Science comics

A comic strip written by Emma Weitkamp to engage key stage 2 primary school children with science.

The SCU continues to explore visual media to communicate science. Dr Emma Weitkamp, in partnership with UWE chemists, received funding from the EPSRC to create a series of comic strips to engage school children with science. The project built on an initial comic sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry and The Return of the Chemedians theatre performance. It was based on characters created by Frank Burnet and is coordinated by Helen Featherstone.

Emma and Helen took their fun loving alien chemist, Selenia, into primary schools in the Bristol, Wiltshire and Hampshire areas. Taking the format of a comic adventure, the team developed a resource to support the teaching of scientific enquiry in primary schools.

The story

Selenia, having found an ancient and powerful book, worked out how to leave her planet, arriving on Earth abruptly in the middle of a football match. Finding that she is invisible to Earth's inhabitants, Selenia creates havoc by changing the properties of material.

In the middle of the game, the football turns into a balloon and goal posts become miraculously stretchy - changing the course of the game radically. But what happens when Selenia's head teacher discovers the book is missing and comes looking for them?

To find out more about the project, contact Emma Weitkamp.