Open Lab Day: Engaging Children with the Virus World
Date：27-05-2017 | 【Print】 【close】
On 21 May 2017, Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) held the “Open Lab Day” event. More than 50 children visited to learn the knowledge about virus. The event aims to open doors to the public and engage children with the virus world.
The visitors first came to the Virus Specimen Museum of China (VISM). The explainers introduced various common viruses and their infection prevention methods in detail to the children and exhibited the virology knowledge in a more vivid manner by playing the animated science-popularizing video made by WIV. The children all viewed and listened attentively and also observed closely various virus models and specimens in the museum at the same time. The exquisite 3D printed virus models of zika virus, hepatitis B virus, adenovirus and others have caught many their eyes. Then, an award-winning quiz was held in a lively and humorous form and attracted everybody’s active participation. During the last segment of free activities, the kids and their parents took part in the “free graffiti”, “clay virus model making”, “VR experience” and other projects to have an in-depth understanding of the virus world through the hands-on practices and games.
The visiting segments of this event are specially designed specific to different age groups. After walking out of the specimen museum, the kids over the age of seven can also enter the laboratories of WIV for a visit where the exhibitions in the three subjects of “animal experiment demonstration and practice”, “microscopic world under the microscope” and “silkworm observation practice” meticulously prepared by the staffs are presented respectively. Through the earnest and patient explanation by the volunteers and experimental practices, the kids experienced not only the mysteries of the microscopic world, but also the working environment of their parents concretely, which has enhanced the parent-child communication and been a very productive experience.
Event photos.
