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The mystery box show

300 pupils aged 9 to 12 organised a knowledge exchange workshop based on the “Be a Physicist” project

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The mystery box show

Some pupils organised a workshop on the seeds contained in the mystery boxes.

The “Be a Physicist” project continues to sow the seeds of knowledge. Developed by CERN, the Geneva Public Education Department, the University of Geneva and the French National Education Ministry, the project is aimed at familiarising pupils aged 9 to 12 with the experimental process. Each year, dozens of classes from Geneva and neighbouring France take part in the project. Pupils receive sealed boxes containing unidentified objects and must use an experimental approach to determine their contents.

Since its launch in 2010, the project has been a source of inspiration for many and so, following a visit to CERN, the National Education Inspector from Rumilly in Haute-Savoie, France, had the idea to launch a larger project, based on the idea of the mystery boxes. Eleven primary and secondary school classes carried out the mystery box exercise and subsequently continued with their experiments after having discovered the content of the boxes. Each class carried out research into one of the objects in the box. Some 300 pupils from schools in five communes were then all brought together for a knowledge exchange workshop on 17 June. During this event, they presented the results of their research. Some had studied the life cycle of seeds, others the mechanics of smells, the reproduction of the lemon tree, sustainable development and more. This interdisciplinary way of working could definitely inspire other teachers.

For more information on the “Be a Physicist” project, see: http://www.danslapeaudunchercheur.org/