From 21-28 March the National Student Travel Foundation (NSTF) Science Expo took place in Malta. During this yearly event, where primary and secondary school students can exhibit their own science projects, UNAWE organised a workshop based on the activity called ‘Design your Alien’.
Around 500 students aged 7-12 years old attended the workshop that was held several times a day during the week. The children first learned about what life on Earth needs to exist. They learned about the concept of the Earth having an ‘atmosphere’, ‘gravity’ and about the ‘habitable zone’ - the region around the Sun in which a planet can have liquid water on its surface. Thereafter they could choose their own planet or moon within our Solar System and read facts about the environmental conditions of the planet. Using their imagination, they had to invent and draw their own alien life form that could live on the planet. For example, on a planet where the gravity is weak, the alien would need something to help it stay on the planet (like sucker feet) or fly
The students were all very enthusiastic about the workshop and invented really beautiful and creative aliens. On Wednesday Liesbeth Oost, representative of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Malta, visited a Design your Alien workshop.
Liesbeth Oost, representative of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Malta at a Design your Alien workshop
Other science communicators from Europe also attended the science expo to give workshops and talks to the students. João Retrê from the Portuguese Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences outreach programme used UNAWE’s Universe in a Box to show a model of our Solar System to the students. Ten boxes were sent to primary schools in Malta.
The NSTF organises various educational programmes during the year and their goal is the direction and development of educational, cultural and social travel and exchange for students, scholars and youth at all educational levels in the nation, the expansion and improvement of services and promotion of a better understanding on an international level.
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