Flying eggs become part of Year 5 Science Day experiment

The Lakes Free Range Egg Company went back to school earlier this month, with cases of eggs set to spark the imagination of primary school pupils attending the Ullswater Community College (UCC) Science Days

Nineteen Eden Primary schools visited UCC over a two week period, with pupils having the opportunity to discover more about science, the school and its science labs, hopefully encouraging future applications for secondary school places. The Year 5 Primary school pupils took part in two experiments based around a ‘space explorer ‘theme.
Sessions included identifying plant material and creating a prototype shuttle that would land scientists on the planet. As this experiment uses eggs as the astronauts, the school worked with Sainsbury’s and local egg supplier The Lakes Free Range Egg Company to secure enough eggs for the mission.

As well as supplying the eggs, Helen Brass, Company Secretary at The Lakes Free Range Egg Co and Alison Morton from the Penrith Sainsbury’s store took part in the experiment using an orange Sainsbury’s carrier for their space shuttle parachute.

Helen Brass from The Lakes said “The experiment was well thought out; pupils needed to use a variety of lightweight material to create a pod or basket for the egg astronaut to sit in when parachuting from the second floor balcony. The aim was to be as efficient and economical with material as possible, a great lesson in sustainability!

Pupils found it a fun experiment, though only one in three eggs survived the landing – thankfully at ‘Team Sainsbury’s/Lakes’, we managed not to crack our egg when it landed.”

Sustainable materials, and recycling were key features of the experiments, so to continue the theme, The Lakes provided each pupil with a recipe card that featured a sweet and savoury dish that makes the most of leftovers and eggs.

UCC Science Teacher Alex Ford said  “Working with The Lakes Free Range Egg Company and Sainsbury’s has been an extremely valuable experience and is a great opportunity to develop educational (even eggucational) links with local companies.  ‘The Lakes’ is providing a perfect opportunity to explore how businesses deal with the economic climate and, particularly for science, manage sustainability issues.”

In total, 345 primary school pupils from across Eden took part in the event. During the sessions numerous possible links and opportunities with ‘The Lakes’ Free Range Egg Company became evident, especially with the UCC Rural Science department aiming to look more closely at the sustainable and environmental practices at ‘The Lakes’ factory at Stainton.