By Marc Maxson, Jen Johnson, Lisa Reimer, Jackie Francy
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Four Peace Corps Volunteers in collaboration with 15 schools across The Gambia started the first ever "Science Demo Road Show" in the country. The goals of the project were twofold: to teach students that science can be a fun and exciting subject and to encourage teachers nationwide to implement the use of local materials in their science classrooms. In recent years, the West African Exams Council found that less than one-third of Gambian students passed the subject of science in their grade 6, 9, and 12 exams. By giving teachers ideas of how to perform science demonstrations and experiments using local materials, and making science a hands-on subject for students, the team hoped to aid in improving the national exam scores in science.
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All of the demonstrations reflected material found in the Gambian curriculum and most involved dynamic explosions, bursting bubbles, or fires. The most impressive demonstrations included a potato gun made from a plastic pipe, a magic cup trick using absorbent from a sanitary napkin, and a lemon rocket made from a coke bottle. If the laughter and excitement of the student audience was any reflection of the success of this project, then the Demo Team deserves an A+. 
Teachers and administrators also enjoyed the program and seemed to learn a lot. Our best response came from Mr. Sanyang, a Principal in the Lower River Division of The Gambia, who vowed to "build his science lab from the ground up by collecting local materials such as bottles and cans." The enthusiasm of his speech on GRTS television underscored the Team's message that resources and money are not needed to make science an interactive subject. In fact, the Team purposely obtained all materials from local stores or the environment to demonstrate just how accessible science supplies can be. "With a little creativity, a coke bottle or tea glass can become a measuring device, a musical instrument, or an explosive chamber!" Jen Johnson said.
At the end of each show, schools were presented with an experiment list which included an inventory of all of the materials used in the demonstrations as well as specific directions on how to perform each. Teachers were instructed to refer to this experiment list in order to repeat the demonstrations in their classrooms or to help generate ideas of their own. Marc Maxson reinforced the importance of making the project sustainable by saying, "Next time we visit your school we hope to be sitting in the audience watching YOU perform these demonstrations!"
As the pioneer members of the Science Demo Road Show team, we hope that PCVs and their counterparts worldwide can start their own Road Shows and make this an international and growing project. Here's hoping that your experiments end with a BANG! Return to ITC Home