TRAVELS ON BOARD THE R/V “URANIA” OUTREACH ACTIVITY WITH 10-12 YEAR OLD CHILDREN Santinelli Chiara CNR Istituto di Biofisica, PISA, Italia We believe that public outreach is one of our duties to society. We organize activities in order to popularize oceanography and the impact of climate change on marine ecosystem in the schools. The activities are mainly proposed to 10-12 year old children and they are organized in two meetings. These activities started in the framework of the European IP Project SESAME (Southern European Seas: Assessing and Modeling Ecosystem changes), but they continue today. During the first meeting with the classrooms, I bring a big sheet of white paper and I ask the children to draw or write all the words that come to their minds when they think about the Sea. When I come back to the classrooms, the children can compare the two cups and observe the effect of pressure on the cup sent to 2800m. Then, I make a big black blot in “our marine ecosystems”, which represents the human impact on the marine ecosystem. Starting from their ideas and with some photos of phytoplankton, zooplankton, bacteria and fish, we construct the marine ecosystem and the goods and services that the sea provide for us. I introduce oceanography and the work done by the oceanographers and I answer their questions. They are usually very curious, interested and enthusiastic! The pressure experiment Two Styrofoam cups are signed by each child. I leave one in the school and brought the other one on board. The cups are tied to the Rosette, before the deep cast (down to 2800 m) After the cast the effect of pressure is clearly visible! “ In viaggio sull’ Urania” The film director “Lorenzo Cioffi” directly participated in one cruise, on board the CNR R/V “Urania”, in order to take shots to create the film-documentary: “In viaggio sull’Urania”. Many documentaries disseminate the results of scientific research. The goal of this film is to talk about the way to get these results. Lorenzo writes, “with this documentary I would like to describe the life on board, the personal relationship between the team, the fortuitous circumstances, the unexpected events and the choices of the oceanographers. In the documentary, each researcher is a character who will give their specific view on their job and the general background of the cruise. In other words, oceanography will become “embodied” in the researchers.” The film is usually shown to the children during the second meeting and they really enjoy it! In each classroom, I usually collect a lot of drawings and questions that the children have prepared for oceanographers and I usually bring this material on board in order to reply to the children’s questions and to decorate our laboratories.

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Page 1: CNRIstitutodiBiofisica, PISA, Italia

TRAVELS ON BOARD THE R/V “URANIA”OUTREACH ACTIVITY WITH 10-12 YEAR OLD CHILDREN

Santinelli ChiaraCNR Istituto di Biofisica, PISA, Italia

We believe that public outreach is one ofour duties to society. We organize activities inorder to popularize oceanography and theimpact of climate change on marineecosystem in the schools. The activities aremainly proposed to 10-12 year old childrenand they are organized in two meetings.

These activities started in the framework ofthe European IP Project SESAME (SouthernEuropean Seas: Assessing and ModelingEcosystem changes), but they continue today.

During the first meeting with the classrooms, Ibring a big sheet of white paper and I ask thechildren to draw or write all the words thatcome to their minds when they think aboutthe Sea.

When I come back to the classrooms, thechildren can compare the two cups and observethe effect of pressure on the cup sent to 2800m.

Then, I make a big black blot in “our marineecosystems”, which represents the humanimpact on the marine ecosystem.

Starting from their ideas and with some photosof phytoplankton, zooplankton, bacteria and fish,we construct the marine ecosystem and thegoods and services that the sea provide for us.

I introduce oceanography and the work doneby the oceanographers and I answer theirquestions. They are usually very curious,interested and enthusiastic!

The pressure experiment

Two Styrofoam cups are signed by each child. Ileave one in the school and brought the other oneon board.

The cups are tied to theRosette, before the deepcast (down to 2800 m)

After the cast theeffect of pressure isclearly visible!

“In viaggio sull’ Urania”The film director “Lorenzo Cioffi” directly participated in one cruise,

on board the CNR R/V “Urania”, in order to take shots to create thefilm-documentary: “In viaggio sull’Urania”.

Many documentaries disseminate the results of scientific research.The goal of this film is to talk about the way to get these results.Lorenzo writes, “with this documentary I would like to describe the lifeon board, the personal relationship between the team, the fortuitouscircumstances, the unexpected events and the choices of theoceanographers. In the documentary, each researcher is a characterwho will give their specific view on their job and the generalbackground of the cruise. In other words, oceanography will become“embodied” in the researchers.” The film is usually shown to thechildren during the second meeting and they really enjoy it!

In each classroom, I usually collect a lot ofdrawings and questions that the children haveprepared for oceanographers and I usually bringthis material on board in order to reply to thechildren’s questions and to decorate ourlaboratories.