Let there be light...

Abstract

“Let there be light..." is a project in the scope of the International Year of Light 2015 (IYL 2015) targeted at children of the first school grade. Basically, it comprises nine recreational - scientific workshops that last for approximately 90 minutes. Each workshop is dedicated to a different topic, namely: bioluminescence, mineral observation, the rainbow, light-shadow contrast, battery production, just to name a few, and is designed, in different approaches, by a distinct team of scientists familiar to the scientific area focused. The activity starts with the dramatized storytelling of a children’s story related to the scientific subject and performed by the team of the public library expert in this area. This moment takes place in an almost magical environment opening the door to the science topic light-related that would be focused later on. In the third part of the workshop, the children are invited to produce plastic works (e.g. drawings, constructions and models) inspired in what they have learned, and that are to be collected in a public exhibition held at the same institution at the end of the project. In the present work, besides the description of the experience, you can find the critical analysis of the activity and the evaluation of the action by all the actors involved (project team and children/teachers that attended the workshops).