Kitchen Sink Science Videos
I have always loved carrying out science investigations. There’s only so much you can take on board from textbooks, and sometimes you just need to do a bit of ‘hands-on’ science to really grasp what it’s all about.
This is why I came up with the idea for Kitchen Sink Science. I wanted to collect together a series of simple practical investigations that could be carried out at home with just the apparatus that can mostly be found in the kitchen, garden shed, garage, etc. To learn effectively from practical science doesn’t mean that you need to get fancy and expensive equipment – one of the investigations I’ve included just involves two empty cans and a bit of string!
But the beauty of science practical work is that you can extend it further to investigate and develop your own observations and conclusions. Hopefully my practical videos will also show you that investigations don’t always go right first time, and as a result you have to persevere until you get a successful outcome.
I have chosen the 20 practical investigations to be used alongside my Key Stage 3 Science Video Course. The table below shows the Ten Topics covered in the video course, and the investigations I suggest for Years 7 and 8. I really do hope that you enjoy my choices, and I would love to hear how you get on.
Summary of Practicals by Topic
| Key Stage 3 Topic | Year 7 Practicals | Year 8 Practicals |
|---|---|---|
| Forces | Measuring speed | Cartesian divers |
| Electromagnets | Insulators and conductors | Making an electromagnet |
| Energy | Energy transfer circus | A water thermometer |
| Waves | Tin can telephone | Making a pinhole camera |
| Matter | Crazy custard | Colouring milk |
| Reactions | Film canister rockets | Making sherbet |
| Earth | Making a lava lamp | Balloon powered car |
| Organisms | Colour changing carnation flowers | Pineapple enzymes |
| Ecosystems | Seed germination | Using quadrats in sampling |
| Genes | Variation and using data | Extracting strawberry DNA |
Graham Bray
Hi, I’m Graham Bray and welcome to my Kitchen Sink Science website.
Before taking early retirement three years ago I’d been a teacher for over 30 years and was the Head of Science and Director of STEM at a large comprehensive school in East Sussex. To bore you with the qualifications, I have a Joint Honours Degree in Botany and Zoology, and a PhD in Biological Sciences. I was also one of the first Advanced Skills Teachers in Kent and in 2014 I was nominated by East Sussex for the National STEM teacher of the Year Award.
I am a passionate believer in life-long learning, and I will do whatever I can to encourage learning for all ages. Using videos to enhance learning has great potential, and I hope to exploit this potential via my websites.
On a personal level I am married with two grown up daughters and one granddaughter. When not creating videos or tutoring online I relax (!) by working out at the gym, watching rugby and football, and doing work around the garden – having recently moved to a lovely old farmhouse in South Wales there is much work to be done!
