A comic and a teaching programme
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen University
What is science, and what do scientists actually do? “The Scarab and the Mysterious Illness” comic is aimed at primary-school pupils and explains what science is all about and that scientists work in all kinds of fields. The comic, together with a learning programme, has been made available free of charge to primary schools throughout the Netherlands.
The researchers involved in this project are enthusiastic and dedicated to science communication. They want to put pupils, especially in primary school grades 7 and 8, in touch with the diversity of science through the comic, but also by offering a glimpse into the real life of scientists through blogs and vlogs at Faces of Science. The aim is to counter biased portrayals of scientists, which have a negative influence on young people’s choice of a scientific career and on public support for science. The researchers were successful, and within a few months all 25,000 copies of the comic had been distributed.
The grant from the Rewarded! Fund will be used for a second edition of the learning pack, in which textual elements will be supplemented by visual material with a view to accommodating students with different learning styles.
Websites:
RUG – Lespakket de scarabee en de geheimzinnige ziekte
Faces of Science – Annemarie Maan
Coordinator:
Marleen Kamperman, professor
Other group members:
Peter Dijkstra, technicus
Annemarie Maan, promovendus
