Team:UESTC-China/Education
Paper Saving Series Activities
Background
In 2020, we became one of the first ten universities to join Sichuan Chengdu Eco-Environment Alliance. Combining its character with our project, we designed paper saving series activities to promote the concept of environmental protection and paper saving.
What we have done
1. We have launched more than 10 waste paper recycling bins in school offices, inviting teachers and students to join us. People throw waste paper into them after necessarily confidential treatment, then we took them back regularly to collect waste paper.
The recycled waste paper would be used in the experimental verification part of our project. Then, we would return new paper in proportion as a reward to improve people's awareness of recycling waste paper, establish the concept of
turning waste into treasure, and lay a foundation for the subsequent use of deinking machine.
2. We distributed questionnaires to students in the form of free bookmarks at the entrance of the school cafeteria. And if participants filled the questionnaires carefully, we would return them small gifts. Exquisite bookmarks were recyclable to use,
and high-quality questionnaires also made the research more meaningful. Using this form to carry out activity could not only attract everyone’s attention for this activity, but the idea of saving paper was always embodied in our activities,
which can let more teachers and classmates to join our concept of waste paper recycling.
What we have learned
In the end, we recovered more than 10kg of waste paper from more than 50 participants. And we promoted the concept of environmental protection and made participants to develop a good habit of saving waste paper in the
form of waste paper recycling bins.
Figure1, 2, 3. Students engaged in activity.
Popular Science Video with Beijing 101ID
Background
Beijing 101 MiddleID’s project is similar with ours in paper issue. In China, there are some schools established in remote areas where students' learning conditions are not particularly good. So, we wanted to provide these students with an opportunity
to learn more about paper. And our two teams worked together.
What we have done
As one of the four great inventions of ancient China, papermaking has a long history. So, we made a comprehensive introduction to the knowledge of paper from four aspects. They are: 1.the origin of papermaking, 2.modern and ancient papermaking, 3.the
value of recycled paper and 4.DIY recycled paper.
Figure4. Online Tencent Conference.
Science not Silence
Background
In January 2017, an idea on social media launched the global March for Science movement. In a few short months, more than 600 cities, 250 partners, and countless volunteers banded together to organize a historical event that drew people of all backgrounds,
interests, and political leanings.
They Proposed ' Science Not Silence ', aiming to open up the dialogue between scientists and their communities, ensuring that scientists can speak about their work and how it serves the greater good. This means making
science accessible. We want to develop the reader’s appreciation for the great diversity of science and how it contributes to supporting public policy and life. The blog will highlight the service role of science and how science supports
the common good for all. For more details, please go to https://medium.com/marchforscience-blog/about-us-fcdd4176a80c)
That is where our 'Science Not Silence' series derived, fowlling their goal--The significance of science and why it is important to everyday life.
We have also held the idea that in human society, science is not just cold numbers or rigid formulas, but could be presented in a colorful way. Inspired by human senses, we believe that in order to directly impress people, we need to start from every
sensory of them.
What we have done
Visual
1.Paper Elf Fantasy Night
On October 17, 2020, we jointly held the activity of "Weekend Detective" in Sichuan Science and Technology Museum with UESTC-Software team. We held two small activities with the theme of deinking:
(1) "Micro World in My Eyes" paper scraping;
(2) The "Paper Elf Fantasy Night" living theatre.
Figure5. photo of activity.
Video1. The video of Paper Elf Fantasy Night
These two activities have attracted more than 300 people from more than 100 families, and been reported by many media such as Sichuan Observer, Sichuan TV, Toutiao and Sichuan Daily, which have helped bring the concept of environmental
protection and synthetic biology to a wider range. With the help of the artistic means of paper scraping, we passed the idea that deinked paper is still usable to children in a vivid way. At the same time, we also introduced them that
many microbial friends existing around us, such as E. coli, yeast and lactic acid bacteria. And using the interesting form of the stage play, we made interesting stories about the scientific functions of cellulase, xylanase, laccase
and lipase, so that the audiences can better understand the significance and benefits of our enzymatic paper deinking method, and passed on the environmental concept of saving paper.
2.Memes
With the development of technology, social media is gradually becoming popular in our lives. So, we followed the trend and made cute synthetic biology-related memes for other iGEMer and our friends to use when communicating.
Figure6. The memes.
3.Science Popularization Video
Sichuan Science and Technology Museum is a very popular important science education base of teenagers in Sichuan province. As the open window of it, Sichuan Science and Technology Museum’s official accounts has a wide range of audiences, and it's public
reading quantity of each WeChat push can reach 5000 +. Influenced by the outbreak of COVID-19, we couldn't go to Sichuan Science and Technology Museum to close contact with children all the time, so we chose an interesting way to post
popular science video online through its WeChat push. We have been able to make our project and synthetic biology known to more people, and the response has been overwhelming.
Video2. The Science Popularization Video
Auditory
ASMR in Laboratory
Living in the laboratory, all kinds of wonderful sounds will be generated along with the progress of the experiment. After discovering this wonderful fact, we collected these sounds from the laboratory and presented them in the form of the ASMR, which
is a popular form of sound presentation. Never thought they would be so similar to the sounds we hear every day! Amazing!
Video3. ASMR in Lab
Feeling
Pen and Ink Grocery Store
As our name suggests, we wish that we can not only remove black ink from A4 paper, but also help iGEMers solve their problems. Inspired by the famous Japanese novelist Keigo Higashino's novel "The Unworrying Grocery Store", we set up "Pen and Ink Grocery
Store". The first step was to send our cultural creative products and deinked paper to our partner teams. They took photos for certification near their school's landmark. We collected these photos and show Deinker's footprints around
China.
Figure7. Feedback from other teams
What we have learned
We have to face the rapid development of new media today, which means we need to change the way of old form public participation. Go with the flow then find the best way to educate. That's what our slogan suggests——Science not Silence.
2020 Five-Minute Research Presentation Competition
The "2020 Five-Minute Research Presentation Competition (National Final for Undergraduates)" aims to improve the ability of undergraduates and graduate students in China to use English for scientific research and academic communication. The basic content
is to introduce their own scientific research results or scientific research to audiences without professional backgrounds in English.
In this competition, we dedicated to convey our ideas without fewer heavy and complicated specialized terminologies. And fortunately, we got the Grand prize this season!!
The certificate of honor and the competing recording are showed below:
Figure8. The certificate of honor, 2020 Five-minute research Presentation Competition (National Final for Undergraduates)
Video4. Video in Competition