If you are too young to have learnt to spell the word ‘science”, don’t worry — Sasol SciFest has a special programme for children aged four to eight. Called the Playfair, participants can expect a different science experience each morning.
The Playfair is coordinated by Di Hornby, director of the Rhodes University Centre for Social Development. The innovative programme is run by pre-school teachers of participating pre-schools and day-care centres in Grahamstown. However, visitors from out of town are welcome to join in the fun and games. Two groups are accommodated each day at 9am to 10.20am and 10.30am to noon.
St Andrew’s Prep will be hosting chocolate-making workshops sponsored by Nestlé and a ‘build a radio” workshop. The success of this workshop will be determined by whether the groups manage to communicate successfully with one another at the end of the day.
The preppies will also host Brick Play, a series of hands-on workshops using Lego bricks. The entrance fee is R7, 50 per workshop and visitors can look forward to learning more about machines and mechanisms. They will explore and investigate renewable energy and play Steven Spielberg while directing and producing their own movie using the latest Lego movie-making equipment.
Not quite Spielberg, but perhaps on the same track is SciFest’s series of educational theatre pieces.
There are a number of stars in their own right treading the boards for the sake of science.
Take, for example, Flat Dog. He’s definitely not a fish, but swims underwater. Basil Mills from Grahamstown is the proud owner of Flat Dog, a pet crocodile. The two can be seen in Crocodile Tears and Tales at the Monument B2 Arena on March 16, 17, 18 and 22 at noon.
During each performance, Mills will share myths and legends surrounding crocodiles and will talk about the importance of crocodiles in the environment, a description of their lifestyle, what types of crocodiles there are in the world and how many are in South Africa.
David Muller and the MTN ScienCentre make a welcome return to SciFest this year with their educational theatre piece — Imagining Einstein. This focuses on the life and times of the superstar scientist whose achievements are being celebrated this year. Imagining Einstein can be seen in the Monument B2 Arena on March 17, 19 and 22 from 2pm to 3pm.
The Ubom! Eastern Cape Drama Company will be performing Muti Inc. at the Monument B2 Arena each day at 2pm. It’s an interactive production which tells the story of Elizabeth, a scientist seeking knowledge about traditional medicines who truly believes she is doing good, but meets resistance from other villagers.
Other fringe events will see various programmes presented by Rhodes University.
If you are thinking of studying at this institution, you can receive the opportunity to spend time with a postgraduate student and to have hands-on experience by accompanying them to their laboratories or field work during the festival.
If you would like to learn more about river creatures and what river scientists in South Africa do, you can join Leeanne du Preez.
Merle Naidoo will teach you all about water management while Kim Bernard will show you what life is like as a marine biologist on the high seas in the southern ocean.
Guy Paulet from the department of ichthyology and fisheries science will teach you all you need to know about breeding freshwater ornamental fish.
Ernst Thompson and Kandjou Kaunahama will explain the meaning of aquaculture — with a focus on ornamental fish breeding.
For those interested in estuaries, Paul Vorwerk from the zoology department will be the perfect guide for you.
Scholars visiting Sasol SciFest can look forward to a series of exciting quizzes. At the end of the quiz, a winning junior team (grades eight, nine and 10) and a senior team (grades 11 and 12) will be announced. The quizzes are great fun, exciting and informative and only cost R7, 50 a team.
Guessing game
Scholars participating in Sasol SciFest quizzes will receive no prior clues and no books to read ahead. The questions are drawn from school curricula and Sasol SciFest exhibition material and are divided into categories such as astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology and computer science.
The preliminary round (maximum of three teams from any school) is a written test from which the four highest scoring teams are selected. But, the finals are planned as fast-moving events by quizmaster Dr Sirion Robertson, and judges Sally-Ann Robertson and John Ebden. The teams choose questions, confer, panic, and laugh as they battle it out — with bells ringing and lights flashing to add to the adrenaline rush.
Each member of the winning senior team wins a one-year full- tuition scholarship from Rhodes University to study science. The winning junior team wins a cash prize of R600. Prizes are awarded to the schools of the teams participating and individual commemorative prizes will be received by finalists.