photo opportunity 2pm, Wednesday 19 September, 1st year teaching lab, Biological Sciences Institute, Miller's Wynd, University of Dundee.
Local school children will take part in an exciting hands on session today with beetles and locusts from the rain forest and the Florida swamps at the University of Dundee to learn more about the science of insects.
The Minibeast Challenge will introduce primary four pupils from Blackness and St Joseph's Primary schools to the insect world teaching them about their different shapes and behaviour patterns.
The pupils will take part in five activities. They will learn how to identify insects, making up a key for identifying each other and then constructing a similar key for the insects. They will study their behaviour by observing which choice chamber they prefer to be in to decide whether minibeasts have preferences. The scientists at the University have big containers of locusts from which the children will time how long they spend eating, jumping, flying and resting. Pupils will draw and handle the locusts which have come to Dundee from Borneo, the rain forests and swamps in Florida. The children will finally observe carnivorous plants in action - how some plants can trap and eat small insects.
Dr Keith Skene of the School of Life Sciences who has organised the workshops said: "It is great to have the local schools here at the University of Dundee to learn how exciting and interesting science is. In our experience, children love to see and touch the subjects they are studying. The School of Life Sciences looks forward to welcoming the pupils tomorrow."
Second year pupils from Menzieshill High and Harris Academy will extract DNA from household items such as washing up liquid, lemon juice and salt in a DNA kitchen workshop on Friday. The pupils will learn about the gene, genetic engineering and DNA, isolating the DNA so they have a piece in their hands at the end of the experiment.ENDS
Contact Dr Keith Skene 01382 344257