The summer term may seem an odd time to be giving Christmas lectures, but this is a schools’ version of a series of lectures that has been an annual event since 1826, though in modern times broadcast at a moment when many people are too preoccupied with Christmas to give it the attention it deserves.

The formula is simple. An eminent scientist talks to an audience of 12 to 16-year-olds about the state of knowledge in his field. If you put aside any prejudices you may have about lectures, the authority of the speaker and the significance of the topic make this compelling viewing. Last autumn, 4Learning gave us the schools’ version of the Christmas 2000 lecture by Professor Kevin Warwick on The Rise of the Robots, and this is now available on a 65-minute video, with accompanying booklet.

Last Christmas’ lectures (also now available on video) were given by the geneticist, Sir John Sulston, whose subject was, quite simply, The Secret of Life. He started, last week, by asking what life is and where it came from. This week, with the help of a baby called Max, an overhead projector and various other props, he tells us what goes into making a human being, asks the audience to guess which children belong to a given set of parents and talks about pea and fruit flies. We learn more in later weeks about DNA, twins and other topics. As well as teaching a lot about genetics, these lectures have some good ideas for putting the subject across and getting the audience involved.

SCIENTIFIC EYE: MATERIALS. C4 Thursdays, to May 23, 9.30-9.50am. Video: pound;17.99

This award-winning series for 11 to 14-year- olds looks at the properties of materials, including rust, the formation of rocks, the environmental consequences of limestone extraction and the measurement of acidity. Pupils are encouraged to adopt an enquiring attitude, with investigations that are adaptable for classroom use, while broad scientific ideas are explored through everyday stories, for example in the differing attitudes of quarry owners, scientists, industrialists and local residents to the consequences of quarrying limestone. This week’s programme has some spectacular demonstrations to illustrate the principle of the fire triangle. There are programme notes at the 4Learning website (www.4learning.co.uk) and the whole series is available on video (pound;19.99).

EUREKA: AFRICA’S CHILD C4 Monday and Tuesday, to May 21, 9.30-9.45am

This is a charming set of films for pupils of nine to 13, looking at societies in African countries through the eyes of their children, with the aim of presenting a positive view of life on a continent that our media often represents as a focus of problems and disasters. Well-made, with stunning photography, the 10 programmes are available on two videos (pound;14.99 each). There is a teachers’ guide to support the series.

Full educational programme schedules can be found online at: www.bbc.co.ukeducationlzoneguide.shtml

www.channel4.comlearningmainprogrammessummer2002.cfm