Secondary at your school

Techniquest’s learning initiatives are not just confined to our centre in Cardiff Bay – why not book a Techniquest visit at your school?

Techniquest offers a unique range of challenge workshops, contemporary science debates and sessions in Techniquest’s portable Planetarium, Starlab, which are designed to encourage students studying Maths and Science at all stages of secondary education.  The flexibility of presenters allows schools to use Techniquest sessions as an introduction to a new topic, or to build on the knowledge that students already have.

Techniquest’s outreach shows and workshops have been developed in line with the Curriculum for Wales. On-line resources accompany the outreach sessions to provide extended information for teachers and to encourage further learning.

For information on costs of Techniquest programmes delivered at your school please ring 029 2047 5476 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

  • Starlab
  • Challenge Workshops

  • Starlab

    Techniquest’s Starlab is a mobile, inflatable Planetarium that brings the night sky to your school hall. It can be set up in under thirty minutes and easily deflated to accommodate other uses of the hall during the day.

    The session will introduce your students to the Universe. They will explore stars, galaxies, black holes and nebulae; finishing with a tour of the night sky.

    Techniquest will tailor shows to the ages, abilities and prior knowledge of pupils as well as your educational needs and interests.

    • Show length: 30-40 minutes
    • Maximum class size: 30 pupils
    • Maximum of six sessions a day.
    • Requires: 4.2m headroom, 7.5m x 7.5m floor space and 240v ac mains power supply.

  • Challenge Workshops

    Techniquest’s challenge workshops allow students to explore specific aspects of Applied Engineering, Maths, Technology and Science, through practical challenges set by Techniquest presenters. Students are introduced to the topic in a presenter-led discussionStudents are then encouraged to develop teamwork and co-operation skills through discussion and debate. After the completion of each challenge, students regroup in order to reflect on what they have learnt during the session, evaluating reasons for successes and failures, as well as suggesting improvements.

    Each session is designed to increase students’ awareness of the broad range of careers available within Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

    Club Challenge

    • Age group: Yrs 10-11
    • Workshop length: 1 hour
    • Maximum class size: 30
    • Maximum of 4 sessions per day

    A new under 18s night club is about to open in your town, and Livewire Ltd wants students’ help to make it as attractive and successful as possible. Competing in teams, pupils work together to come up with the best designs for the club. Using graphs, scale maps, budgets and by calculating areas, the group with the best pitch will win the contract from Livewire Ltd.

    Wheel Extreme

    • Age group: Yrs 7-9
    • Workshop length: 1 hour
    • Maximum class size: 30
    • Maximum of 4 sessions per day

    Extreme sports need extreme equipment, and wheelchair sports are no exception. Investigate a number of wheelchair sports, such as extreme wheelchairing, rock-climbing, rugby and fourcross, a sport similar to mountain biking. Explore how each sport uses a chair adapted from a standard wheelchair design to suit the requirements of the activity. Work in teams to design and build your own wheelchair for a chosen sport, while staying within a set budget. What important design features must you include? Calculate costs, consider different materials, build a prototype and pitch your final design to the rest of the class in your bid to create the best equipment. 

    Construct! Workshop

    • Age group: Yrs 10-11
    • Workshop length: 2 hours
    • Maximum class size: 30
    • Maximum of 2 sessions per day

    Can you and your team design a house that is environmentally friendly and also within your budget? Each student is assigned a particular rôle in the project and students must work together to  ensure that their houses are structurally sound by choosing compatible materials, that are sustainable and suitable for the chosen location and all paid for out of a budget of £50,000. Take on one of five different tasks in the project, from Quality Surveyor, Structural Engineer, Environmental Consultant, Crafts Person and Project Manager and keep live scores on your competitors as you design the perfect house to fit your brief. Can you deliver an inspiring sales pitch to outshine the competition?  

    Contemporary Science Debate - Discuss DNA

    • Age group: Yrs 11-13
    • Workshop length: 2 hours
    • Maximum class size: 30
    • Maximum of 2 sessions per day

    Forensic science and DNA technology are used by the police to solve crimes. But who owns your DNA? Students discover how DNA profiling is performed, what sort of information is stored and how technological advancements have an effect on society. What is so unique about DNA that sets it apart from other types of identification?  Should the uses of the National DNA Database be expanded to cover health and medical issues or in child support by tracing family links? This presenter-led game encourages debate about the social, moral and ethical issues surrounding the National DNA database.

    Topics include:

    • DNA profiling
    • Forensic science
    • Gene ownership
    • Developments in genetic technology and their impact on society.

This web site would like to use cookies to store information on your computer, to improve our website. Cookies used for the essential operation of the site have already been set.

To find out more about the cookies we use and how to delete them, see our privacy policy.

continue

EU Cookie Directive Module Information