Science in ACTion at the Old Bus Depot Markets
"Always Look at the Bright Side of Plants"
We interacted with hundreds of people, especially high school students, and young children and their parents. We showed kids how to extract DNA from strawberries while introducing them (and their parents) to the idea of genes (“the instructions inside a cell that tell a strawberry how to be a strawberry”). Some of the younger kids were just excited to mash up the strawberries, but all the parents were pleased to take photos of them with their genomic extraction. We even spoke to a number of teachers and enthusiastic parents who were keen to replicate this activity as it used household or readily accessible items (washing detergent, saltwater, ethanol and fruit!).
We also ran activities explaining how leaves absorbed photos of certain colours for photosynthesis using velcro-covered balls (the red and blue ones stuck on a huge felt leaf, the green ones didn’t).
“There is something really special about, I think, about science community days. I remember the science markets I went to as a very young child –the atmosphere saturated with the smell of cotton candy, the spell of liquid nitrogen ice cream –this one, giant, bouncing castle designed to replicate a plant cell –forget about education! It’s magic. I found it cathartic to have a chance to revisit and revise my experience –this time, in a facilitating role as a volunteer. My favourite moments over the weekend were ones fixed by that unique expression between wonder and bewilderment –that’s how I know people really enjoyed themselves.” (Victor)
