Curious Science, Healthy Outcomes

I am part of a grant project called "Curious Science, Healthy Outcomes”. It is made up of myself as author/illustrator; Dr Dimitra Fimi, Professor of Literature from the University of Glasgow; and Dr Chris Cunningham, a behavioural scientist from the University of Swansea. We received funding through the University of Glasgow to begin the first of what we hope will be a series of picture books relaying odd scientific studies that resulted in medical breakthroughs. To trial our idea, we did two school visits at Pirie Park Primary based around our first project - the Gila Monster. Scientists studied the venom of the lizard which led to breakthrough medications for diabetics. It may sound like a complicated topic, but we broke it down to simple analogies for 7 to 8-year-olds and our presentations went over GREAT!
The kids created ZINES - miniature books where that they filled in with their own drawings and information about the gila monster... and diabetes... how medicine works...why we need to value natureand what scientists do. Fantastic! We hope to do more with this project moving forward, so stay tuned!

(Photos used with permission, © Pirie Park Primary School.)