Hosted by OSOS , contributed by chvel on 28 January 2020
In the context of the activity, students develop and implement a theatrical performance related to scientific concepts and learn science in a creative way. The specific objectives of the activity, which have as a central axis the interdisciplinary interconnection of science with aspects of art, aiming at the enhancement of students' interest in science, involve both students and teachers. More specifically, through this activity, students comprehend scientific concepts and phenomena, develop a spirit of cooperation and teamwork, actively participate in the elaboration of scientific concepts and they develop creative and critical thinking skills. Also, by participating in dissemination activities and entrepreneurial actions for the promotion and support of their theatrical performance, they contribute in further bridging school with society and at personal level developing their social and entrepreneurial skills.
Teachers will be engaged in professional development procedures through their cooperation and the exchange of opinions, ideas and teaching material (either in person or through online learning communities). Finally, one of the main aims of the activity is to motivate more and more teachers and students and create an educational community that will cooperate, exchange opinions, material and best practices for science teaching and learning, that will continue after the implementation of the action.
Learning Objectives
The main aim of the Learning Science Through Theatre (LSTT) approach is to give the opportunity to
primary and high school students to stage a play and dramatize scientific concepts and knowledge
from the material being taught in schools.
The LSTT’s domain specific objectives are to:
- Get students interested in science and research through theatrical play
- Teach students how to develop a theatrical script, relevant to a scientific topic
- Initiate the development of a theatrical performance by students, regarding a scientific topic
- Initiate contact between students and other professionals (for example directors and musicians)
- Bring schools closer to local community
- Engage parents and the general public into schools’ happenings and events
- Build National‐wide student networks
- Open the school to the community and involve all the stakeholders.
Towards attaining these objectives, peripheral aims are formed addressing students’ needs to:
- develop understanding about scientific inquiry
- develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
- identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations
- design and conduct theatrical scripts relevant to scientific concepts and issues
- use technology to improve investigations, communications and the development of theatrical performances and videos
- formulate and revise scientific scripts exploiting creativity and imagination
- recognize, analyze and imagine alternative explanations and models
- communicate a scientific argument or issue in a creative way
- develop lifelong learning skills
- develop attitudes befitting a scientific ethos
- link with science and society in a personal context
The LSTT aims at the enhancement of the students’ cognitive involvement, their representation of
scientific content using their cognitive processes, the students’ involvement using their bodies or
gestures, their emotional involvement, the social interaction and communication between them, the
use of past experiences and the creation of new ones based on sociopolitical and historical
framework and on beliefs and behaviors, their brain, body and emotion coordination and finally the
holistic use of their personality and their motives. As a result, students manage to constructively
build on each other’s ideas, enhance their learning of scientific concepts, co‐create and perform
theatrical plays.
Available partnership opportunities
Here are some partnership opportunities you should consider in your development:
| Parents | Supporting, as externals, the students' performances in the various steps that will follow, either by offering their expertise if relative to the thematics/scenery demands or by personally attending the final events to cheer the effort. |
| Local businesses | Contribute by offering assets (either financial or in other material forms needed) |
| Local authorities | Supporting the whole process and disseminating the project to the local community for raising the awareness and contribute to the search for financial support |
| NGOs | Contribute by supporting with specific activities, e.g. Art NGO by providing artists, Science NGOs by providing researchers. |
| Artists | Professional artists will have the chance to support the development and the staging of the play thus apprenticing the young students to the artistic aspects of the chosen thematic |
| Researchers | Researchers are entrusted to spark the youngs’ excitement in the chosen scientific concept. Furthermore, they will ensure the validness of the scientific elements of the play and offer valuable help to the development of the script |
| Research institutes | Will offer a place for informal education that is complementary needed and targeted to the success of the performance. Will also engage students in the inquiry processes of researching. |
Responsible Research and Innovation
One of the key aspects of OSOS is the inclusion of RRI - Responsible Research and Innovation principles (more information at RRI-Tools.eu). This is how the Learning Science Through Theater Accelerator fits into the RRI model:
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Governance |
LSAT aims at changing the attitudes of managers and administration. Support from school management is key. |
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Public Engagement |
Engagement through the involvement of the local community. In the context of LSTT, students take part in public engagement and dissemination activities for the promotion of their theatrical performance and for creating synergies with local communities in order to get support for the development of the performance and also to raise awareness on the scientific issues on which their performance is being based. |
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Gender Equality |
Girls and boys equally participate and share their ideas. Through the intersection of arts and science, genders are equally represented in the school projects |
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Science Education |
This is the core aim of LSTT. Participants learning science through creative and arts activities, using theater’s techniques and methods |
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Ethics |
Drama, teamwork, role-playing, role exchange are all techniques that LSTT is using; these foster the development of ethics to the students, teachers and all the involved stakeholders |
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Open Access |
Participants have Open Access to thousands of resources (ISE, OSOS). Also, they are sharing their material to thousands of students and teachers by using the LSTT web community |
Recommended resources
There are no financial resources needed actually. Students will develop all the needed costumes, scenery, etc. If they need financial contribution they could have the support of the local authorities and/or businesses as it was already supporting them in the last years (since 2014). For human resources, teachers usually realize this activity during their lessons or 2 extra hours per week for at least 8 weeks. This is usually within their project-based activities. Communication with professionals will be realized in person at schools, but also online. They will need the internet to connect with the organizers in specific time‐frames for the support, PCs to prepare any possible presentation that they would like to involved in the performance.
The organisation in charge of this Accelerator
This Accelerator has been developed by Science View.
Menelaos Sotiriou, sotiriou@scienceview.gr
Science View, 2 Missaliotou & Veikou, 11742, Athens
info[@]scienceview.gr
http://www.scienceview.gr/
6ο Γενικό Λύκειο Λάρισας
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