As part of British Science Week, a group of International Baccalaureate (IB) Lower Sixth boys hosted an exhibition stand at Bedpop Science Lab at The Higgins Bedford to teach primary school-aged children how to examine tiny, but amazing pond invertebrates using microscopes and magnifying glasses.
The boys spent all day helping children visiting the museum to identify living pond creatures such as small pond snails, lesser ramshorn snails, flatworms, daphnia, freshwater shrimps and midges, identifying them from a tick checklist.
One key benefit of the IB is that it offers boys a holistic approach to education, not least because of its Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) element, which helps develop curious, knowledgeable and caring young people who contribute to making the world a better place.
Mr Chris Jones, Master in Charge of Ickwell Nature Reserve, said, “I received some fabulous support from the five boys who worked tirelessly with the young audience and their families in explaining the intricacies of life in freshwater and how to use magnification equipment to investigate further. I loved all the interactions and especially the ‘Does a snail have a heart?’ question.”