Kids Judge! 2011
Science can be exciting, interactive and fun! This hypothesis was
overwhelmingly conveyed to young participants in the annual Palouse Kids
Judge! Neuroscience Fair that took place at Washington State University
March 8, 2011.
"Gross!" shrieked one young participant as she dawned latex gloves to handle
a "real live" human brain. Still, observers could not help but notice that this
young lady spent a great deal of time and care in examining the specimen and
exploring its intricate structure. Learning how the brain works was the focus of
the day.
Nearly 70 young participants from Spokane’s Chase, Glover and Shaw Middle
School science classes were transported to WSU for the annual event. Once they
arrived, students were divided into 12 teams, and each team participated in and
judged a variety of WSU senior neuroscience student projects. With concepts such
as "To Eat or Not to Eat" or "Name that Face!" youngsters cycled through
learning experiences, each focused on a specific concept of how their brains
function in real-life situations. At the conclusion of the day, students were
asked to select their favorite projects and judge how well each concept was
conveyed.
Projects were exciting, interactive and fun! The
Kids Judge! experience not only taught WSU neuroscience students how to
convey their own hypotheses, but it also helped the younger learners appreciate
the wonders and mysteries to be explored inside their own human brains.
Click thumbnail for larger view (photos by
Neuroscience PhD student, Jasmine Ware)
