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Looking Ahead To Science on Stage 2007
9 January 2007
A little over four months from now, hundreds of teachers and students will gather in the French city of Grenoble for the second Science on Stage (SoS2) festival. This time around, this major event in the educational calendar will be held at the Europole Centre de Congrès in the World Trade Centre during the week of 2 – 6 April 2007.
Preparations for the festival are already well under way, with the announcement of the final programme anticipated for January 2007. Details of all the selected workshops and on-stage proposals will then be placed on the new SoS2 Festival web site:
Science on Stage 2007
“We have received 60 workshop proposals and 50 on-stage proposals, so it has been very difficult to choose between them,” said Tatjana Hascher, ESA coordinator for SOS2.
| | | Workshop at POS3 |
As usual, there will be about 30 workshops at Science on Stage 2, when participants will meet in small groups to discuss various significant themes that are related to science education.
There are 4 different kinds of workshops:
- Discussion workshops, when participants discuss a particular topic and make a report with recommendations to EIROforum and European decision-makers;
- Training workshops, when an expert demonstrates a particular tool or method to the participants, who will then be able to use it in the classroom;
- Practical workshops, in which the participants jointly develop a classroom-ready product, such as a set of exercises, project outlines or lesson plans on a particular subject;
- Seminars, when an expert presents a topic of particular interest to the participants, who have the opportunity to ask questions afterwards.
A taste of the variety in the programme can be obtained from these four examples of workshops which have already been selected.
- How to get funding for national SoS events, organised by Science in School.
Some National Steering Committees have been very successful at raising money for their national events, while others lag behind. This workshop will offer an opportunity to share successful ideas for raising money for national SoS events and to develop new approaches.
- Radio Astronomy in Schools, organised by the ESA Education Department.
The goal of this radio astronomy project is to raise interest among pupils for physics, astronomy and computer science, and to inspire them to pursue further activities in science and technology. The feasibility of daytime observation with a radio telescope allows its integration into regular school lessons. The project can provide exciting, multi-disciplinary and interactive learning opportunities, as well as team work for assembly and operation.
- Extremely Large Telescopes, organised by the European Southern Observatory (ESO).
Astronomers are now moving towards the next generation of 30-60 m diameter ground-based telescopes. ESO is playing a major role in planning and coordination for a European Extremely Large Telescope, a project which has just been selected for the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures roadmap. This seminar will outline exciting developments in current research into these state-of-the-art facilities and the questions which the next generation of telescopes will answer.
- Experimental and Mathematical Modelling of Bungee Jumping.
Bungee jumping is a great challenge for many young people who like extreme sports. The knowledge of school physics can help develop an understanding of the experience during the jump and an awareness of the boundary conditions that determine safe landing. This practical workshop offers teaching and learning activities related to bungee jumping, including video measurement, data logging and modelling.
On-stage activities during SoS2 will be presented in a 500-seat auditorium in front of all delegates. They may include:
- Performances with creative or dramatic elements;
- Pieces of work by a group of students;
- Series of experiments demonstrated by a teacher or group of teachers;
- Lectures on a science or education-related topic.
SoS2 will also include a Science Teaching Fair, an international exhibition in which each national delegation will be able to demonstrate the best teaching materials and methods offered to young students of science in their country.
Another highlight of the festival will be an “open afternoon” from 13:30 - 18:15 on Tuesday, 3 April, when anyone who is interested to explore Science on Stage may come along. For further information about this afternoon and how to register, please contact Iris Mazure from the local organising committee in Grenoble: Iris Mazuré, tel: + 33 (0)438 88 19 15, email: mazure@esrf.fr
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