App to bring Science Apprentice books to life as series returns
THE popular Science Apprentice books return with the Irish Independent this Saturday – and the new series comes with some real-life science.
The 2018 versions of the fun and educational books feature augmented reality technology, which will bring pages to life through a specially created Science Apprentice app.
Science Apprentice aims to encourage children and adults alike to explore the science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The fully illustrated books are produced by University College Dublin and partners and supported by the Science Foundation Ireland Discover Programme and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Importantly, primary school children from around the country have been involved in every stage of the production, coming up with content ideas.
A specially selected group of primary pupils formed a Won- der Panel and worked with the Science Apprentice team to develop the stories and help with page and character design. In exploring the various topics, the books also feature relevant research being undertaken in Irish higher education institutions and industry settings, and by the researchers doing the work.
Former primary teacher Sorcha Browne, currently a PhD candidate in UCD, ensured that the content mapped the primary curriculum, while the text was written by science journalist and writer Dr Claire O’Connell. The four-part series is available to order for schools, and the books are free to collect with the Irish Independent in SuperValu stores every Saturday in November.
Teachers, guardians and parents can use the additional learning resources to complement the books.
These printable resources are available to download for free online from www.ucd.ie/ scienceapprentice.