2008 Press Releases
Primary Science Summer Camps increase Science Awareness
22.09.2008
UCC hosted Primary Science camps for children between 8 and 12 years of age in July 2008.
22.09.2008
UCC hosted Primary Science camps for children between 8 and 12 years of age in July 2008.
The aim of these camps was to increase awareness of science among children in a fun and exciting manner, while also demonstrating the importance of science in the world around us.
During the course of the week, the children who came from a number of Cork schools experienced many different areas of science, with an emphasis on hands- on experiments. An understanding of the atom and the different states of matter was achieved through experiments involving dry ice and the development of individual supplies of ooey gooey gloop! Topical issues such as acid rain and the dangers of global warming were then discussed in the environmental science class, along with steps that we can take to protect our planet from further damage. The ice-cream which was made during the food science class was described by many as the best that they had ever tasted!
The focus then turned to deciphering the DNA code. During this class the children learned about the concept of cells, the structure of the DNA molecule, and the importance of this discovery to modern-day science. Everybody then extracted and visualised DNA from an array of different cells. Following on from this, each child got the opportunity to become a forensic scientist for the day, which was deemed by most to be the highlight of the week! They learned the different steps involved in analysing a crime scene along with techniques such as fingerprinting, and then had the opportunity to investigate our own crime scene and try to solve the case!
With the support of UCC's Microbiology Department, great fun was had by all learning about the microbial world. The children participated in a microbiology lab class where they learned about the positive and negative effects of microbes in our daily lives. Activities included testing for the presence of microorganisms on their hands, observing the differences between plant and animal cells under the microscope, and also viewing the movement of bacteria taken from a soil sample under the microscope.
Each child received a pack containing the information from each class and instructions on how to repeat the experiments. It is hoped that experiencing science in such a fun and stimulating environment at an early age will open up children's minds to the possibilities arising from studying science and encourage them to study these subjects at second and third level.
847MMcS
During the course of the week, the children who came from a number of Cork schools experienced many different areas of science, with an emphasis on hands- on experiments. An understanding of the atom and the different states of matter was achieved through experiments involving dry ice and the development of individual supplies of ooey gooey gloop! Topical issues such as acid rain and the dangers of global warming were then discussed in the environmental science class, along with steps that we can take to protect our planet from further damage. The ice-cream which was made during the food science class was described by many as the best that they had ever tasted!
The focus then turned to deciphering the DNA code. During this class the children learned about the concept of cells, the structure of the DNA molecule, and the importance of this discovery to modern-day science. Everybody then extracted and visualised DNA from an array of different cells. Following on from this, each child got the opportunity to become a forensic scientist for the day, which was deemed by most to be the highlight of the week! They learned the different steps involved in analysing a crime scene along with techniques such as fingerprinting, and then had the opportunity to investigate our own crime scene and try to solve the case!
With the support of UCC's Microbiology Department, great fun was had by all learning about the microbial world. The children participated in a microbiology lab class where they learned about the positive and negative effects of microbes in our daily lives. Activities included testing for the presence of microorganisms on their hands, observing the differences between plant and animal cells under the microscope, and also viewing the movement of bacteria taken from a soil sample under the microscope.
Each child received a pack containing the information from each class and instructions on how to repeat the experiments. It is hoped that experiencing science in such a fun and stimulating environment at an early age will open up children's minds to the possibilities arising from studying science and encourage them to study these subjects at second and third level.
847MMcS