Should we save ugly animals? Thousands of Cumbria schoolchildren know the answer thanks to the React Foundation
Should we save ugly animals? Thousands of Cumbria schoolchildren know the answer thanks to the React Foundation
The blobfish is apparently the ugliest animal in the world. It’s also endangered, but ugly animals are not the ones humans instinctively want to save…until now.
Thousands of schoolchildren across Cumbria are now firmly in favour of saving all ugly animals thanks to the annual science show put on by the REACT Foundation.
Scientist Simon Watt presented his show Ugly Animals to around 2,500 Key Stage 2 pupils over three days and eight sessions.
The interactive show introduced the students to an array of very ugly animals and explained why they’re important to save. At one point pupil volunteers were kicking balls of pee and poo across the room (in reality these were just coloured balls to represent the pee and the poo!).
The show celebrated and explored the incredible biology of the animal kingdom’s most monstrous. It explored what adaptations make them amazing, and how such ugly creatures evolved.
Everyone got involved with howls of laughter from the children and adults present.
Lolly Sloan,10, from Arlecdon Primary School was brought to the front as a judge of one of the in show competitions. She said:
“It was absolutely brilliant, I was so pleased to be picked to go to the front and wear a mask and to help judge who could make the best Play-Doh shape of the ugly animals.
“I’ve really enjoyed the whole show and it was great fun. I also got out of learning about negative numbers for the morning! It was great to do something different with school.
“I now think about ugly animals in a different way and want to save them all! Science is really fun!”
Lolly’s teacher Jasmine Jolliffe added:
“It’s just wonderful to have something like this to bring the children to, seeing them get really involved and engaged.
“STEM is something we focus a lot on in our school. Events like this help us to show the children that there are a variety of science careers out there for them to look into.
“We are also studying animals and humans and the relationships between them, so this is really topical for us too.”
REACT Foundation was created as a charitable organisation in 2004 to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers in the area, and the free shows are a key part of The Foundation’s activities to achieve this goal.
The science shows were held over three days and supported by RWE, who have been long time sponsors of the shows. They took place at Lakes College in Workington, Millom and Cleator Moor.
Simon Watt said:
“I love doing shows like this and seeing the pupils really engaging with me and the subject. We live in a world where often science is portrayed as boring. It’s not boring, it is utterly fascinating, we just need to show people how and starting with children is the way to inspire the next generation and change that perception.”
REACT Foundation, operated by volunteers, was awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the equivalent to an MBE for volunteer groups.
Since it was set up, the foundation has worked with tens of thousands of young people across West Cumbria, inspiring many to forge careers in engineering and science.
Pete Woolaghan, chair of REACT Foundation, said:
“What I loved about this show is its universal appeal, every person in the room got involved and it’s wonderful to see.
“It’s what we are here to do – support the next generation into STEM careers. Science and engineering are fun careers, I still find it fun even now and that’s what we get across to the children by hosting events like this.
“This is the age, key stage two and three, to get them. To show them that science is cool. We’ve been doing these every year for nearly two decades. I get adults coming up to me who remember coming when they were at school. That for me is a great measure of their success.”
The events are free and every school in west Cumbria is given the opportunity to attend.
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