SoundBio was recently invited to teach a pack of eager Cub Scouts about what it’s like to be a scientist. Of course we couldn’t let this opportunity pass without also offering a hands-on activity too! Led by our Director of Educational Outreach, SoundBio provided pipetting supplies and colored water to also let the kids play with fixed volume pipets.
While half the children learned to pipet, the other half talked to Holly Sawyer, a former scientist and lab manager, about what it’s like to work in a lab. The discussion was enlightening! We discussed what scientists do, and what type of traits are important if you want to become a scientist. After our talk, the Scouts were allowed to touch a bunch of fun science tubes, racks and other small equipment that are used routinely in the lab. This type of scientific ‘show, tell & touch’ is always popular with the kids and inevitably leads to further topics such as safety (glasses, gloves & lab coat), how we handle samples (different tubes and racks), and how we create experiments. Our Director of Outreach had this to say:
“It’s important to allow kids to touch things that they’ve never seen before such as an 8-channel micro-pipet, a centrifuge, or even tiny PCR tubes. It makes science feel cool, exciting and more accessible.”
Want to give your Cub Scout group a similar opportunity? Feel free to reach out to us at holly (at) sound.bio.
This Scout was really getting into the holiday spirit!
Happy Holidays!