SAEON celebrates National Science Week and the International Year of Light

By Amos Nchabeleng, DST-NRF Science Communication Intern, SAEON Tweet

Most owls are nocturnal, actively hunting their prey in darkness

SAEON joined a range of organisations to celebrate National Science Week (NSW) 2015, which had UNESCO's International Year of Light as its theme.

The event took place from 1 to 8 August 2015 at venues throughout the country. SAEON's programme ran from 3 to 7 August at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa (NZG). The NZG event was attended by 856 learners in grades 9-12 from nine different schools across the country, all enrolled in science subjects.

Sunlight and living things

SAEON's presentation focused on how sunlight interacts with living things. Given the learners' obvious understanding of the significance of the basic needs of living organisms, the resulting discussion was interactive and meaningful.

Sibongile Mokoena, SAEON's Science Education Outreach Coordinator, challenged the learners by raising a number of intriguing questions about the interaction between sunlight and living things. She started off by asking the learners to reflect on their encounter with chickens at their homesteads and raised questions such as, "Why does a cock crow? Can it be that it is responding to light or daybreak?" The learners were fascinated to learn that a cock crows to announce daylight and declare its territory - a snippet of science many have overlooked.

The next thought-provoking question was, "Does a cock have an internal clock/circadian rhythm?" This question led to a vibrant discussion thoroughly enjoyed by the learners.

How birds react to light

Owls are nocturnal birds that are active during the night. Owls feed on rats and mice, which are also active at night, hence the interrelation among owls, rats and mice. A question raised was whether mice and rats see and smell food better at night.

Learners listen attentively as Sibongile Mokoena, SAEON's Science Education Outreach Coordinator, explains the interaction between sunlight and living things Sibongile interacts with the group of learners, encouraging them to be more aware of science in their daily lives and to observe it more closely

The next intriguing question was directed at an NZG staff member: "As the owls in the zoo are fed and do not have to hunt, does this change their eating behaviour?" The answer was that although owls are fed during the day, they do not eat during the day but wait until night time to eat.

The learners discovered that birds are mostly seasonal breeders. They are more active when the days are longer and produce more chicks when there is thicker vegetation and the food source is abundant.

The learners were keen to learn as much as possible about sunlight and living things. They were motivated by the lively debate to be more keenly aware of science in their daily lives and to observe it more closely.