An exciting new resource is available for schools across Scotland, thanks to a partnership programme between the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).
The Data 4 Schools programme has transformed real life agricultural data, collected from SRUC farms across Scotland, into data sets and questions that can be utilised in the classroom.
The official launch of the resource coincides with Maths Week Scotland, which is a celebration of the importance of maths in our everyday lives.
SRUC collects a vast array of data on a wide range of topics and this data has been transformed into a learning resource to highlight to pupils how agriculture works. It will also further facilitate the teaching of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects in the classroom.
Professor Dave Roberts, SRUC’s Head of Agriculture and Business Management, said: “It is great to have our research data being made available as a resource for use in schools to develop maths skills and a better understanding of food and farming.”
As well as graphed data and questions, the raw data is provided to encourage interpretation and debate.
Sara Smith, RHET’s Learning and Development Coordinator, said: “We were pleased to be given the opportunity to work with SRUC on this vital resource aimed at secondary teachers with a STEM remit. This information illustrates just how important STEM is to the agriculture sector, so we hope that it makes pupils excited about how these skills can be applied outside of the classroom.”
The Data 4 Schools programme currently looks at data collection for the dairy, beef, upland sheep and arable sectors and is available online at www.rhet.org.uk/data-4-schools