Professor Brainstorm currently has 5 science shows available:

The Magical Science Show

The Fantastic Forces Show

The Amazing Sound and Light Show

Year 6 SATs Science Revision Show

Mission to Mars Show

Each show:

lasts approximately one hour

is designed for pupils aged 5 to 11

(content of shows is adjusted according to age of pupils - but mixed age audiences are not a problem)

is suitable for groups of 40 to 100 pupils

(larger groups can be catered for on request - see Prices for details)

All you need to provide are a couple of large tables (and a school hall!)

Effective learning:
These shows are more than just a few `gee-whizz' experiments.
I get the pupils involved with the show by (a) getting them to help with the experiments, and (b) challenging them to explain how the experiments work. (I am constantly amazed by some of the answers - even from very young pupils.)
I also provide an information leaflet for teachers - which gives more details of the experiments and some ideas for follow-up activities.
Children really do remember what they have seen in my shows - and (most importantly) they remember how the experiments work!

Professor Brainstorm - and some helpers from the audience - perform many exciting, puzzling and fascinating experiments. It looks like magic - even Harry Potter gets to lend a hand! - but everything is carefully explained using science. The show is designed to stimulate, entertain and educate - and to convey the message that Science is Fun!

suitable for Reception to Year 6

(P1 - P7 in Scotland)

Links to National Curriculum Science for England and Wales:
Properties of Materials - QCA Science units   1C sorting and using materials, 2D grouping and changing materials, 3C characteristics of materials, 5C gases around us, 5D changing state, 6D reversible and irreversible change, 7G particle model of solids, liquids and gases, 8I heating and cooling.
Electricity - QCA Science units   2F using electricity, 4F circuits and conductors.

Curriculum links for Scotland:
Materials from Earth - uses of materials, properties of solids, liquids and gases
Changing Materials - changing materials by stretching, heating and cooling
Properties and uses of Energy - simple circuits, electrical conductors and insulators
Forces and their Effects - sinking and floating, balanced and unbalanced forces

Professor Brainstorm (and his young assistants) perform experiments which investigate a wide range of forces - including friction, gravity, magnetism and air resistance. Some of the experiments will amaze you, some will make you laugh - and all of them provide examples of forces in action. A stimulating experience for pupils - and teachers!

suitable for Reception to Year 6

(P1 - P7 in Scotland)

Links to National Curriculum Science for England and Wales:
QCA Science units - 1E pushes and pulls, 2E forces and movement, 3E magnets and springs, 4E friction, 6E forces in action, 7K forces and their effects, 8J magnets and electromagnets.

Curriculum links for Scotland: Forces and their Effects -
examples of pushing and pulling, effects of forces on speed and direction of an object; attraction, repulsion and other properties of magnets; friction, gravity and air resistance; balanced and unbalanced forces; force, area and pressure.

For younger audiences the show concentrates more on Sound - the pupils get lots of opportunities to take part in this show as we investigate a range of weird and wonderful instruments - including a hosepipe clarinet, a thunder drum, and some singing chickens! We investigate how the sounds are produced and what factors affect the pitch and loudness of the sounds.
Depending on the age of the audience, the Light part of the show can include making a rainbow, investigating how we see things (optical illusions) and the science of suntans!

suitable for Reception to Year 6

(P1 - P7 in Scotland)

Links to National Curriculum Science for England and Wales:
QCA Science units - 1F sound and hearing, 3F light and shadows, 5F changing sounds, 6F how we see things, 8K light, 8L sound and hearing.

Curriculum links for Scotland: Properties and uses of Energy
Sound - sources of light and sound, linking sound to vibration, relationship between pitch, frequency and loudness
Light - colours, mixing colours, the visible spectrum, what happens when light passes through various materials, uses of lenses

Give your pupils an unfair advantage in their Year 6 Science SAT!
This fast-moving show gets the pupils thinking about many of the key concepts in Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Science (Sc3 and Sc4) - including:

Forces - magnets, gravity, friction, air resistance and upthrust

Properties of Materials - changing state, reversible / irreversible change

Electricity - circuits, conductors and insulators

Sound - vibrations, loudness and pitch

A memorable demonstration is worth a thousand words!
Pupils really do remember the things they see in this show.

The show starts with the preparation for the mission - finding out how far it is to Mars and what they might eat on the journey (including the chance to sample some space food). We prepare for blast-off with some fun indoor rockets - and then discover what it is like on the surface of Mars - and why astronauts need to wear a spacesuit. The teacher notes provided with the show give lots of additional information about Mars and human exploration of space. A must-see show for every budding junior astronaut!

suitable for Year 3 to Year 6

(P4 - P7 in Scotland)

Links to National Curriculum Science for England and Wales:
Most relevant to QCA Science units - 5C gases around us, 5E Earth, Sun and Moon, 6E forces in action.

Curriculum links for Scotland:
Earth in Space - our position in the solar system; temperatures and atmospheres on other planets
Forces and their Effects - effects of forces on speed and direction of an object; air resistance; relationship between gravity and weight