The annual Oddies Read With Me Week, aimed at 3 to 11-year-olds, is endorsed by the National Literacy Trust. The books, featuring odd socks, can be used to inspire children to create their own Oddies stories, with pictures, to read to peers and parents, and enter into a competition offering up to pound;500 for their schools and the chance of publication.

The 2004 winner was Emma Pick, nine, from South Cave Primary School, East Yorkshire, for her story Super Hero Oddie, published in September.

www.readwithme.co.uk

Chemistry week November 4-13

The Royal Society of Chemistry is organising activities across the UK on the theme “Know Chemistry”, including a roadshow tour of shopping centres.

Topics are: food, sport, fashion, entertainment, and “how clean is your house”. Downloadable resources are available. The data-logging and control company, Data Harvest, has come up with five fun ideas to encourage students to mix liquids and powders to cause a change of colour andor temperature - and perhaps generate a fizz, vapour, smell, or a completely different substance. Students use data loggers and sensors to track temperature change during a reaction, eg by dropping an Alka-Seltzer into a glass of Coke and recording the change in pH to discover how antacid tablets work.

http:pubs.rsc.orgwww.data-harvest.co.uk

Bursaries for Brussels April 18-21

The European-Atlantic Movement (TEAM) is offering 10 teachers bursaries of pound;120 towards a study tour to the European Parliament, NATO, the European Commission and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers. Full cost is pound;169 (includes travel by Eurostar and three nights’ hotel accommodation). TEAM, an educational charity, promotes awareness of Atlantic and European co-operation and of world affairs.

www.european-atlantic.org.uk

Autumn watch

Following the Springwatch programmes presented by Bill Oddie, the BBC launched its Breathing Space CampaignAutumnwatch campaign to help build a picture of UK climate change by monitoring autumn’s arrival. Participants receive an action pack containing an English Nature wildlife gardening CD.

You can take part by recording swifts leaving for Africa, colour changes in oak leaves, and the first appearance of berries, conkers and ivy flowers, www.bbc.co.uknatureanimalswildbritainbreathingspace