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Humphry Davy - Crossing the arts/science divide in schools
These resources, for pupils aged 11 to 14 are ideal for teachers to show the cross-curricular links between literacy and science. They have been created to demonstrate, through the poetry of the early nineteenth-century chemist, Sir Humphry Davy, that creativity is crucial for science and that English literature can embrace scientific ideas. The resources are based on research by the Humphry Davy Notebooks Project at Lancaster University. These lesson plans and resources show the interdisciplinary nature of Davy’s work which is evidenced in his notebooks which are housed at the Royal Institution in London.
In these lessons pupils are introduced to the poetry of the famous scientist Humphry Davy by studying in depth the opening lines of one of the poems found in his notebooks, ‘Many years have pass’d.’ There is one science lesson and one, maybe two, English lessons depending on a school’s lesson length. In both subjects’ lessons pupils will look at the same section of poetry and try and interpret its meaning by looking at some key words from a science point of view in science and from an English perspective in the English lesson.
At the start and end of each subjects’ lessons, pupils are asked how an understanding of science can support their understanding of poetry and vice versa to see if their opinions change during the course of the lesson(s). Professor Sharon Ruston in the Department of English Literature and Creative Writing at Lancaster University is very interested to learn how pupils’ opinions change over the course of these lessons so would be grateful if you could send her the pupils’ responses. (s.ruston@ lancaster.ac.uk)
The lessons are supported by presentations, worksheets, including adaptable versions, and videos about Davy from an English and science point of view.
Science lesson video
English Lesson video
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Humphry Davy - teacher guidance 1.32 MB
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Pupil responses record spreadsheet 15.42 KB
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Pupil responses record spreadsheet 16.86 KB
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Humphry Davy - teacher guidance 1.32 MB -
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Pupil responses record spreadsheet 15.42 KB -
Pupil responses record spreadsheet 16.86 KB
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Download all files as a .zip95.68 MB
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