Nauki Przyrodnicze na Scenie - Science on Stage Polska - 3. Science on Stage

23.10.2008

3. Science on Stage 2008 Berlin (Niemcy)

Science on Stage festival 2008

3. Science on Stage odbył się w Berlinie w dniach 23-26 października 2008 r. i zgromadził 230 nauczycieli i ekspertów ds. edukacji z 21 krajów europejskich i Kanady. Podczas występów na scenie, wykładów i wystaw dzielili się oni swoimi projektami i eksperymentami dydaktycznymi. Warsztaty i spotkania przy okrągłych stołach stały się zaś okazją do omówienia innowacyjnych metod nauczania. W 2008 roku wygasła umowa z Komisją Europejską – a tym samym wsparcie finansowe. Organizacji POS3 podjeli się przy znaczącym wsparciu THINK ING organizatorzy niemieckiego krajowego festiwalu.

Image courtesy of Science on Stage Deutschland eV (On-stage performance of ‘Harry Potter and the secrets of chemistry’ at the Science on Stage festival, Germany)

logo science on stage

POLSKA DELEGACJA Science on Stage 2008

Członkowie naszej reprezentacji zostali wyłonieni na podstawie Ogólnopolskiego Festiwalu NAUKI PRZYRODNICZE NA SCENIE 3.

POLSKIE SUKCESY

ON STAGE PERFORMANCES

On Stage Activity: Science in Kindergarten and Primary School

ONE DAY
Danuta Bartnik & Urszula Broda, N. Copernicus High School, Cieszyn, Poland

Molecules of water describe where and when water came into being and places where water is found in nature. They also teach ecology and describe physical phenomenons connected with water: diffusion, superficial tension, capillarity; which can be observed during the presentation. Those phenomenons occur during normal house activities in a family (while making breakfast, dinner in the bathroom etc.) in one day of their life. Also little Mary teaches her parents about ecological behaviours and physical phenomenons.

ROUND TABLES / WORKSHOPS

Workshop: Interdisciplinary Teaching

INFLUENCE OF NEW TOOLS (E.G. INFRARED CAMERA) ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TEACHING IN NATURAL SCIENCES
Maria Dobkowska & Mirosław Łoś, High School No 32 – Warsaw, Poland

During this workshop participants will learn about infrared thermal imaging as a valuable tool in science education at all school levels. The thermovision can help to visualize and thereby enhance understanding of biological and environmental processes and physical and astronomical phenomena from mechanics, thermal physics, electromagnetism, optics and radiation physics, qualitatively as well as quantitatively. As an element of the classroom practice, we propose an educational use of the images and movies recorded by an infrared camera, particularly if traditional methods, ways and tools of teaching science subjects are ineffective and are not helping students to overcome educational barriers. Energy is one of the most abstract topics for the students therefore use of the infrared movies becomes a very helpful tool in education that enables them to visualize energy. Our series of movies is depicting the situation during an experiment through parallel pictures recorded with the video and the infrared camera. In our workshop, composed with miscellaneous experiments, we are presenting the energy changes and energy losses. One can observe how the infrared camera is giving a chance to display the proper places where energy is being absorbed, how the heat is being transmitted etc We hope that teachers will use this type of movies during the lessons on the heat and energy topics, and give their students interesting educational tool for a better understanding how energy is changing the form but is not disappearing.

FAIR

| Science in kindergarten and primary school

IS IT REALLY A CHILD ’S PLAY? TEACHING SCIENCE TO KINDERGARTEN KIDS
Monika Metrak & Julia Huczsz, Copernicus Science Center, Warsaw, Poland

As all teachers know the most basic things are usually the hardest to explain. However we faced this challenge and prepared a series of workshops for kindergarten kids. During this workshops we try to explain to them how our world works – e.g. why yeast daugh expands, why day follows night, how the electricity reaches sockets in our households or why we can hear someone on the phone. All this and many interesting topics more in a manner easily understandable for children using short performances, animations, miniatures and of course real scientific experiments. During the fair on the Science on Stage festival 2008 I would like to present highlights of our 6 months work.

| Interdisciplinary teaching

WORLD – TEACHING MACHINES
Anna Lisiewicz & Dorota Anna Kaniewska-Fratczak, Cultural Center “502”, Łódź, Poland

The project involves children with seeing disorder who inspired by the kinetic art of the American artists and of the Polish artist Adam Garnek design three-dimensional objects. The kinetic sculptures can only exist when the basic laws of mechanical physics are put to use. By making the interactive moving objects the youth will be able to create educational props that would be adjusted to the possibilities of perception of the sightimpended children. Learning of the basic rules of mechanics will be done simultaneously with creating the forms of the sculptures or their parts. Engaging other senses beside the sight into the learning process increases the understanding of the new material. The ability to touch and manipulate, looking for new solutions gives a chance to know physics in an attractive unconventional way. Considering the great interest with the project we got we have included a group of children without the seeing disorder so the project is not only scientific but also of mainstreaming manner as the children help each other. The machines as educational props will be presented at the Center for Children with Seeing Disorder in Łódz where they will be available also to the children with other disorders.

| Hands on - experiments to boost motivation and cognition?

PHYSICS WITH BOWLING BALLS
Jerzy Jarosz & Aneta Szczygielska, University of Silesia, Poland

The “Physics with Bowling Balls” project consists of five various experiments which can be presented to pupils in a primary school as well as to the university students. The level of discussion and explanation of these experiments can easily be fitted to the level of knowledge possessed by the pupils. The experiments illustrate well known rules: conservation of energy, conservation of linear and angular momentum, elastic and nonelastic collisions, effects and resonance. Watching these experiments supports understanding of transformations and transfers of energy as well as understanding the rules of conservation of vectors.

SMOKING CHEMISTRY
Ewelina Bolimowska & Łukasz Dzieran & Łukasz Makolski, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland

"One cannot trust science which is not understood...” Chemical shows are an excellent opportunity to discover and understand many phenomenons of chemistry. The clear form appeals to everyone no matter what is their age, interests and education. We consider chemistry a science which should always be presented experimentally and not only in books and during lectures. During our performances we are trying to make our spectators more familiar with different areas and aspects of chemistry. We show and explain fascinating phenomenons which we can sometimes even come across in daily life. Our reactions are performed according to all safety rules and with extreme care for our spectators health.

| Are non-formal education INITIATIVES always beneficial?

BLUE SCHOOL (BŁĘKITNA SZKOŁA)
Alicja Tubaja & Anna Dudziak-Grabarek, II High School in Kwidzyń, Poland

Our classes with extended biology, chemistry and physics syllabus take part in Blue School project and go to the seaside once a year. They have biology, chemistry, physics and astronomy classes there. Some classes are conducted by university teachers from Gdańsk University, other classes are conducted by us. Students have a chance to use their school knowledge in practice, which allows to improve their skills and abilities. They may carry out some measurements and observations that are impossible or difficult to do during regular school classes. Astronomy classes are a new element for the students as few of them are equipped with proper devices enabling them to observe the sky. They are really amazed to find out that to make some observations they do not need any special equipment such as e.g. the telescope. Before looking at the sky, they learn about star constellations and sky maps. Each student is given basic sky maps to make the first observations. They learn how to make the simplest measuring device used for measuring the hight of stars. They are surprised to find out that an ordinary protractor with properly attached rope may work as a scientific device. We start our observations in the first evening of our stay here. We go out to look for the Big Bear and Cassiopea. Next, the students measure the star heights within the Big Bear and try to find the Polar Star. After the measurements has been taken, they place their observations out their observation sheets.

NAGRODA PUBLICZNOŚCI DLA AUSTRII

W tej edycji festiwalu było sześć głównych kategorii: „nauka na przedszkolnych placach zabaw”, „nauczanie międzyprzedmiotowe”, „doświadczenia przeprowadzane samodzielnie”, „nauka samodzielna a proces nauczania”, „czy nieformalna edukacja zawsze przynosi korzyści?”, „samodzielność czy pomoc moderatora?” oraz „Nauczyciel przedmiotów ścisłych w przyszłości”. Zwyciężyły zespoły z Węgier, Niemiec, Kanady, Szwajcarii, Austrii i Wielkiej Brytanii.

The latex motor — fot. Image courtesy of the latex motor team

Zwycięzcą w głosowaniu publiczności Science on Stage in Berlin, 2008 został Lateksowy silnik. Projekt stworzony przez jeden z zespołów wybrany podczas krajowych eliminacji w kwietniu do reprezentacji Austrii (Hayes, 2008).

Czy można zbudować silnik z lateksowych rękawiczek i... prezerwatyw?

Opis projektu (plik pdf):
THE LATEX MOTOR (Lateksowy silnik)

How the project began In 2006, we took part in the Experimentale 2007w1 in Wels, Austria, a biennial regional science exhibition for schools. The inspiration for our project came from a simple effect described in the chapter on thermodynamics of the popular physics book Feynman Lecturesw2: a stretched rubber band contracts when heated. This is unusual, since most materials expand when heated, rather than contract.

ZOBACZ WIĘCEJ

Science on Stage: recent activities, Eleanor Hayes