Learning science in an interactive way

The Philippines can claim world fame with Manny Pacquiao in the field of sports, Charice Pempengco in Hollywood and Lea Salonga in Broadway. But the country has yet to produce its own Neil Armstrong in the field of science and astronomy.

It may, however, not be long enough before the Philippines can begin producing its own breed of well-known scientists and astronomers with the help of the Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center.

Opened in 2007, the center was the brainchild of mall magnate Henry Sy Sr., who then wanted to provide Filipinos with a “world-class science museum,” says Arturo C. Carballo Jr., senior operations manager for the Science Discovery Center.

In an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Carballo says the older Sy envisioned a place where learning can both be exciting and encouraging.

“We grew up with chalkboard and paper, more of the usual instructions with our teachers but Mr. Sy wanted to provide a better alternative venue for education and he placed that in his mall,” he explains.

Housed in a vast 3,000-square-meter space at the SM Mall of Asia, the center holds a whole plethora of Science concepts – from stars to planets, technology, the human body, the sea, to futuristic robots. Such a center was the biggest of its kind in the Philippines and, for a while, in the whole of Asia – before Myanmar had put a similar facility, Carballo shares.

According to him, the center features a number of attractions combined in eight galleries where one could learn about science in a fun and interactive way. The main attraction would be the digital planetarium with its 158 seats and a massive 15-meter, 360-degree dome screen.

The planetarium has already featured a number of films where one could learn about astronauts, rockets and even allowed one to travel the universe without having to leave their seat. However, according to Carballo, the planetarium’s lineup of shows for this year are mostly geared for kids.

New film

“We decided to welcome the school year with a new film that would charm the kids, it’s entitled ’One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure,’” he says.

“One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure” is a film featuring the well-loved characters of Sesame Street. The show was targeted for kids aged 3 to 8 years, with the hope of providing young children with an “age-appropriate introduction to astronomy, promote positive attitude toward science and stir their scientific curiosity,” Carballo explains.

The 25-minute film, which runs three times during weekdays and four times during weekends, is featuring Elmo’s friend, Hu Hu Zhu, who is visiting from China. Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu want to learn more about the Moon, so Big Bird suggests that they use their imagination to travel there. Once on the moon, the Sesame Street characters quickly learn different facts about the moon and how it differs from Earth. Back on Earth, Big Bird, Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu also realize that even though they live in two different countries, they still share the same sky.

“What sets this apart from our other films is that children attending the show can interact as they watch, drawing constellations and counting the time it takes for the sun to set. The show aims to nurture a child’s natural sense of wonder about the night sky, and the children at the advance screening (May 28) responded well. It is quite fascinating to observe the kids answer the characters on the big screen,” Carballo explains.

Aside from the learning, the film also targets to foster cross-cultural appreciation between different countries. “In fact when we presented it to Hans Sy of SM Prime Holdings, he was so happy and he liked the idea. He said that with the Chinese character and version we can show it to Chinese schools,” Carballo says.

To further entice goers, the Nido Discovery Science Center will be merging with the family entertainment center of the Sy family.

“We want to make it more enjoyable so we will merge with SM Storyland, SM Bowling and SM Ice Skating. We’ve managed to package those into one fee for schools so that when they come here, they can see the planetarium, play a game and [go for] the rides,” Carballo concludes.