View source for Team:ETH Zurich/Practices/Education

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<h1>Education</h1>	



<h2>Goal</h2>
<p> We believe that educating the general public is a fundamental part of being a scientist. Scientific education should start in schools, stimulating children's curiosity and seeding an enthusiasm for discovering the world around them. Since today's children will be tomorrow's scientists and policy makers, our first goal was to contribute towards the teaching of basic science. </p>

<h2>Insights</h2>
<p>In summary, we learned that:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Children are <b>enthusiastic about science</b> and willing to try new things if they have the opportunity.</li>
  <li><b>Communicating concepts</b> to people who have no previous backround in science <b>is a challenge</b>. It made us go back through all our knowledge to the basics and seeing them with a new insight. </li>
</ul>

<h2>What we did</h2>
<h3 class="inMenu">Overview</h3>
<p> Children like fun and interactive activities, making them more eager to get involved and explore. With this in mind, we designed a one and a half hour lecture with a brief introduction to the theory of cells and DNA, followed by a practical session of DNA extraction from strawberries. Finally, we drew some conclusions from the experiment, and also explained some funny biological facts related to cells and DNA. </p>

<ul class="pgwSlideshow">
<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/2/21/HP_SP_introducing_cells_and_DNA_to_children.JPG/120px-HP_SP_introducing_cells_and_DNA_to_children.JPG" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/2/21/HP_SP_introducing_cells_and_DNA_to_children.JPG/800px-HP_SP_introducing_cells_and_DNA_to_children.JPG" alt="Anja and Lisa introduce Cells and DNA to 3rd grade school children." width="800"></li>

<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/1/1c/HP_SP_children_participating_answers.JPG/120px-HP_SP_children_participating_answers.JPG" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/1/1c/HP_SP_children_participating_answers.JPG/800px-HP_SP_children_participating_answers.JPG" alt="Children raising their hands to answer questions." width="800"></li>


<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/b/b9/HP_SP_children_looking_into_microscope.JPG/120px-HP_SP_children_looking_into_microscope.JPG" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/b/b9/HP_SP_children_looking_into_microscope.JPG/800px-HP_SP_children_looking_into_microscope.JPG" alt="Setting up the microscope."></li>

<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/8/85/HP_SP_nice_protocol_sheets.JPG/120px-HP_SP_nice_protocol_sheets.JPG" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/8/85/HP_SP_nice_protocol_sheets.JPG/800px-HP_SP_nice_protocol_sheets.JPG" alt="Nicely formatted protocol sheets and name tags. They have strawberries!" width="800"></li>

<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/0/01/HP_SP_anja_lisa_explaining_experiment.JPG/120px-HP_SP_anja_lisa_explaining_experiment.JPG" alt="Anja and Lisa are explaining how to smash strawberries." data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/0/01/HP_SP_anja_lisa_explaining_experiment.JPG/800px-HP_SP_anja_lisa_explaining_experiment.JPG" width="800"></li>

<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/0/04/HP_SP_boys_reading_protocol.JPG/120px-HP_SP_boys_reading_protocol.JPG" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/0/04/HP_SP_boys_reading_protocol.JPG/800px-HP_SP_boys_reading_protocol.JPG" alt="Boys reading a protocol before starting the experiment." width="800"></li>

<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/3/33/HP_SP_boys_helping_each_other.JPG/120px-HP_SP_boys_helping_each_other.JPG" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/3/33/HP_SP_boys_helping_each_other.JPG/800px-HP_SP_boys_helping_each_other.JPG" alt="Boys helping each other perform the experiment." width="800"></li>

<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/0/09/HP_SP_girls_preparing_experiment.JPG/120px-HP_SP_girls_preparing_experiment.JPG" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/0/09/HP_SP_girls_preparing_experiment.JPG/800px-HP_SP_girls_preparing_experiment.JPG" alt="Girls preparing the experiment." width="800"></li>

<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/3/33/HP_SP_girl_holding_DNA.JPG/120px-HP_SP_girl_holding_DNA.JPG" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/3/33/HP_SP_girl_holding_DNA.JPG/800px-HP_SP_girl_holding_DNA.JPG" alt="Girl holding up a piece of extracted DNA." width="800"></li>

</ul>

<h3 class="inMenu">Methodology</h3>
<p> We presented our lecture to three groups of children at two different schools. The main challenge was to adapt the content of the lecture to their age group (ranging from 9 to 12 years of age). Hardly any of them had heard about genes or cells before, so we simplified the concepts as much as possible without losing perspective. We used lots of visuals, a light microscope provided by the school, and we made some long paper-DNA strands with colorful "ACTG" letters which we could fold into a tiny space! This way, children were able to comprehend how DNA can fold into a small space such as a cell. </p>

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<p class="caption">Nicely formatted protocol sheets and name tags. They have strawberries!</p> -->

<h2>What we got</h2>
<p>After doing the experiment, we asked the children to complete a survey to determine what they had learned from the experience and to judge if this experience had sparked an interest in science. The survey was in the form of three quotes, where the children had to decide how well the quotes described their experience on a scale ranging from 1 (I absolutely disagree) to 10 (I completely agree).</p>

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[[File:HP_SP_Comparison_school_project_1_and_2.png|frame|center|Ratings of the different quotes from lessons taught at two schools.]]
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<p>In addition, we tried to determine what aspect of the lesson was the most impressive for them by asking what part of the lesson they would tell their friends about later.</p>
<p>Overall, the children rated the lesson very highly and we are certain that this experience will lead some of them to seriously consider a career in the biological sciences in the future! </p>

<ul class="pgwSlideshow">
<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/1/14/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes1.png/120px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes1.png" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/1/14/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes1.png/800px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes1.png" alt="You missed something sooo cool. I know now what „desoxyribonucleicacid“ means and you don’t. And we got blue gloves. (Francesca)"></li>

<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/f/f1/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes2.png/120px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes2.png" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/f/f1/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes2.png/800px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes2.png" alt="Everything, because the explanations were super and it was a very cool experiment. YOU WERE SUPER DUPER NICE."></li>

<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/c/c7/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes3.png/120px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes3.png" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/c/c7/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes3.png/800px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes3.png" alt="The word “desoxyribonucleicacid” was funny."></li>

<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/5/57/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes4.png/120px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes4.png" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/5/57/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes4.png/800px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes4.png" alt="Do you know how long your cells (in one row) after each other are?"></li>

<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/3/34/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes5.png/120px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes5.png" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/3/34/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes5.png/800px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes5.png" alt="That it was very very interesting and that they missed something!"></li>

<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/2/22/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes6.png/120px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes6.png" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/2/22/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes6.png/800px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes6.png" alt="What we did and some of those amazing estimation-questions."></li>

<li><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/4/43/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes7.png/120px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes7.png" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/4/43/HP_SP_Childrens_quotes7.png/800px-HP_SP_Childrens_quotes7.png" alt="Everything what we did and that they missed something. What happened and how they could also try it if they want."></li>
</ul>
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<h2> Human Practices </h2>

<p>iGEM teams are unique and leading the field because they "go beyond the lab" to imagine their projects in a social/environmental context, to better understand issues that might influence the design and use of their technologies.</p>
<p>Teams work with students and advisors from the humanities and social sciences to explore topics concerning ethical, legal, social, economic, safety or security issues related to their work. Consideration of these Human Practices is crucial for building safe and sustainable projects that serve the public interest. </p>
<p>For more information, please see the <a href="https://2015.igem.org/Practices_Hub">Practices Hub</a>.</p>

<div class="highlightBox">
<h4>Note</h4>
<p>You must fill out this page in order to be considered for all <a href="https://2015.igem.org/Judging/Awards">awards</a> for Human Practices:</p>
<ul>
	<li>Human Practices silver medal criterion</li>
	<li>Human Practices gold medal criterion</li>
	<li>Best Integrated Human Practices award</li>
	<li>Best Education and Public Engagement award</li>
</ul>
</div>


<h5>Some Human Practices topic areas </h5>
<ul>
<li>Philosophy</li>
<li>Public Engagement / Dialogue</li>
<li>Education</li>
<li>Product Design</li>
<li>Scale-Up and Deployment Issues</li>
<li>Environmental Impact</li>
<li>Ethics</li>
<li>Safety</li>
<li>Security</li>
<li>Public Policy</li>
<li>Law and Regulation</li>
<li>Risk Assessment</li>
</ul>

<h5>What should we write about on this page?</h5>
<p>On this page, you should write about the Human Practices topics you considered in your project, and document any special activities you did (such as visiting experts, talking to lawmakers, or doing public engagement).</p>


<h5>Inspiration</h5>
<p>Read what other teams have done:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:Dundee/policypractice/experts">2014 Dundee </a></li>
<li><a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:UC_Davis/Policy_Practices_Overview">2014 UC Davis </a></li>
<li><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:Manchester/HumanPractices">2013 Manchester </a></li>
<li><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:Cornell/outreach">2013 Cornell </a></li>
</ul>

<h3 class="inMenu">Integrated Human Practices</h3>

<p>Do you want to be considered for the <a href="https://2015.igem.org/Judging/Awards#SpecialPrizes">Best Integrated Human Practices award</a>? Make it easy for the judges to find any wiki content that is relevant to this prize. Highlight this content with a header or separate section.</p>

<h3 class="inMenu">Education and Public Engagement</h3>

<p>Do you want to be considered for the <a href="https://2015.igem.org/Judging/Awards#SpecialPrizes">Best Education and Public Outreach award</a>? Make it easy for the judges to find any wiki content that is relevant to this prize. Highlight this content with a header or separate section.</p>
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