Talking Stem Cells

Resource portfolio and scientist led workshops to enrich the teaching and learning of Stem Cells in Scottish Secondary Schools. The portfolio incorporates interactive student exercises and discussions on science ethical issues within the class and across schools in Scotland, making use of SSCN experts, Glow Meet and public outreach activities.

Resources will be available in a diverse range of media formats from printed workbooks and information sheets, interactive quizzes and learning exploration and video and web based activities. These will be delivered by experts within SSCN including the three scientists who piloted the Stem Cell Roadshow in 2010. Additionally, we will collate specific resources to provide teacher led packs that can be used in schools with online expertise from scientists.

Scientist led Workshops

Scientists will run workshops with focus on:

  • A basic introduction into stem cells, the science.
  • How can we use Stem Cells
  • What does the future hold
  • The Ethical questions
  • Careers in the Stem Cell Industry

Teacher led lessons

An extensive resource for teaching stem cells in Scottish Secondary Schools.

The resource has been developed with the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence in mind and provides easy to access activities to engage pupils in the subject  of Stem Cells across the subject areas of Biology, RMPS and English.

The activities can be used as part of a wider project on Stem Cells or individually to cover specific areas.

To obtain a free copy of the resource kit please contact henriette@sscn.co.uk

Key Objectives

To support the knowledge and understanding of topical issues in the area of stem cells; to provide the foundation for the scientifically sound decision making; to enable and encourage the ethical debate associated with stem cells among young adults; and to demonstrate the opportunities offered by science as a career and thereby encourage more young people to chose to study subjects relevant to Regenerative Medicine. The project closely matches the strategic objectives of ‘Smarter Scotland’ by providing expert support to introduce Stem Cells, an identified key scientific development area, within the Scottish Secondary Schools, while promoting stem cell science as a career option.

Resource bank

Resources will be available in a diverse range of media formats from printed workbooks and information sheets, interactive quizzes and learning exploration and video and web based activities.

Additionally, we will collate specific resources to provide teacher led packs that can be used in schools with online expertise from scientists.

Benefits

A major benefit of this project is the provision of validated material and information by experts active in current research in the field. The involvement of scientists in the delivery of the roadshow introduces reality to the class room experience and provides an opportunity to explore science as a career.

Talking Stem Cells Latest News

Talking Stem Cells - the ethics goes to Gairloch
By Henriette Laidlaw 09 May 2012

On Thursday May 17 the Scottish Stem Cell Network(SSCN)  will be at Gairloch High School running a couple of workshops on ethics titled

 Some patients are asking for more stem cell treatments to be made available in the UK – 

“we don’t need so much testing we just want treatments now!”

The workshops will be run for the S2 and S3 pupils and will be lead by Professor William Ritchie. 

The workshop will be simultaneously broadcasted on Glow TV out to Secondary Schools across Scotland, who will be able to join in the discussion online.

William Ritchie, PhD, who has worked at the world famous Roslin Institute, in Scotland, for over thirty years, is an expert on cloning and was the embryologist on the team who produced Dolly the sheep, the first animal cloned from and adult animal. He has contributed many scientific papers and written several book chapters on scientific techniques. His present research involves the rescue of endangered species of animals using modern reproductive techniques; this is being carried out with the aid of a ‘Genecom’ Orphans Project grant. He is a member of an international consortium of scientists who have a ‘BREAD’ grant, which is attempting to make a cloned transgenic cow in Africa which will be resistant to the parasite which causes Sleeping Sickness in humans. William Ritchie has taught students and researchers a number of micromanipulation techniques in countries including Australia, Japan, Thailand, India as well as in Europe.

Recently he has been involved in a project focusing on the Scottish Wild Cat.

While in Gairloch Professor Ritchie will also participate live on 2 Lochs Radio, a small commercial and community broadcaster for Gairloch and Loch Ewe areas of Wester Ross, Scotland, on 106 and 106.6 PM. Tune in Wednesday May 16 between 5 and 7pm to catch the Interview. You can also tune in online: http://www.2lr.co.uk/

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