He who knows is not as good as he who loves, and he who loves is not as good as he who delights.
——Confucius
This quote from Confucius, originating from the "Analects," profoundly illustrates the importance of learning attitude and interest for educational outcomes, reflecting a key aspect of Confucian educational philosophy. It serves as a significant insight for educators, reminding them to foster students' interest and enthusiasm during the educational process, allowing students to experience joy and satisfaction, thus genuinely falling in love with learning and achieving better educational results.
Chinese traditional culture is an essential part of the world's cultural treasury, with unique charm and value. We aim to innovatively integrate Chinese traditional culture with synthetic biology.
Introduction: Seal carving and printing is a unique art form in Chinese traditional culture, becoming a new highlight for interaction with international students during holidays. We introduced synthetic biology knowledge and our Protector Program, then encouraged and guided them to recreate bacterial forms learned through seal carving and printing, experiencing the ingenious fusion of tradition and modern science.
Target Audience: University international students
Purpose: We hope to use the interesting method of seal carving and printing to combine traditional culture with synthetic biology for educational promotion, building a cultural bridge and enhancing friendship and exchange.
Process: First, we explained synthetic biology knowledge and the concept of our “Protector Program”.
Then, we traced the long history and origin of seal carving and printing, demonstrating each step and process.
Next, students integrated their envisioned cellular forms into carving, creating unique artworks.
Finally, they carefully transferred these carvings onto paper, showcasing the microscopic beauty of cells through traditional art.
Learn: Seal carving and printing is an important part of intangible cultural heritage. For international students, it exposes them to excellent Chinese traditional cultural skills, promoting the international dissemination and exchange of Chinese traditional culture. We recommend future iGEMers invite language teachers to guide and assist when conducting educational activities for populations with different languages, aiding in better understanding and learning.
Introduction: Tie-dyeing is a traditional Chinese dyeing technique that creates unique patterns through hand-tying and dyeing. We planned tie-dyeing activities, leveraging its pattern resemblance to microorganisms, integrating synthetic biology knowledge, and offering tie-dyeing experience classes for freshmen.
Target Audience: Freshmen
Purpose: Most people are unfamiliar with the shapes and structures of microorganisms, and tie-dyeing patterns offer an imaginative display similar to microorganisms. Traditional Chinese tie-dyeing is not only aesthetically pleasing but also very interesting. People dye clothes by hand, allowing them to enjoy the beauty of Chinese tie-dyeing while learning synthetic biology.
Process: First, we introduced the origins and techniques of tie-dyeing, then explained about synthetic biology and shared our “Protector Program”.
Afterwards, students picked up the colorful dyes and put their hands into the practice of tie-dye creation. In the end, a unique piece of tie-dyeing artwork came into being, integrating personal creativity and emotion, traditional culture and modern science.
Learn: Tie-dye, as a traditional Chinese folk craft, has a long history and deep cultural heritage. We used tie-dye as a means to expose university freshmen to the emerging discipline of synthetic biology. Their feedback was positive and aroused their interest. We encourage future iGEMers to try more integration with traditional Chinese culture.
Educational Drama integrates theatrical elements into teaching, engaging students through scenarios, roles, and performances. This approach enhances learning with fun, ignites enthusiasm, deepens curriculum understanding, and strengthens learning outcomes while fostering interaction.
Introduction: We designed an immersive educational drama activity for children at Dongguan Early Education Center, allowing them to acquire knowledge through our crafted narratives and games.
Target Audience: 4-6 years old children at Dongguan Early Education Center
Purpose: To plant the seeds of synthetic biology and science in their minds, which may take root and grow as they mature.
Process:
Firstly,children learned about DNA structure and the pairing rules of A, T, C, G through explanations and puzzles.Then children used their imagination to draw various ideas to defeat bacteria, such as superhero cells, antimicrobial drugs, and magical tools.
After that,children had to overcome obstacles and use items to defeat bacterial images on the wall.A hands-on experiment to understand the importance of handwashing and the role of sanitizers in killing bacteria, enhancing memory and comprehension through visual effects.
Learn: Through immersive storytelling, we created a unique “science lesson” for the children in our Early Learning Center. In our immersive classroom drama, they were super-helpers who helped the “good” germs find a weapon to defeat the “bad” germs, and we were the narrators who portrayed the story.
Introduction: Urban villages, as areas lagging behind in urban development, attract a large number of migrant workers with low rents.During the summer vacation, children from urban villages come to join their parents for a short time, but their parents may be busy with work and have limited time to spend with them. We built a “small theater” and created story characters using used delivery boxes and boxes, used take-out chopsticks, and other materials. By writing scripts and acting out the characters, we were able to present the story of our “Protector Program”.
Target Audience: Left-behind children in urban villages during summer
Purpose: To expose children to synthetic biology and bacterial prevention through our story theater and interactive sessions.
Process: Extensive preparation including scriptwriting, character design, painting, box decoration, and rehearsals.
Performed at the community park in Guanlong Village, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, attracting many children who watched intently.Interactive Q&A followed by rewards for correct answers, encouraging children to share their learnings with family.
We hope to incorporate this educational philosophy into our educational activities, in order to stimulate the interest of those being educated so that they will be more willing to engage with the knowledge and then pass it on to others, such as friends or family.
Learn: The "An Excellent Drama" series offers theater education and science outreach, bringing camaraderie and delight to elders and kids. It inspires kids as future scientists, biologists, or synthetic biology innovators, while enabling visually impaired seniors to learn about synthetic biology via engaging shadow theater, fostering a unique learning experience through theater's insightful role.
In China, middle school is where students first encounter biology, but it lacks synthetic biology content. We believe introducing this field can expand their biological horizons and spark interest.
Introduction: Introduce synthetic biology to expand students' understanding of biology and appreciate its joy.
Target Audience: Qingyuan Yangshan Middle School students
Purpose: To teach synthetic biology and share the joy of biology.
Process: Team members explained synthetic biology and bacterial prevention.Realized the need to combine theory with practice for a more engaging learning experience.
Learn: We joined hands with the iGEM team from the School of Medicine of Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) to produce the learning content of this educational panel, which popularized the knowledge of bacterial prophylaxis and synthetic biology to the middle school students. At the end of the education, we also realized that the simple knowledge explanation was not vivid enough, so we wanted to combine theory and practice together.
Introduction: Introduce synthetic biology knowledge and teach the correct use of pipettes.
Target Audience: Qingyuan Nanyang High School students
Purpose: To learn the correct use of pipettes and engage in hands-on practice.
Process: Introduced iGEM and synthetic biology.
Demonstrated and allowed students to practice using pipettes.
Learn: In the process of practicing, secondary school students have a deeper understanding and learning of the experimental equipment. We not only focus on the teaching of theory, but also pay more attention to the operation and practice in reality. Therefore, we encourage future iGEMers to combine theory and practice more often, so that education targets can also use what they have learned in practice.
Education extends beyond book learning. We use DNA origami, mold wool paintings, and other methods to engage the public in the beauty of art while introducing the wonders of synthetic biology.
Introduction: Origami has a long history in China, creating various shapes through folding. We used this art to introduce DNA structure during the 8th South China Exchange.
Target Audience: Students attending the 8th South China Exchange
Purpose: To exercise minds and hands while gaining an understanding of DNA's double helix.
Process: We were teaching the students who came to our booth how to use an A4 sheet of paper to DNA the double helix structure.
And finally bring the folded pieces together to be used for subsequent educational learning for the younger age groups!
Learn: Origami, as an ancient and creative art form, requires concentration, and this focus and dedication helps people to forget their worries and stress for a while, and helps them to better understand the double helix structure of DNA. It also promotes communication between us and others.
Introduction: Used an engaging method to teach synthetic biology to kindergarten children in Zhuhai, encouraging creativity and learning.
Target Audience: 5-7 years old children at Lishan Village Kindergarten
Purpose: To encourage children to express their ideas and feelings about mold through art, fostering creativity and aesthetic sense.
Process: Introduced synthetic biology and its mysteries using stickers, sparking interest.
The children began to experience the fun of assembling the cell structure diagram by putting together the stickers.
We were keenly aware that our current activities were not enough to fully realize our vision. So we led the children to use soft wool felt and magical white latex to create their own imaginary mold forms on the frames.
Learn: Through understanding the role of mold in nature and the use of wool felt, an environmentally friendly material, to create decorative paintings. In the process of creation. They can give full play to their imagination to create unique works and develop creativity and artistic aesthetic ability. They can learn about science while also promoting the integration and comprehensive application of knowledge.
Introduction: Cyanotype is an ancient photographic process. We used this to allow students to experience the combination of light and synthetic biology without a microscope.
Target Audience: College sophomores
Purpose: To provide a unique experience of observing microorganisms directly on paper, fostering comprehensive thinking and innovation.
Process: Explained synthetic biology, then guided students in creating cyanotype prints.
Students used paper and film negatives to create unique works, which were developed under sunlight to reveal the microscopic world on paper.
Learn: The cyanotype is an example of the combination of art and science. It involves knowledge from a number of subject areas, including chemistry and optics, and realizes artistic creation through the scientific method. We used this as a medium to teach the new students about synthetic biology so that they could learn what the microbial world looks like.
Our capacity is limited and we are not able to reach too many people with education. “A single spark can start a prairie fire” means that even a small spark has the power to ignite a whole prairie. Taking inspiration from this saying, we can reach more people by passing on the content of our education to a group of people, who in turn pass it on to another group of people!
Introduction: Our team members went to Japan during the summer and visited five universities in Japan (Osaka University, Kobe University, Kyoto University of Science and Technology, Waseda University, and the University of Tokyo) and communicated with students and teachers in the universities to introduce our Conservatorship Program and the discipline of synthetic biology, and gave them our team peripherals.
Target group: Japanese university students
Purpose: To briefly introduce and educate people who are not familiar with synthetic biology and iGEM.
Process:
Introduction: At each event, we educate the people we meet about the program and about synthetic biology. We hope they will take our pamphlets with them to the next round of education.
Target group: Chinese people
Purpose: To briefly introduce and educate people who are not familiar with synthetic biology and iGEM.
Process:
Learn:In the process of publicizing with people, many of them said that they had never heard of the subject of synthetic biology, but all of them were able to arouse a great deal of interest after our introduction. Maybe they will go to learn this knowledge someday in the future.
It is necessary to do a good job of publicizing and educating in a diversified way, combining synthetic biology and project elements to make a periphery is a thing that can attract people's interest in learning.
Team project picture book:
Bacteria Prevention Folder:
Mask:
Keychain:
Sticky notes:
Stickers:
Introduction:
We believe that online educational outreach can spread synthetic biology and program enable more widely to more people, which is what we want to do.
WeChat:
We write articles and post them on WeChat, which allows us to make our content accessible to everyone.
BiliBili account:
We push many interesting educational videos to BiliBili, a popular video site in China, so that people can better understand the fun of synthetic biology through our videos.
Under the gentle nourishment of education, each of our hearts has been enriched with the fruits of knowledge and wisdom. More profoundly, through our carefully planned educational activities, the cutting-edge field of synthetic biology crosses the cognitive gap and reaches the hearts of different people.
We know that every inquiring mind is unique, therefore, we carefully consider the age level, knowledge structure and regional characteristics of the audience, and weave a vivid and easy-to-understand educational scroll in a more intimate and in-depth way. From young and naive kindergarteners to youths with dreams in urban villages; from young college students to retired elders, all of them are attracted by the power of synthetic biology, and together they form a diverse and energetic audience for our program.
With the passage of time, our efforts are like a trickle of water converging into a sea, and our influence has blossomed from the initial spark to a vast area of nearly 10,000 people. The success of the popularization activities has not only ignited the public's curiosity about synthetic biology, but also inspired their desire to explore this mysterious field in depth.
This is a journey of the heart and a leap of wisdom, let us join hands together to write a brilliant chapter of synthetic biology in this extraordinary journey.
