Kids geosciences labs: the experience of “Sabato al Museo” 2016

During the events “Sabato al Museo” (7th and 21th May 2016) and the European Night at the Museums (21th May 2016), organized by the Polo museale Sapienza (https://web.uniroma1.it/polomuseale/), the Italian Geological Society (SGI - http://www.socgeol.it/) designed and realized six laboratories for children. These were carried out at “Sapienza University of Rome” inside the MUST (University Museum of Earth Science) and the Museum of Anthropology. The main goal of these labs was to mediate the research activities performed by the Sapienza University in different fields of geosciences to an audience of children (from six to twelve years old). The laboratories were holded by selected experts in teaching and disseminating for children. The activities were organized in two phases. In the first phase (about 15 minutes), the operators introduced the audience in the topic of the laboratory by means of multimedia material, involving children with questions and discussions. In the second phase (about thirty minutes), the children carried out experimental activities using the proper scientific methodology. The SGI organized and realized the following laboratories: “Dinosaurs… even in Italy!” (in collaboration with MUSE – Science Museum of Trento); “Footprints”; “Microworlds” (a micropalentological laboratory); “Prey and predators” (in collaboration with PaleoFactory Lab – Sapienza University of Rome); “Discovering our history: apes, fossils and man” and “Ancient weapons”. About 800 children attended these laboratories. The feedback of the audience proved to be very positive, as testified by ex post questionnaires; they had indeed the opportunity to explore topics that commonly capture their imagination. We are deeply convinced that these activities can greatly contribute to expanding the cultural background of the younger generations, in particular the geosciences that unfortunately are still too neglected.