Outreach Events

Photos

The Portuguese Science-on-Stage (SoS) festival is organised by "Ciencia Viva", an agency founded in 1996 by the Portuguese Ministry of Science and Technology. "Ciencia Viva" coordinates various outreach and educational activities throughout the country. This year's festival took place at "Pavilhao do Conhecimento", the largest Science Centre in Portugal.

Opening session

Dr. Ana Noronha from "Ciencia Viva" opened the event by addressing a warm welcome to all participants. Alexandra Manaia gave an overview of EIROforum outreach and educational initiatives, with a particular emphasis on ELLS/EMBL actions and on the Science-in-School journal. Dr. Rosa Ros, from the European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE) and member of the Spanish SoS Steering Committee, had been invited by "Ciencia Viva" and gave a presentation on Spanish SoS related events.

Next year, Portuguese and South American high school teachers will be invited to take part in the Spanish event ("Ciencia en Accion"), reflecting the very good interactions that exist between the Portuguese and Spanish SoS National Steering Committees.

Finally, the Portuguese Minister for Science and Technology, Professor Dr. Jose Mariano Gago, addressed a few words to the participants. Prof. Dr. Gago explained the history of the EIROforum, stating EIROforum's main goals in terms of scientific research and of outreach and education. The presence of Prof. Dr. Gago was an important signal of recognition of the importance the EIROforum initiatives, particularly of SoS, by the Portuguese government.

The Festival

The fair area included around 30 activities. The majority of the projects and demonstrations were aimed at secondary school level but there were also a few aimed at primary schools.

Compared with previous events, this time there was a better balance between the different scientific areas represented: physics, mathematics, biology, geology, chemistry, ecology (environment/climate) and interdisciplinary activities/demonstrations.

There were ecological house models, robots, hydrostatic puppets, a solar energy car, a lavender perfume made at school, sea water electrolysis demonstrations, practicals on the identification of different types of pollen, interactive activities demonstrating basic principles of optics, electricity, magnetism, mechanics and thermodynamics made out of daily life materials, etc.

There were eight workshops (on photosynthesis, on "teaching science as we do science", on building calorimeters, etc.) and three on-stage performances.

The jury, composed of representatives, various Portuguese professional associations (biologists, physicists, geologists) and scientists, had the difficult task to select the activities to present to the EIROforum International Committee.

Five activities/demonstrations were selected:

• two physics-related ones: one on the transmission and the use of light as a way to transfer information and another one on a set of interactive activities focused on the mass centre
• a biology/chemistry related one: on how to identify molecules
• an environment-related one: a game on the use of certain organisms (lichen, insects, nematodes, etc.) as indicators of the water quality in the rivers

The jury also chose a very interesting workshop on the use of 3D imaging in Science Education, where the participants could get insights into the mechanisms of sight. Furthermore, they became familiar with some techniques used to produce 3D images. In particular, they could learn to make a hologramme. An impressive on-stage performance, entitled "Zoo-logico", a combination of body language, images and sound inspired by geometry and mathematics, was also selected.