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Free Music Instrument lessons for the Public
Music for All, the charity of the UK musical instrument industry is proud to announce the first, annual, National Learn to Play Day taking place on March 31st, 2012.
On this day, the UK’s musical instrument shops will open their doors and offer free instrument “taster” lessons to the general public.
There are 15 million people in the UK that either want to play an instrument or used to play one. The Day is designed to welcome people into music shops and to inspire them to get playing. People are often surprised to discover that they ARE musical and simply need a musical “experience” to get them inspired to start playing.
The Day will offer free lessons on a variety of instruments, supported by music teachers and additional guidance on getting started learning to play music. The UK’s instrument manufacturers will also be supporting the event with staff, instruments and special offers!
Participating stores in Edinburgh include Red Dog Music (1 Grassmarket) and Rae Macintosh (6 Queensferry Street).
World TB Day, falling on March 24th each year, is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of several million people each year, mostly in developing countries.
It commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus. At the time of Koch’s announcement in Berlin, TB was raging through Europe and the Americas, causing the death of one out of every seven people. Koch’s discovery opened the way towards diagnosing and curing TB.
Tell the world what you want to see in your lifetime
Progress in the global fight against TB cannot wait. For the World TB Day Campaign 2012, you can make an individual call to stop TB in your lifetime.
Do you want to see zero deaths from TB, faster treatment, an effective vaccine?
Visit www.mystoptb.org to make your own poster or upload a video with a personal message.
The World TB Day Campaign 2012 will allow people all over the world to make an individual call to stop TB in their lifetimes.
In their lifetimes, today’s children should expect to see a world where no one gets sick with TB.
In their lifetimes, women and men should expect to see a world where no one dies from TB.
People of different ages and living in different countries could have these hopes for stopping TB in their lifetimes:
- Zero deaths from TB
- Faster treatment
- A quick, cheap, low-tech test
- An effective vaccine
- A world free of TB.
International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day.
The theme for 2012 is Water and Food Security.
Download and print out these materials for your World Water Day event or classroom and learn more about this years topic of ‘Water and Food Security’!
Water for Food Wallchart – 3 x A3 >>
How much water Download Game >>
Download Poster
216 x 85 cm >>
Racism, xenophobia and intolerance are problems prevalent in all societies. Each and every one of us plays a role in either contributing to or breaking down racial prejudice and intolerant attitudes.
Send a message that racism is unacceptable. Download a postcard and send it to your friends.
Share this page with your social networks and ask what others are doing to fight racism.
Get involved
Tell us what you are doing to combat racism on the Let’s Fight Racism Facebook page or via Twitter using #FightRacism.
See what actions others are taking on the Let’s Fight Racism Storify page.
Take a stand against racism in your community. Join a group advocating for the rights of racial or other minorities in your own community and volunteer to help, including through online volunteering.
Learn more
Seek different perspectives through reading the writings of authors of other races or ethnicity. Read real life stories about overcoming racial discrimination.
Take this quiz to test your knowledge on human rights and discrimination and to celebrate the human rights defenders who have fought for the rights of others.
Check out the UN’s global action plan to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
Click on a thumbnail above to share an image with your friends. Ask them what they see – is there more than meets the eye?
East Lothian
The East Lothian Diversity Network brings together individuals, community organisations and groups that are interested in equality and diversity issues. Everyone is welcome to join and take part in our events!
Key focuses of the Diversity Network
- Celebration: celebrating East Lothian’s rich diversity
- Policy: helping to shape our services and practices
- Information: gathering information about the needs and ambitions of minority groups
- Campaigns: improving the understanding of equality and diversity amongst the residents of East Lothian
Become a member
You can become a member of the Network. Here are some of the benefits of signing up:
- you get to take part in a variety of events to celebrate East Lothian’s diversity
- you will learn more about equality and diversity
- you can raise issues that are of concern to you
- you can help to shape public services by sharing your experiences with policymakers
Best of all, it’s free to join!
Email equalities@eastlothian.gov.uk to register
In December 2011, the General Assembly declared 21 March as World Down Syndrome Day (A/RES/66/149).
Down Syndrome is a type of mental disability caused by extra genetic material in chromosome 21. The cause is not known.
The estimated incidence of Down Syndrome is 1 in 1,000 births worldwide. Each year approximately 3,000 to 5,000 children are born with this chromosome disorder.
The following publications from Down’s Syndrome Scotland, are aimed at new parents and relatives although they will also be of interest to students and professionals.
When a baby has Down’s syndrome (370kb) – Information booklet for parents and relatives
Getting to know a baby with Down’s syndrome (147kb) – Information for parents and relatives
What is Down’s syndrome (456kb) – Booklet giving more detailed information
A Little Book About Babies (3521kb)– Booklet for parents and relatives includes inspirational stories and photos
The word Ides comes from the Latin word “Idus” and means “half division” especially in relation to a month. It is a word that was used widely in the Roman calendar indicating the approximate day that was the middle of the month. The term ides was used for the 15th day of the months of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th day of the other months. The Ides of March was a festive day dedicated to the god Mars and a military parade was usually held.
In modern times, the term Ides of March is best known as the date on which Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Caesar was stabbed (23 times) to death in the Roman Senate by a group of conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus.
According to Plutarch, a seer had foreseen that Caesar would be harmed not later than the Ides of March and on his way to the Theatre of Pompey (where he would be assassinated), Caesar met that seer and joked, “The Ides of March have come”, meaning to say that the prophecy had not been fulfilled, to which the seer replied “Aye, Caesar; but not gone.” This meeting is famously dramatized in William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, when Caesar is warned by the soothsayer to “beware the Ides of March.”
Pi, Greek letter (
), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi Day is celebrated by maths enthusiasts around the world on March 14th. Pi = 3.1415926535…
With the use of computers, Pi has been calculated to over 1 trillion digits past the decimal. Pi is an irrational and transcendental number meaning it will continue infinitely without repeating. The symbol for pi was first used in 1706 by William Jones, but was popular after it was adopted by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737.
Learn About Pi
The Number Pi
Pi represents the relationship between a circle’s diameter (its width) and its circumference (the distance around the circle).
Equations that use Pi
The area of a circle is calculated using Pi and the radius of the circle. This formula inspired the joke “Pies aren’t square, they’re round!”
To find the volume of a rectangular prism you calculate length × width × height. In that case, length × width is the area of one side, which is then multiplied by the height of the prism. Similarly, to find the volume of a cylinder, you multiply the area of the base (the area of the circle, which is pi × r²), then multiply that by the height of the cylinder.
Click here to send a Happy Pi Day e-card
Climate Week is a supercharged national campaign to inspire a new wave of action on climate change. It culminates with thousands of events and activities taking place throughout the week of 12 to 18 March 2012, planned by organisations from every part of society. Showcasing real, practical ways to combat climate change, the campaign aims to renew our ambition to create a more sustainable, low-carbon future.
The window of opportunity for action on climate change is rapidly closing. The UK is far from where it needs to be, but in every sector solutions are being pioneered, adopted and refined. The campaign aims to accelerate and enhance this process by inspiring more action through real examples – both the small improvements and the big innovations.
Climate Week is backed by every part of society – from the Prime Minister to Paul McCartney, the NHS to the Met Office, the TUC to the CBI, Girlguiding UK to the National Association of Head Teachers. It is supported by a Headline Partner Tesco, and four Supporting Partners: EDF Energy, H&M, Nissan and SodaStream. During the first Climate Week in 2011 over 3,000 events were attended by half a million people across the UK.
Climate Week’s Headline Partner is Tesco, which aims to become a zero-carbon business by 2050 – without purchasing offsets. In addition it has committed to work with its suppliers to reduce emissions from products in its supply chain by 30% by 2020, and to find ways to help its customers halve their own carbon footprints by 2020. Climate Week’s Supporting Partners are EDF Energy, H&M, Nissan and SodaStream. EDF Energy is Britain’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity, H&M is for a more sustainable fashion future, the 100% electric Nissan LEAF is driving change for a sustainable future, and SodaStream is the smarter way to enjoy sparkling drinks.
You can register now for the Climate Week Challenge, judged by celebrities including Kate Humble, Bruce Parry, and Liz Bonnin. The Climate Week Challenge in 2011 was Britain’s biggest ever environmental competition, with over 145,000 people participating in the one day and one-hour versions. This year teams from schools, workplaces, and community groups will again be challenged to come up with creative solutions to a problem that is only revealed on the Monday morning Climate Week.
The prestigious Climate Week Awards recognise the most inspirational and impressive actions taking place in every sector of society. The judging panel contains figures such as the human rights activist, Bianca Jagger, the former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, and the Bishop of London. Winners from 2011 included a community-run hydroelectric project in Settle, North Yorkshire, a virtually waterless new washing machine that uses polymer beads to clean clothes, and a schools project in the North East of England that has resulted in over 18,000 hours of pupil-led activities.
Climate Week Cuisine is a new part of the campaign for 2012, encouraging people to make the food that they eat a part of the solution to climate change. They can do this by joining in the call to action of eating a low carbon meal during Climate Week. This can be done easily by eating less meat or dairy, eating local, seasonal ingredients, or eating leftovers. Inspiration and ideas are being provided by a number of celebrity chefs including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Angela Hartnett, and Levi Roots.
There are a number of other elements to the campaign. The Climate Week Pub Quiz will be run in hundreds of pubs and workplaces. The Climate Week Play in a Day at the Arcola Theatre in London features award-winning writers and celebrity performers putting together five 15 minute plays in just 24 hours.
There were over 1,000 pieces of media coverage about the last Climate Week, with national articles ranging from the business pages of The Telegraph to the fashion pages of the Daily Mail. Television coverage included a feature on BBC Breakfast, an entire episode of children’s show Blue Peter, and comedian Marcus Brigstocke discussing the campaign on the One Show.
Organisations can get involved right now by starting to plan an event for Climate Week. This provides a unique opportunity to profile their own initiatives and innovations to stakeholders and staff, customers and the community, members and the media. They can also spread the word in advance, so that others find out about Climate Week in time to plan their own activities.
Individuals can help right now by asking the organisations they know – such as their workplace or local school – to plan an event or activity for Climate Week. They can also register to take part in the Climate Week Cuisine call to action and plan to eat a low carbon meal during Climate Week.
To find out more about Climate Week, or to register your event, go to www.climateweek.com, email info@climateweek.com or telephone on 020 3397 2601.
For specific reources for school teachers, please visit our Teacher Resources section of the website.
The World Education Games is the exciting event for ALL schools and students around the world. It runs from 6-8 March, involving 5.5million students from over 200 countries and territories.
Practice opens on 1 February. This is the global challenge to get ALL students (4-18 years of age) excited about learning, and to give the top students in each school an opportunity to see how they measure up against the best.
The format is:
1 February – The Games open for Practice
6 March – World Spelling Day
7 March – World Maths Day
8 March – World Science Day
23 March – Award Presentations at School Assemblies
Click on the pictures to download these handy resources.
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The World Education Games is the exciting event for ALL schools and students around the world. It runs from 6-8 March, involving 5.5million students from over 200 countries and territories.
Practice opens on 1 February. This is the global challenge to get ALL students (4-18 years of age) excited about learning, and to give the top students in each school an opportunity to see how they measure up against the best.
The format is:
1 February – The Games open for Practice
6 March – World Spelling Day
7 March – World Maths Day
8 March – World Science Day
23 March – Award Presentations at School Assemblies
Click on the pictures to download these handy resources.
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World Book Day was designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and is marked in over 100 countries around the globe.
To mark the day, school children are entitled to receive a World Book Day £1 Book
Token which can be exchanged for one of eight specially published World Book Day £1 Books, or is redeemable against any book or audio book of their choice costing £2.99 or more at a participating bookshop or book club. The World Book Day £1 Book Token will be valid from 27th February to 25th March 2012.
The full list of World Book Day £1 books for 2012 is:
* The What the Ladybird Heard Song, Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks (Macmillan)
* Winnie Flies Again, Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul (Oxford University Press)
* Where’s Wally Now?, Martin Handford (Walker Books)
* Magic Molly: The Clever Little Kitten, Holly Webb (Scholastic)
* Roald Dahl’s Fantabulous Facts, Roald Dahl (Puffin)
* How to Train Your Dragon: The Day of the Dreader, Cressida Cowell (Hodder Children’s Books)
* Big Day Out, Jacqueline Wilson, Illustrated by Nick Sharratt (Random House)
* Skulduggery Pleasant: The End of the World, Derek Landy (HarperCollins)
The World Book Day site has lots of Cool Stuff & Games featuring some favourite characters and competitions too.
In March more than 250,000 children will make over a million active and sustainable journeys to school as part of the UK’s biggest school cycling event.
- Pupils, teachers and parents cycle or scoot to school to complete each of the 15 Big Pedal stages, (a bit like the Tour de France)
- The more people that cycle or scoot to school, the faster your school completes each stage
- The Big Pedal winner is the school that completes the whole race in the quickest overall time
For more info take a look at http://thebigpedal.org.uk
The Facts…
There are over 50,000 people in the UK whose kidneys have failed.
These people will die without dialysis or transplantation.
7,000 of them are on the transplant list but there is a huge shortage of donor organs.
At least 1 of them will die every day.
World Kidney Day UK
Kidneys For Life
Over 3 million people in the UK are at risk of kidney disease
People with diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney problems or from a black or Asian background are particularly at risk.
Kidney Disease is common, harmful and can be treatable
What can I do to help myself?
- See your doctor for some simple checks
- Stop smoking, exercise regularly, eat a well balanced diet
- Take a look at our Healthy Kidneys Page
What can I do to help others?
Give the gift of life by putting your name on the Organ Donation Register
To learn about celebrations around the world and to download more resources, visit the International WKD site: www.worldkidneyday.org
World TB Day, falling on March 24th each year, is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of several million people each year, mostly in developing countries.
It commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus. At the time of Koch’s announcement in Berlin, TB was raging through Europe and the Americas, causing the death of one out of every seven people. Koch’s discovery opened the way towards diagnosing and curing TB.
Tell the world what you want to see in your lifetime
Progress in the global fight against TB cannot wait. For the World TB Day Campaign 2012, you can make an individual call to stop TB in your lifetime.
Do you want to see zero deaths from TB, faster treatment, an effective vaccine?
Visit www.mystoptb.org to make your own poster or upload a video with a personal message.
The World TB Day Campaign 2012 will allow people all over the world to make an individual call to stop TB in their lifetimes.
In their lifetimes, today’s children should expect to see a world where no one gets sick with TB.
In their lifetimes, women and men should expect to see a world where no one dies from TB.
People of different ages and living in different countries could have these hopes for stopping TB in their lifetimes:
- Zero deaths from TB
- Faster treatment
- A quick, cheap, low-tech test
- An effective vaccine
- A world free of TB.
Each year, on 23 March, the World Meteorological Organization, its 189 Members and the worldwide meteorological community celebrate World Meteorological Day around a chosen theme. This day commemorates the entry into force, on that date in 1950, of the WMO Convention creating the Organization. Subsequently, in 1951, WMO was designated a specialized agency of the United Nations System.
This year, the theme is “Powering our future with weather, climate and water”.
World Science Day on 8 March is Day 3 of the World Education Games – an exciting event for ALL schools and students around the world running from 6-8 March, involving 5.5million students from over 200 countries and territories.
Practice opens on 1 February. This is the global challenge to get ALL students (4-18 years of age) excited about learning, and to give the top students in each school an opportunity to see how they measure up against the best.
The format is:
1 February – The Games open for Practice
6 March – World Spelling Day
7 March – World Maths Day
8 March – World Science Day
23 March – Award Presentations at School Assemblies
Click on the pictures to download these handy resources.
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Wear your daffodil this March and help us continue caring for people with terminal cancer and other illnesses
Each March, the Great Daffodil Appeal aims to get everyone to wear a daffodil in support of our Marie Curie Nurses and raise money to help us provide more free care to people with terminal cancer and other illnesses.
But for those who have been touched by the work of Marie Curie, wearing the daffodil has a special and personal meaning.
Order a box of daffodils at – https://secure.mariecurie.org.uk/register/great-daffodil-appeal-box.aspx
Spring your school into action to support the Great Daffodil Appeal
Friday March 2, 2012
Brighten up your school and get pupils, teachers and school staff wearing yellow to raise money for the Great Daffodil Appeal 2012.
The money raised will help our Marie Curie Nurses provide more free care to people with terminal cancer and other illnesses, in their own homes.
How it works
Save the date
Promote Wear Something Yellow around your school and encourage everyone to wear something yellow on Friday March 2, 2012.
Ask form tutors to mention it in class. Put posters up in common areas.
March 2, 2012 is the official Wear Something Yellow to School day, but feel free to choose any day in March that suits your school.
Wear something yellow to school
Wear a yellow hat, tights, wig or pair of shoes – anything goes as long as it’s yellow.
Collect donations
Ask eveyone to donate £2 to dress up in yellow for the day.
Too cool to wear yellow to school?
Don’t worry, there are lots of other fundraising activities to get
everyone involved in supporting the Great Daffodil Appeal 2012.
Register
Register today and we’ll send you fundraising pack including
top tips for fundraising, posters, bunting,
a box of daffodils and much more.
Activity sheet
Download file
Quiz
Download file
Lesson plans
Download file
Wear Something Yellow to School poster
Download file
Yellow tie
Download file
Bunting
Download file
Beatbullying’s Big March 2012 is the world’s first virtual, global march for children’s right to be safe.
On 1st March 2012, tens of thousands of virtual marchers will cross the websites of the world’s biggest brands. They will speak with one voice, and call on the UN to enshrine explicitly in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, “The right of every child to be safe from bullying, violence and the fear of violence by their peers as well as from abuse by adults.” Register now at www.beatbullying.org/bigmarch
Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change lives. It’s back from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th March.
Everyone can take part in the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile at events across the UK plus there’ll be incredible celebrity challenges, tons of top TV to enjoy and more.
How does it help?
The money you raise is spent by Comic Relief to help people living incredibly tough lives, both at home in the UK and across the world’s poorest countries. It goes a long way too. From transforming the lives of people in the UK’s most disadvantaged communities, or those living with poor mental or physical health, to protecting street children and providing life-saving healthcare abroad.
How can I join in?
The best way to take part in the UK’s biggest year of sport is to enter the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile. With hundreds taking place across the UK, there’s bound to be one near you. Alternatively, you could do your own fundraising at work, in school, with family and friends or on your own.
http://www.sportrelief.com/
Poets convey a timeless message. They are often key witness to history’s great
political and social changes. Their writings inspire us to build lasting peace in our
minds, to rethink relations between man and nature and to establish humanism
founded on the uniqueness and diversity of peoples. This is a difficult task, requiring
the participation of all, whether in schools, libraries or cultural institutions. To quote
the poet Tagore, the 150th anniversary of whose birth will be celebrated this year, “I
have spent my days in stringing and unstringing my instrument.”Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO
Message for World Poetry Day
21 March 2011
Poetry contributes to creative diversity, by questioning anew our use of words and things, our modes of perception and understanding of the world. Through its associations, its metaphors and its own grammar, poetic language is thus conceivably another facet of the dialogue among cultures. Diversity in dialogue, free flow of ideas by word, creativity and innovation. World Poetry Day is an invitation to reflect on the power of language and the full development of each person’s creative abilities.
Every year on 21 March UNESCO celebrates the World Poetry Day. A decision to proclaim 21 March as World Poetry Day was adopted during the UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999.
UNESCO encourages the Member States to take an active part in celebrating the World Poetry Day, at both local and national level, with the active participation of National Commissions, NGOs and the public and private institutions concerned (schools, municipalities, poetic communities, museums, cultural associations, publishing houses, local authorities, etc.).
StAnza, Scotland’s international poetry festival, runs from March 14-18.
National Poetry Day
National Poetry Day takes place across the UK on Thursday 4 October 2012
Help us celebrate the richness, variety and sheer fun of poetry of all kinds, from song lyrics and nursery rhymes to works by poets laureate…
The 2012 theme will be…
We work with National Poetry Day UK, and as soon as the theme is agreed we’ll put it up right here!
National Poetry Day across Scotland and the UK
For details of National Poetry Day events around Scotland, browse our Events Calendar.
For poetry events outside Scotland, visit the National Poetry Day website.
If you’re planning your own National Poetry Day event in Scotland please let us know! Email reception@spl.org.uk
For teachers
Visit our For teachers pages to read poems, find posters, see ideas about how to use poetry in the classroom, and tips for using National Poetry Day postcards.
For librarians
Check our For librarians pages for event format ideas, easy ways to find all sorts of poems on this year’s theme, and other useful resources to help you plan National Poetry Day with flair and not very much cash.
National Poetry Day postcards
You can collect free poetry postcards from the Scottish Poetry Library.
Or read them in our Poem stacks online.
Contact us at reception@spl.org.uk if you would like to get your hands on some, or send a stamped SAE for a free set.
National Poetry Day
National Poetry Day takes place across the UK on Thursday 4 October 2012
Help us celebrate the richness, variety and sheer fun of poetry of all kinds, from song lyrics and nursery rhymes to works by poets laureate…
The 2012 theme will be…
We work with National Poetry Day UK, and as soon as the theme is agreed we’ll put it up right here!
National Poetry Day across Scotland and the UK
For details of National Poetry Day events around Scotland, browse our Events Calendar.
For poetry events outside Scotland, visit the National Poetry Day website.
If you’re planning your own National Poetry Day event in Scotland please let us know! Email reception@spl.org.uk
For teachers
Visit our For teachers pages to read poems, find posters, see ideas about how to use poetry in the classroom, and tips for using National Poetry Day postcards.
For librarians
Check our For librarians pages for event format ideas, easy ways to find all sorts of poems on this year’s theme, and other useful resources to help you plan National Poetry Day with flair and not very much cash.
National Poetry Day postcards
You can collect free poetry postcards from the Scottish Poetry Library.
Or read them in our Poem stacks online.
Contact us at reception@spl.org.uk if you would like to get your hands on some, or send a stamped SAE for a free set.
Biodiversity, the variety of life on Earth, is crucial to sustaining our lives. It produces air for us to breathe, food to eat, water to drink and even medicines to cure our ills. It also provides value to us through activities such as walking or birdwatching and inspiration for art. We need it for our overall health, wealth and wellbeing.
With these thoughts in mind, the theme for Scottish Biodiversity Week (19-27 March 2012) is “Biodiversity is Life – Biodiversity is Our Life” in order to emphasise the critical links between us and our amazing, complex world.
Scotland’s precious wildlife and landscapes are dear to us and Scottish Biodiversity Week is a great opportunity to get out and about and experience them!
East Lothian Council Biodiversity Officer – can give presentations to schools or classes on biodiversity or related topics. The Biodiversity Officer will also help to develop school grounds, particularly through the Grounds for Awareness award. This award is launched annually in September and can offer up to £1000 for a wildlife, gardening or landscaping project within school grounds. 01620 827242
East Lothian Countryside Ranger Service – can visit schools or help with longer term studies such as rivers or rock pooling. They can also work closely with related initiatives such as the John Muir Award and Forest Schools. ranger@eastlothian.gov.uk.
www.www.edubuzz.org/blogs/rangerservice
East Lothian Outdoor Learning Service – often working closely with the Ranger Service. They can provide environmental education, linking this with adventurous activities such as canoeing, gorge walking or coasteering. 0131 653 5217
www.www.edubuzz.org/outdoorlearning
East Lothian Council have produced a teachers guide about wildlife and the natural world. The 16 page download includes classroom projects,useful websites, pictures and ideas. The Guide suggests good locations close to schools and how to prepare for a visit. Download your Biodiversity Education Guide here
No Smoking Day takes place on 14 March 2012. On the day more than a million smokers are expected to make a quit attempt.
Over the last quarter of a century we’ve grown into the UK’s leading public health event, helping over a million smokers to quit for good.
With No Smoking Day, there’s no pressure. When smokers are ready to stop, we’re here and ready to help, directing people to the support that’s right for them, when and where they want it.
Take the Leap with No Smoking Day
We know that most smokers would really like to stop, but find it hard to. So this year we are encouraging smokers to Take the Leap and give it a go. The theme recognises that giving up is tough, but the positive image and slogan speaks strongly to smokers helping them to aspire to a smokefree future
‘Take the Leap’ and its energetic accompanying image aim to echo the UK’s focus on the Olympics, asking smokers to think about their physical health. The campaign also coincides with a leap year – leap day will be an excellent opportunity to help smokers prepare to Take the Leap two weeks later on 14 March.
The ‘Take the Leap’ theme was developed with smokers themselves and reflects the positive messaging of the charity, we are here for smokers who want to quit and will help them take a leap towards a healthier, wealthier future.
No Smoking Day is part of the British Heart Foundation and offers year round resources to help people who want to quit. These include WeQuit.co.uk our dedicated quitters’ website, our online community forum which is host to 36,000 quitters and a suite of resources and tips and advice for smokers.
For more information about No Smoking Day visit our about section.
East Lothian residents wishing to seek advice can call 0131 537 9914 or email stopsmoking@eastlothian.gov.uk
Pi, Greek letter (), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th. Pi = 3.1415926535…
With the use of computers, Pi has been calculated to over 1 trillion digits past the decimal. Pi is an irrational and transcendental number meaning it will continue infinitely without repeating. The symbol for pi was first used in 1706 by William Jones, but was popular after it was adopted by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737.
Learn About Pi
The Number Pi
Pi represents the relationship between a circle’s diameter (its width) and its circumference (the distance around the circle).
Equations that use Pi
The area of a circle is calculated using Pi and the radius of the circle. This formula inspired the joke “Pies aren’t square, they’re round!”
To find the volume of a rectangular prism you calculate length × width × height. In that case, length × width is the area of one side, which is then multiplied by the height of the prism. Similarly, to find the volume of a cylinder, you multiply the area of the base (the area of the circle, which is pi × r²), then multiply that by the height of the cylinder.
Click here to send a Happy Pi Day e-card
(via www.piday.org)
Climate Week is a supercharged national campaign to inspire a new wave of action on climate change. It culminates with thousands of events and activities taking place throughout the week of 12 to 18 March 2012, planned by organisations from every part of society. Showcasing real, practical ways to combat climate change, the campaign aims to renew our ambition to create a more sustainable, low-carbon future.
The window of opportunity for action on climate change is rapidly closing. The UK is far from where it needs to be, but in every sector solutions are being pioneered, adopted and refined. The campaign aims to accelerate and enhance this process by inspiring more action through real examples – both the small improvements and the big innovations.
Climate Week is backed by every part of society – from the Prime Minister to Paul McCartney, the NHS to the Met Office, the TUC to the CBI, Girlguiding UK to the National Association of Head Teachers. It is supported by a Headline Partner Tesco, and four Supporting Partners: EDF Energy, H&M, Nissan and SodaStream. During the first Climate Week in 2011 over 3,000 events were attended by half a million people across the UK.
Climate Week’s Headline Partner is Tesco, which aims to become a zero-carbon business by 2050 – without purchasing offsets. In addition it has committed to work with its suppliers to reduce emissions from products in its supply chain by 30% by 2020, and to find ways to help its customers halve their own carbon footprints by 2020. Climate Week’s Supporting Partners are EDF Energy, H&M, Nissan and SodaStream. EDF Energy is Britain’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity, H&M is for a more sustainable fashion future, the 100% electric Nissan LEAF is driving change for a sustainable future, and SodaStream is the smarter way to enjoy sparkling drinks.
You can register now for the Climate Week Challenge, judged by celebrities including Kate Humble, Bruce Parry, and Liz Bonnin. The Climate Week Challenge in 2011 was Britain’s biggest ever environmental competition, with over 145,000 people participating in the one day and one-hour versions. This year teams from schools, workplaces, and community groups will again be challenged to come up with creative solutions to a problem that is only revealed on the Monday morning Climate Week.
The prestigious Climate Week Awards recognise the most inspirational and impressive actions taking place in every sector of society. The judging panel contains figures such as the human rights activist, Bianca Jagger, the former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, and the Bishop of London. Winners from 2011 included a community-run hydroelectric project in Settle, North Yorkshire, a virtually waterless new washing machine that uses polymer beads to clean clothes, and a schools project in the North East of England that has resulted in over 18,000 hours of pupil-led activities.
Climate Week Cuisine is a new part of the campaign for 2012, encouraging people to make the food that they eat a part of the solution to climate change. They can do this by joining in the call to action of eating a low carbon meal during Climate Week. This can be done easily by eating less meat or dairy, eating local, seasonal ingredients, or eating leftovers. Inspiration and ideas are being provided by a number of celebrity chefs including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Angela Hartnett, and Levi Roots.
There are a number of other elements to the campaign. The Climate Week Pub Quiz will be run in hundreds of pubs and workplaces. The Climate Week Play in a Day at the Arcola Theatre in London features award-winning writers and celebrity performers putting together five 15 minute plays in just 24 hours.
There were over 1,000 pieces of media coverage about the last Climate Week, with national articles ranging from the business pages of The Telegraph to the fashion pages of the Daily Mail. Television coverage included a feature on BBC Breakfast, an entire episode of children’s show Blue Peter, and comedian Marcus Brigstocke discussing the campaign on the One Show.
Organisations can get involved right now by starting to plan an event for Climate Week. This provides a unique opportunity to profile their own initiatives and innovations to stakeholders and staff, customers and the community, members and the media. They can also spread the word in advance, so that others find out about Climate Week in time to plan their own activities.
Individuals can help right now by asking the organisations they know – such as their workplace or local school – to plan an event or activity for Climate Week. They can also register to take part in the Climate Week Cuisine call to action and plan to eat a low carbon meal during Climate Week.
To find out more about Climate Week, or to register your event, go to www.climateweek.com, email info@climateweek.com or telephone on 020 3397 2601.
For specific reources for school teachers, please visit our Teacher Resources section of the website.
2 Billion People, 54 Countries. One Very Special Celebration. Join us for Commonwealth Day 2012.
Every year on the second Monday in March, 54 countries join together in celebration of the links they share as members of one diverse and dynamic global family – the modern Commonwealth.
In the UK, one way in which this special day is celebrated is with a unique event in London’s Westminster Abbey. The UK’s largest multi-faith celebration, the Commonwealth Day Observance is attended by Her Majesty The Queen, the Prime Minister, High Commissioners, up to 200 other VIPs and more than 1,000 schoolchildren.
The Commonwealth Day Observance takes a different theme each year. And in 2012 we will be ‘Connecting Cultures.’ Through a thrilling mix of world music, dance and personal testimonies, the event will explore the golden threads that tie together people from every continent, faith and ethnicity.
2012 will be a special year for the Observance as it will also be kicking off the Commonwealth’s celebrations for Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee – marking both 60 years as the UK Monarch and 60 years as Head of the Commonwealth.
If you’re from a school, have a look at the schools page here for suggestions on how to get involved and incorporate Commonwealth Day in your class room.
Visit www.commonwealththeme.org for more information on Commonwealth Day, and how you can get involved in celebrating the 2012 theme, Connecting Cultures.
EMPOWER RURAL WOMEN –
END HUNGER AND POVERTY.
“Invest in rural women. Eliminate discrimination against them in law and in practice. Ensure that policies respond to their needs. Give them equal access to resources. Provide rural women with a role in decision-making.”
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world on 8th March each year. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.
Recognizing the critical role and contribution of rural women, the theme of International Women’s Day 2012 is Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty.
Key contributors to global economies, rural women play a critical role in both developed and developing nations — they enhance agricultural and rural development, improve food security and can help reduce poverty levels in their communities. In some parts of the world, women represent 70 percent of the agricultural workforce, comprising 43 percent of agricultural workers worldwide.
Estimates reveal that if women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20–30 percent, lifting 100-150 million out of hunger.
Healthcare, education, gender inequality and limited access to credit, however, have posed a number of challenges for rural women. Further, the global food and economic crisis and climate change have aggravated the situation. It is estimated that 60 percent of chronically hungry people are women and girls. Yet, the Food and Agriculture Organization estimates reveal that productivity gains from ensuring equal access to fertilizers, seeds and tools for women could reduce the number of hungry people by between 100 million and 150 million.
To celebrate National Doodle Day, Usborne Books have a competition to win Doodle Books – see here
World Book Day was designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and is marked in over 100 countries around the globe.
To mark the day, school children are entitled to receive a World Book Day £1 Book
Token which can be exchanged for one of eight specially published World Book Day £1 Books, or is redeemable against any book or audio book of their choice costing £2.99 or more at a participating bookshop or book club. The World Book Day £1 Book Token will be valid from 27th February to 25th March 2012.
The full list of World Book Day £1 books for 2012 is:
- The What the Ladybird Heard Song, Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks (Macmillan)
- Winnie Flies Again, Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul (Oxford University Press)
- Where’s Wally Now?, Martin Handford (Walker Books)
- Magic Molly: The Clever Little Kitten, Holly Webb (Scholastic)
- Roald Dahl’s Fantabulous Facts, Roald Dahl (Puffin)
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Day of the Dreader, Cressida Cowell (Hodder Children’s Books)
- Big Day Out, Jacqueline Wilson, Illustrated by Nick Sharratt (Random House)
- Skulduggery Pleasant: The End of the World, Derek Landy (HarperCollins)
The World Book Day site has lots of Cool Stuff & Games featuring some favourite characters and competitions too.
The theme of this year’s National Science & Engineering Week is “our world in motion” and it runs from 9 – 18 March 2012
National Science & Engineering Week shines the spotlight each March on how the sciences and engineering relate to our everyday lives and helps to inspire the next generation of scientists with fun and participative activities.
With over 4,500 events and activities attended by 1.7 million people in 2011, this is the UK’s widest grassroots celebration of all things science and engineering. Each year, the British Science Association produces a series of new free resources and activities for event organisers and schools to help them run a science, engineering or technology event..
Following last year’s successful inaugural event, Dunbar’s second Science Festival will be held on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th March. The venue will be packed with a diverse mix of exciting science activities – shows, drop-in sessions, workshops, storytelling and talks. See dunbarscifest.org.uk website nearer the time for more info.
Edinburgh International Science Festival runs from 30 March – 15 April 2012
East Lothian’s forgotten engineer:
James Howden, Marine Engineer and Inventor, was one of Prestonpans most illustrious sons, yet no monument or memorial exists in his home town.
He was born on 29th February(!), 1832 and lived with his parents James and Catherine and his four younger siblings in a property in the town’s High Street.
By 1851, James had moved to Glasgow to begin his apprenticeship and where he was later to perfect the forced-draught system for boilers.
He went on to found Howden – now a worldwide engineering organisation.
