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Discovering Science Through Hands-On Experiments
STEMbark: Rooting Future Innovators
KA210 project: 2025-1-PL01-KA210-SCH-000365798
Science is not only about textbooks, formulas and
definitions. Sometimes, the best way to understand how the world works is
simply to experiment, observe and discover! That is exactly what our
seventh-grade students experienced during their visit to the Łukasiewicz
Podkarpackie Science Centre in Jasionka.
As part of the STEMbark: Rooting Future
Innovators project, the students took part in a series of exciting,
hands-on workshops in physics, chemistry and biology. Divided into three
groups, they became young scientists for the day and had the opportunity to
explore scientific phenomena through practical activities.
⚡ Physics:
Exploring Renewable Energy
The physics group travelled into the world of renewable
energy.
The students discovered how wind turbines and
solar panels work and investigated how energy can be produced from natural
sources. They built their own electrical circuits and used voltmeters and
ammeters to take measurements and calculate the power generated by the
devices.
But that was not all! They also investigated how
the amount of energy produced changes depending on the distance from the
energy source and the angle of the solar panel.
Instead of simply reading about physics in a
textbook, the students could actually measure, compare, analyse and draw
conclusions. It was a great example of how classroom knowledge can be
applied to real-life situations.
🌈 Chemistry:
The Science Behind Colours
The chemistry workshop was a colourful journey
into the fascinating world of dyes, pigments and pH.
The students experimented with different
substances and observed how changes in pH can influence their colour.
They also mixed colourful substances and explored how different colours are
created.
During the workshop, they learned about animal-derived
dyes, natural plant dyes, synthetic pigments and structural colours.
Suddenly, the colours we see every day became much more than just something
beautiful – they became a fascinating subject of scientific investigation.
The students could see that chemistry is all
around us, even in the colours of everyday objects!
🔬 Biology: A
World Hidden Under the Microscope
The biology group had the opportunity to explore
a world that is normally invisible to the naked eye.
First, the students learned about the structure
and operation of a microscope. Then it was time to become real researchers!
They examined prepared leaf sections and
explored the internal structure of a leaf. They also observed yeast cells
under the microscope.
One of the most exciting activities was preparing
and examining their own mouth swab samples. Looking through the
microscope allowed the students to discover tiny structures and microorganisms
that they would never be able to see with the naked eye.
It was a fascinating reminder that there is an
entire microscopic world hidden all around us!
🌱 Learning by
Doing
The workshops at the Łukasiewicz Podkarpackie
Science Centre showed our students that science is something we can
experience, not just learn about.
They measured, tested, observed, compared,
discussed and drew their own conclusions. Most importantly, they discovered
that making mistakes, asking questions and looking for answers are all part of
the scientific process.
The visit was much more than an ordinary school
trip. It was an inspiring STEM adventure that connected physics,
chemistry and biology with real-life experiences.
✨ Who knows?
Perhaps among our young scientists there are future engineers, researchers,
biologists or inventors!
One thing is certain – the students left the
Science Centre with new knowledge, exciting memories and even more curiosity
about how the world around us works.
