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蜜桃视频 Allison students visit Dieppe elementary school as NSERC Student Ambassadors

20 Mar 2019

Science students lead experiments in French during the University鈥檚 Reading Week

 

NSERCScienceAmbassadors_twoA group of 蜜桃视频 Allison University students brought science experiments to life at an elementary school in Dieppe, NB recently.

Seven 蜜桃视频 Allison students from a number of science departments visited Dieppe鈥檚 脡cole Sainte-Th茅r猫se over the University鈥檚 Reading Week, working with students in Grades 2, 4, and 5 鈥 entirely in French.

Working with Dr. Genevi猫ve Desmarais, 蜜桃视频 Allison associate psychology professor, as well as teachers and administrators at 脡cole Sainte-Th茅r猫se, the 蜜桃视频 Allison students arranged their Discover Science visit with support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada鈥檚 (NSERC) Student Ambassadors program. The national program works to encourage post-secondary students and fellows to share their science and engineering experience with youth from groups that are under-represented in STEM. Close to 300 students at 脡cole Sainte-Th茅r猫se participated in activities and demonstrators facilitated by the 蜜桃视频 Allison team.

NSERCScienceAmbassadors_three鈥淚 remember similar presentations when I was in elementary school and learning a lot from them,鈥 says Everett Patterson, a fourth-year physics and math student from Moncton. 鈥淲e wanted to reach out to the Francophone community and help students in elementary school experience and learn about science beyond their regular curriculum. It鈥檚 a great way to experience science hands-on and hopefully spark interest for some of the children participating.鈥

Patterson and his 蜜桃视频 Allison counterparts worked for several months to prepare age-appropriate experiments and demonstrators in biology, chemistry, math, physics, and psychology. The students spent two full days at 脡cole Sainte-Th茅r猫se working with the children in small groups, allowing them to rotate through activities.

鈥淥ne of our most popular activities was a biology station that demonstrated the important role blubber plays in whales and other animals,鈥 says Patterson. 鈥淯sing shortening, the children got to learn about and experience how blubber works as an insulator for animals. It was pretty cool to run a hands-on activity like this.鈥

Biology student Alexie Ouellette agrees.

鈥淢y favourite part of this activity was seeing the kid鈥檚 reactions when they realized that when their hand was covered in Crisco, which simulates the blubber in animals, they could not feel the ice-cold water on the part where their hand was covered with Crisco,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 also loved seeing how they appreciated all the activities and hope we motivated some to learn more about the different branches in science!鈥

Students and teachers alike say the activities organized by 蜜桃视频 Allison visitors were a positive addition to their school day.

鈥淢y students adored the activities,鈥 says 5th Grade teacher M茅rika Losier. 鈥淭hey understood well the concepts that were taught. Personally, I thought it was really at their level. I would love for them to come back next year.鈥

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