• Take small time-lapse movies of eg seeds germinating or bicarbonate of soda reacting with vinegar.
• Take magnified pictures of materials to see if you can explain why one material may be stronger or more flexible than another

Using the Datalogger

• Older pupils can use the datalogger without a computer, simply by reading the digital display
• Placing an ordinary blank jack plug into a socket on the datalogger disables that sensor - can make the display less complicated for pupils to read
• Pupils respond well to experiments that solve a problem. Pose questions that only the datalogger can answer, eg I need a bright light when I am camping. Which of these torches should I take? My friend's baby wakes up too early in the summer. Which fabric should she use for the nursery curtains?
• Remember that the datalogger can also measure speed, using a 'light gate' (see the P4-7 friction experiment in the folder). If pupils are making technology buggies, one of the criteria can be "How could you make it go faster?". This should stimulate experimentation with streamlining, weight, smooth running of wheels, etc. A fair test can be devised using a ramp to test buggies against each other to find the champion.

Note: Every primary school in SBC has a LogIT Explorer datalogging kit. Every school also has a folder of Teaching Notes. The same notes, plus some extras and troubleshooting tips are also available on the Education ICT website