Children Discover the Wonder of Science at Siemens ‘Discovery Box’ Workshop

 

Siemens Limited, one of the world’s leading engineering companies, hosted a ‘Discovery Box’ Workshop of science experiments today (Tuesday, 10th February) with up to thirty, 8−10yr olds from Our Lady of Victory, Boys National School, Ballymun to illustrate how engaging children in the practice of science and technology and showing them its applications can capture their imagination and generate life−long interest and careers in the subject.

 

The Siemens Discovery Box consists of two large wooden boxes packed with tools and information on the topics of Energy & Electricity and Environment & Health. It includes a number of simple experiments.

 

a) Creating Light; − featuring an Electric Circuit, using a battery, wire and light bulbs, the children learn how to make electricity flow and power light.

 

b) Creating Heat; − using steel wool, needles, wood and batteries, the children learn to create heat in a dramatic experiment that causes the steel wool to glow.

 

c) The Paper Clip Race; − featuring test tubes with different colourful liquids the children test the viscosity of the liquids by simply dropping the paper clips into the test tubes.

 

According to Siemens a higher level of engagement of science and technology subjects, at primary and secondary school level, is important in helping to increase the level of graduates in the area to meet demand and is also necessary if Ireland is to reach its full potential in becoming a knowledge economy and creating innovation and new industries and jobs.

 

According to Michael O’Connor, Siemens “Currently children do not necessarily make the connection between what they learn in school and the magical role and application of science and technology in our day to day lives. Some young people dismiss the idea of science and technology courses as boring and they fail to make the connection between them and the latest gadgets they own such as iPods and mobile phones. The world we live in today is driven by these subject areas with dramatic innovations in health, the internet and renewable energy, however this message doesn’t always get through to children.

 

In order to achieve our potential in terms of innovation and knowledge management, we need to attract an increasing number of students and graduates by changing the teaching practices and showing them the infinitely positive difference science and technology can make in the world around us. At the Siemens Discovery Box Workshop we let them experiment in a guided way to help them develop an interest in the subjects. We need to change our approach to teaching science and technology and make it more fun. If not we will run out of graduates and this will impact on our future economy. ‘Tell me something and I will forget it− Show it to me and and I will remember it. Let me do it and I will retain it.’ goes the Confucian saying.”

 

The Siemens Discovery Box includes a number of simple experiments that use everything from crystals and baking powder to mini-lightbulbs and building circuits. Siemens has organised three Discovery Box Workshops in schools in Cork and Dublin this week, as part of the Engineers Ireland Week of Wonder Initiative, to enable children conduct child-friendly experiments in a supervised environment. The Siemens Discovery Box has already been introduced successfully in Germany with more 2,000 than schools already receiving the materials

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