The Science Museum of the University of Navarra brings chemistry closer to more than 11,000 schoolchildren from all over Spain.
"The Periodic Suitcase" is a science outreach project that has traveled around Spain in the last year and a half.
17 | 02 | 2021
More than 11,000 schoolchildren from all over Spain have been able to enjoy in their schools the chemistry experiments of "La maleta periódica" (The Periodic Suitcase), a project promoted by the Science Museum of the University of Navarra and supported by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) and the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
Cristina Sola, in charge of the project, was very satisfied with the participation of the schools and for fulfilling the main objective of bringing science closer to the new generations.
"The aim of the project is to provide material to bring chemistry in a visual and surprising way to secondary and high school classrooms. Despite the difficulties we have encountered since the end of last year due to the health situation, the participating centers are relying on it to be able to motivate schoolchildren with simple and spectacular activities that arouse their curiosity," Sola points out.
The Periodic Suitcase" started in 2019 with three different types of participation: "The periodic suitcase is yours" - experiment suitcases were delivered to 25 schools in Navarra for teachers to develop classroom practices - in which more than 7,000 students participated; "The periodic suitcase visits your school" - a Chemistry graduate from the University of Navarra visits the school upon request and performs the experiments - with a participation of more than 2,000 students from 47 different schools throughout Spain (ten Autonomous Communities); and "Come and meet the periodic suitcase", a mode that has been developed through the activities of the Science Museum of the University of Navarra.2 ,000 students from 47 different centers throughout Spain (ten Autonomous Communities); and "Come and see the periodic suitcase", which has been developed through the activities of the Science Museum of the University of Navarra and has had a participation of more than 2,000 students.
Good acceptance of the project in Navarra
The Science Museum delivered 25 suitcases to 25 different schools in the Comunidad Foral, each one of them equipped with the necessary material to be able to carry out the different chemical experiments in the classroom. The suitcases contained the reagents necessary for the execution of the experiments, the protocol for each of these tests, as well as a conceptual table indicating the science topics related to these experiments.
The "Periodic Suitcase" project has been well received in classrooms in Navarra. For José Zulaica, teacher at IES Iturrama, the suitcase material has seemed useful: "it makes our work much easier, it fits perfectly in any of the Secondary courses, and it is a guaranteed success with the students". Antxón Zablaza, teacher at Ikastola Jaso, agrees: "I think this project brings students closer to the world of chemistry in a simple, clear, rigorous and attractive way and allows us, especially the smaller centers, to have both theoretical and material support that would otherwise have been very difficult to achieve". And Sara Pardo, teacher at Teresianas de Calahorra: "The students are very grateful to see that what they have studied theoretically has real applications".
The project has also been well received by students from different grades: "I thought it was very interesting to see this experiment in class and I didn't imagine that different colors would come out and that it would look so good"; "seeing it in slow motion was very cool. We should do many more. From that, I started looking for experiments to do at home".
The participating centers in the Comunidad Foral were the following: IES Iturrama, IES Plaza de la Cruz, San Ignacio-Jesuitas, Irabia-Izaga, Dominicas Pamplona, Hijas de Jesús, Claret Larraona, Miravalles-El Redín, San Cernin, Liceo Monjardín, Maristas Pamplona, Escolapios, San Fermín Ikastola, Jaso Ikastola, IES Sancho III el Mayor (Tafalla), Escolapios (Tafalla), IES Valle del Ebro (Tudela), Colegio La Anunciata (Tudela), IES Toki Ona (Bera), IES Pedro de Atarrabia (Villava), Luis Amigó (Mutilva), IES Barañain (Barañain) and Colegio Santa Teresa (Calahorra).
The "periodic suitcase" project is part of the Science Museum's STEM strategy to make the teaching of subjects related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics more attractive. For this reason, the Museum will continue to promote the development of this activity for those centers that request it.