SAEON targets Lusikisiki for National Science Week 2008

Dumile Tshingana, the SAEON Elwandle Node's Education Outreach Officer (centre), explains the concept of food web complexity to the learners (Picture © SAEON Elwandle Node) Learners are shown how to construct pyramids illustrating the food pyramid (Picture © Dumile Tshingana) Learners explain how the food pyramid works (Picture © Dumile Tshingana) SAEON graduate student Luzuko Dali in action, recounting exciting stories about marine biology and the technicalities involved in marine zoological sampling (Picture © Dumile Tshingana) SAEON graduate student Ntuthuko Masikane engaging with the learners (Picture © Dumile Tshingana)

- By Dumile Tshingana, Education Outreach Officer, SAEON Elwandle Node

National Science Week (NSW) is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) which aims to excite our youth about science at an early age and to encourage them to develop an interest in studying mathematics and science.

The South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA);is the implementing body of NSW.

The objectives of NSW are to create awareness of the important role that science plays in people’s daily life, to encourage our youth to consider studying and improving their performance in mathematics and science, and to attract more of our youth into science, science, engineering and technology. While placing emphasis on our youth, awareness is also created among those sectors of society that influence the subject and career choices of learners.

This year SAEON, the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Bayworld, Bonani Educational Enterprises, Department of Education East London, Department of Education Mount Frere, Scifest Africa, Straights Research, University of Fort Hare, and the Walter Sisulu Municipality joined forces with the Eastern Cape Department of Education to present NSW. The event took place from 9 -16 May in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.

SAEON Elwandle staff and graduate students Dumile Tshingana, Ntuthuko Masikane and Luzuko Dali participated in the launch as well as in careers day. In the course of these two days, learners were given guidance on the different careers available in science.

SAEON graduates Luzuko and Ntuthuko actively interacted with learners, narrating and interpreting exciting stories about marine biology and the technicalities involved in marine zoological sampling. They talked about the importance of careers in marine science and which subjects to choose to be able to pursue marine science as a career. Learners really enjoyed these sessions and one could see a marine science spark shining in their eyes.

For the rest of the week (from 12 -16 May) the SAEON Elwandle Node presented workshops on marine food chains and food webs. These workshops covered relationships that exist within marine environments with the focus on biotic and abiotic factors. The workshops illustrated how energy flows from one trophic level to another by using the concept of marine food pyramids. Learners were given the opportunity for meaningful interactions by converting measurements in each trophic level and having to explain the decrease in biomass as one progresses up the pyramid.

All these activities were linked to the school curriculum for grades 10 -12. The teachers who accompanied learners declared themselves impressed with the content covered and teaching method used during the workshops.