The SJWRI's Dr Carolina Loch Santos da Silva and Professor Richard Cannon were part of the first Unlocking Curious Minds Family Science and Technology Experience to be held in Otago, on Thursday afternoon at Carisbrook School in Dunedin. Many children and parents showed strong interest in our display and tooth casting hands-on activity, titled 'Making A Good Impression'. Children were able to choose between orca, fur seal, dolphin, shark, crocodile, cow and sheep teeth, and cast their own to take home or turn into jewellery. Carolina helped about 30 children make models of teeth. It was one of the most popular activities and a number of children said it was their favourite.
Thursday's event was the first of several planned Family Science and Technology Experience activities, supported by the NZ Government's 'Curious Minds' initiative. These take the form of a 'fair' style event on-site at schools, where families are invited to come along and try their hand at a range of hands-on experiments and activities relating to different science and technology contexts. The events are free-of-charge, with support and guidance provided by Otago Museum staff, University personnel and other members of the science community. The aim is to show parents and students that science and technology can be fun and accessible, showcasing science as a vehicle for better understanding our world and enabling family conversation and collaboration.
