Do you remember back when you looked at everything with wonder and amazement? When you questioned things that sparked your interest and didn’t shy away from testing out theories? Wow shows are all about rekindling that childlike curiosity, and seeing the wonder of science in daily life.
Volunteers pick up a scientific theme, for example, light and optics and structure various demonstrations to get kids thinking. These demos are structured so the volunteers can get students to look at the materials, ask a question/ get curious and then the volunteer can do a test and help students think about the answer, which leads to a fresh understanding. Annually we run four to five shows in each class, for classes 4 and 5. They get an introduction to scientific thinking while the volunteers develop their public speaking skills. The aim of each show is to get students and volunteers saying “wow!” so they become curious and keep exploring even after the programme has ended.