Having a blast melding drama with science at competition
SIX primary school teams and five open category teams from Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, China, the Philippines and Thailand, battled it out on stage in the Grand Finals of the International Science Drama Competition 2018.
Friends, families and supporters were present at the competition held at KDU University College.
Also present were Petrosains chief executive officer Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim, KDU University College School of Communication & Creative Arts head Loo Chong Hang and representatives from the competition including ASTI and Freeschool.my.
Representatives from the science centres and museums of the participating countries were also present as judges and chaperones.
“The competition helps students to be more motivated towards sci- ence. It allows them to understand science while encouraging them to think creatively when presenting the concepts in their drama performance,” said Tengku Nasariah.
The Malaysian chapter of the competition was first organised by Petrosains in 2016 to support the nation’s education agenda in nurturing an interest in science and promoting science through drama among the younger generation.
The mechanics of this competition is reflective of Petrosains’ learning approach where different techniques such as performing arts are used to inspire passion in science and encourage creativity.
Participation for the international competition was open to students from primary schools under the primary category and members of the public for the open category.
They had to form a team and perform a seven-minute drama on stage to showcase a science concept based on the theme “Science of Sports”, in conjunction with the World Cup 2018.
For the Malaysian competition, more than 20 entries were received from primary school teams nationwide. Seven teams under the primary school category were shortlisted.
For the open category, the teams were shortlisted based on videos submitted online.
In the International Grand Finals, winners of the Malaysian Finals under the primary school category – SJKT Masai, Johor and SK Sri Petaling, Petaling Jaya competed with the winners from Singapore, the Philippines, China and Thailand. Two teams from MRSM Tun Abdul Razak, Pekan also represented Malaysia under the Open category.
For the Grand Finals, teams were judged by a panel of judges based on scientific content, cast performances, overall presentation and creativity. The teams won cash prizes and merchandise.