Young Einsteins Savour Science

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday October 23, 2008

By KATELIN McINERNEY

EINSTEIN once said it was the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in knowledge, and that joy was awakened in Berkeley Public School students with a bang yesterday.

The job of teacher fell to a group of 190 first-year education students from the University of Wollongong, who delighted primary pupils from kindergarten to Year 6 with a wacky array of science experiments and activities.

Students used common household chemicals to blow the lids off paint tins, make a volcano erupt, and even encase students in an enormous bubble, all while learning about the theory behind the fun.

Berkeley Public School teacher and event co-ordinator, Chris Gleeson, said the Young Einstein Science Fair had been three years in the making and was a wonderful opportunity for students.

"The kids have had an absolute ball and get to question the scientists about what is involved in making a tin explode or how that air-powered car works," she said.

"A day like this creates a link between our school and the uni, which is important because the kids that come to this school may not see themselves ever heading off to university, and it gets them interested in scientific processes before they hit high school. They meet university students who come from this area or even who attended this school."

Students Mikayla McWhirter and Marija Mandic said they had fun making slime and watching a volcano erupt.

"We have been doing all kinds of experiments and it has been lots of fun," Mikayla said.

UOW primary education student Ben Lawrence said he had enjoyed creating a hands-on science lesson and learning to explain complex scientific concepts to the students.

"The experience gets us physically engaging in the job we will do in the future ... and we get to blow stuff up!" he said.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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