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Europe is moving closer together, and education is no exception. It is the inventiveness of
young Europeans that is the potential not only for shaping our increasingly complex environment in
ways that will benefit all of humanity, but also for the sustainable use of its resources. That is
good and sufficient reason for teachers to make sure the lessons they give are innovative,
fascinating and practical, and is also our motivation in announcing the third in our so-far
successful series of scientific and interdisciplinary European student-teacher projects.
1. Participants and target groups:
Eight schools from North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria, plus one each from Italy, the UK, Austria
and Belgium.
Our target groups are intermediate and upper school students and teachers from scientific and
other disciplines (English, Sport, Arts, etc.).
2. Tasks:
Each team of teachers and students is to set up a project to creatively solve scientific
problems. Their task is to build something innovative, artistic or surprising. This time the
emphasis is on BIONICS, in the widest possible sense. Participants can choose from the following
tasks:
Task I: Something that crawls (model beetle, six-legged).
Task II: Something that jumps (model frog or spider).
Task III: Something that flies (like a bumblebee, dragonfly or bird, not a
helicopter!).
Competition criteria:
In all three cases the technical entity should be as small as possible!
The "crawler" (task I) and "jumper" (task II) should incorporate their own means of propulsion
and should energise themselves and move by absorbing external heat energy or incident light.
The judges will assess the idea, functionality, elegance of solution, presentation and
applicability to classroom teaching.
Each registration covers a team consisting of two teachers and at most four students. For the
purposes of the competition the teachers should develop an interdisciplinary or
interdisciplinarily useable lesson concept and should then realise this with their students in the
classroom.
The schools from North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and our European neighbours will present their
project plans and achieved results in the form of models, calculations, experiments, talks, etc.,
in English at our two opening and closing events. A jury, possibly assisted by the groups of
participants, will select the best project for each of the three tasks, and the students will
receive a token of recognition for their participation.
Lenord + Bauer offers to provide specialist advice and technical support during the project
phase (e.g. supplying small-scale modules or sensor elements up to a value of 500 euros). To
simplify communications, participants from our European neighbours will receive technical
assistance from Lenord + Bauer's sales partners. Overall coordination is the responsibility of the
Executive Secretary of Science on Stage Deutschland e.V. (see below).
3. Schedule of events:
Phase 1: Preparations: September-December 2007
On
Friday 07.12.2007 there will be an initial meeting at 3 pm at the premises of
Lenord + Bauer. At this
launch event each of you will introduce your project plans and present your
initial results, and there will also be an opportunity to tour Lenord + Bauer's factory. The
participating schools from our European neighbours will also take part in this event.
Phase 2: Implementation: January - May 2008
The school teams will realise their projects in the classroom. During this phase, Lenord + Bauer
will provide any cooperative support that may be required. The exchange of information between
neighbouring schools and countries should where possible be carried out by e‑mail. Your contact for
the German and foreign schools is Mrs Schlunk.
Phase 3: Presentation: May 2008
On
Friday 11. 04.2008 at 2 pm the results will be presented in public, in English, at
the
closing event at the premises of Lenord + Bauer. A jury will award prizes to the
best projects for each of the three tasks.
Phase 4: Follow-up: 2008
Cooperation between the schools, Lenord + Bauer and its sales partners can be continued. The
results will be published (on the home page and in print) so that other teachers can take up the
projects.
4. Motivation for schools to participate:
- Exchange of ideas with schools in other countries,
- Contact to Lenord + Bauer (career guidance, internships and industrial training, etc.),
- A fascinating, unusual and practical lesson concept,
- Specialist advice and technical assistance provided by Lenord + Bauer (e.g. supplying
small-scale modules or sensor elements up to a value of 500 euros).
5. Contacts
Overall coordination:
Coordination with Lenord + Bauer and technical questions:
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