Back to school!
Just got back from our project launch day at Alexandra Primary School. And what great fun we had.
The wonderful staff there basically let us take over the whole day for year 5 and 6 (children aged 9 to 11). We had 8 activities for them around the themes of air quality and weather.
But more than just fun and games, the activities and the whole project do have a greater purpose. This project was driven by the concept of 'Citizen Science' - that the practice of science need not be remote and inaccessible to the public. Anyone who spends time amongst younger children knows that they are all natural born scientists - curious experimenters. At some point in their later childhood, though, some start to find science more difficult and that initial excitement and wonder seems to fade away. It is in late childhood that many children often decide that science isn't for them.
Through this project we wanted to capture children on the cusp of moving from 'science as play' to 'serious science'. We wanted to dispel some of the myths that attach themselves to science and scientists. We particularly wanted to shatter the myth that because we may be experts in a field, it doesn't mean we know everything. In fact - quite the opposite. We spend our workdays admitting what we don't know - and then we go exploring into the unknown.
With these aims in mind our school activities were based around the themes of
Our experience on the day was fantastic. Despite warnings of a winter storm on the way, we managed to do all of our outside activities, the kids loved, the staff loved it, and we had a fantastic time.
The project is now officially ON!
The wonderful staff there basically let us take over the whole day for year 5 and 6 (children aged 9 to 11). We had 8 activities for them around the themes of air quality and weather.
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| The NIWA team introduce the project to yrs 5 and 6 at Alexandra Primary School. Credit: Stu Mackay, NIWA |
But more than just fun and games, the activities and the whole project do have a greater purpose. This project was driven by the concept of 'Citizen Science' - that the practice of science need not be remote and inaccessible to the public. Anyone who spends time amongst younger children knows that they are all natural born scientists - curious experimenters. At some point in their later childhood, though, some start to find science more difficult and that initial excitement and wonder seems to fade away. It is in late childhood that many children often decide that science isn't for them.
Through this project we wanted to capture children on the cusp of moving from 'science as play' to 'serious science'. We wanted to dispel some of the myths that attach themselves to science and scientists. We particularly wanted to shatter the myth that because we may be experts in a field, it doesn't mean we know everything. In fact - quite the opposite. We spend our workdays admitting what we don't know - and then we go exploring into the unknown.
 |
| Inside an air quality monitoring station with Deborah Mills from Otago Regional Council. Credit: Stu Mackay, NIWA |
With these aims in mind our school activities were based around the themes of
- Where data comes from - how we make both amateur and professional weather observations, what's inside an air quality monitoring station (we got to look inside a BAM), and how to make a particle monitor of your own.
- How we communicate and visualise data - what the NIWA supercomputer does with all that weather data, how TV weather forecasts are put together and how we plan to add animated air quality data
- What are the impacts of poor air quality - practical activities making children think about their lungs, and introducing the AirAware app that the children will be using to record their experience of air quality this winter.
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| Gustavo Olivares of NIWA building ODINs with yr.5/6 children. Children will later take these devices home. Credit: Stu Mackay, NIWA |
Our experience on the day was fantastic. Despite warnings of a winter storm on the way, we managed to do all of our outside activities, the kids loved, the staff loved it, and we had a fantastic time.
The project is now officially ON!
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