Sci-tech roadshow sparks curiosity in primary school children

A travelling science and technology roadshow launched this week gave Class One pupils at Blackman and Gollop Primary School the chance to explore the wonders of science through hands-on experiments and interactive demonstrations, as the Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Science and Technology takes its educational outreach into classrooms ahead of the National Tech Festival.

Staged in partnership with the Ministry of Educational Transformation, the roadshow is designed to give students direct, hands-on exposure to scientific concepts they may not normally experience in the classroom, officials said.

“The roadshow goes from school to school, both primary and secondary schools,” said Arlene Weekes, acting director of the Science, Market Research and Innovation Unit. With the goal of reaching students where they are to expose them to science, Weekes added: “We want to give kids a sense of hands-on science experience where they actually get to interact with scientific materials and do experiments that they would not ordinarily do.”

The initiative, scheduled to continue for ten more days, is intended to build momentum towards the Science and Technology Festival, to be held on January 30 and 31 at the Carifesta Festival Village, Waterford, where students and the wider public will have further opportunities to explore science, technology and innovation in Barbados.

Trained demonstrators — mainly volunteers from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus — are central to the programme. “Most of them are science and technology students, and they were in for a few days before the actual activity began so that we could take them through the paces,” she said, noting that the demonstrations are tailored to suit the age group being visited.

For primary school students, the focus is on curiosity and discovery through simple but engaging experiments. “We started out by doing things like invisible writing… an acid-base reaction,” Weekes said. “We would tell them the science behind it so that they get a sense of how science and technology are connected to their life.”

Students are also being introduced to scientific concepts such as density and chemical reactions through activities like making lava lamps. “We use the Alka-Seltzer and the oil and the water… that would showcase substances not being able to mix,” she said.

Robotics also forms part of the experience, even at the primary level. “At this time, they will not be able to build the robots, but they would be able to manipulate them,” she said. “There’s the robotics as well, and they would be able to experience science and technology.”

She stressed that the wider aim is to help young people appreciate the role science plays in everyday life. “We want children to understand that science is the bedrock. Most things proceed from science,” she said. “Science and technology are all around us, and it impacts everything that we do.”

Science and mathematics coordinator at Blackman and Gollop Primary School, Kana Jones, said the visit created meaningful learning opportunities for students. “I am very happy that the students have been given this opportunity to participate in such an event,” she said. “I want them to see how science can be surprising, creative and fun.”

She added that the experience encourages deeper thinking. “I want to afford them the opportunity to think like scientists, observe carefully, ask questions and enjoy the magic of discovery,” she said, noting that the activities also help to “encourage critical thinking, make learning active and engaging, and show how science is truly connected to the real world.”

The children drove the M-Bots around a circuit while learning about robotics, learned basic coding, created chromatography butterflies, discovered how to make lava lamps, wrote in invisible ink and revealed the message with a turmeric and alcohol solution, saw how graphite lights can turn on through pencil drawings, and observed how to make elephant toothpaste.

After the interactive demonstrations, the children answered questions about what they had learned and received prizes for their correct answers.