Written by Brendan Miller, October 22, 2024.
Fifth-grader Ethan Chen and his 9-year-old brother Lucas pose under high magnification with Dr. Peter Wallis of Hyperion Research at Medicine Hat University on Saturday during Praxis Outreach Association’s 32nd Annual Family Science Olympiad. Observing microorganisms with a microscope. NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLERbmiller@medicinehatnews.com Free, day-long science exchange event held Saturday at Medicine Hat University explores science and discovery through hands-on experiences ranging from magnets to meteors to microbiology under a microscope. The aim was to foster a passion for The 32nd Science Olympiad is a collaborative event organized by the Praxis Science Outreach Society in partnership with third-year university students studying for a Bachelor of Education degree. Third graders visited 10 different booths and designed fun, hands-on, educational science experiments suitable for all ages, highlighting scientific concepts such as how magnets repel and attract. Participants were challenged to complete an “event passport.” Unlike traditional science fairs, the Olympics are designed to introduce snippets of scientific concepts and stimulate curiosity for discovery. “Science is fun and fascinating, and you need a basic understanding of it to be a functional, literate, scientific citizen in our world,” says PRAXIS senior science consultant and regular columnist for this paper. explained Patty Rooks. “Here we work on different projects and science concepts.” Concepts such as the three states of matter and how light travels are introduced through fun experiences, including bubbles in a mirror and a laser pointer. were presented to us. “Even the kids got involved,” Rooks says with a smile. “You’ll see them lying on the carpet with the dinosaurs, digging for bones, or gazing at the stars in Seven Skies Astronomy’s stunning photos. “Here, we’ll see them lying on the carpet with the dinosaurs, or gazing at the stars in Seven Skies Astronomy’s stunning photos. Whether it’s observing them or building their factories at the university’s innovation center, it’s heart-warming to learn with families and see the passion shared among families,” Rooks added. . The free science fair was held in the university’s main lobby from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and was attended by more than 30 students and community volunteers. Rooks said the partnership with university students allows the event to be free to the community. “It’s great that they’re taking some of the burden off of us to ensure we have the funding and human resources to build experiments and benches,” Lukes said. This collaborative event also offers real-world opportunities for aspiring teachers, as they are tasked with designing science experiences and teaching the concepts to participating families. “Now they have the experience of teaching concepts to 2-year-olds and 90-year-olds and learning how to adapt on the fly, because you never know what’s going to happen in the classroom,” Rooks said. The event also featured science award packages for participants who created an event passport. 15
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