1. Introduction
In order to let more people know about our topic "phytase - New feed additives", we held an educational activity with the theme of "Science Popularization and life exploration" in the Community Party and Mass Service Center of Kangjian Street, Xuhui District, Shanghai, which attracted 30 children and their parents to participate. Through the results of the questionnaire survey, we know that people's understanding of feed additives is very poor, and people have expressed a strong interest in further understanding of new feed additives such as phytase, so we planned this educational activity.
Our educational activity on phytase aimed to promote awareness and understanding of this crucial enzyme among young children in the Xuhui Health Community. Through the creation of informative display boards and engaging classroom sessions, we sought to elucidate the significance of phytase in our daily lives and its role in mitigating environmental impacts.
2. Offline Educational Activities
2.1 Mini Theater
In order to make it easier for children to understand what we are studying, we have prepared a scene play. Through our performance, we explained to the students present that adding phytase to feed can improve the digestive ability of animals, promote the absorption of nutrients by animals, and protect our earth environment.
Mini Theater
2.2 Science Classroom
Our science class includes three topics, namely the basic concept of enzymes, the significance and function of adding phytase to feed, and the significance of improving feed quality. Through our explanation, children have a clearer understanding of the role of phytase and are willing to share this knowledge with their family and friends.
Science Classroom
2.3 Kneading Clay
When the primary school students present have an in-depth understanding of phytase, we call on everyone to work together and pinch the image of phytase that they know with clay. In the process of kneading clay, the children exchanged the knowledge they had learned with each other, and the impression of what they had learned was further deepened.
2.4 Question and Answer
In the last part of the education activity, we designed a quiz game to further consolidate the content of today's popular science. The students actively participated and showed great enthusiasm.
2.5 Summary
Our community's "Fun with Phytase" science education activity was a resounding success, providing young children with an interactive and informative experience. "Fun with Phytase" effectively ignited scientific curiosity, leaving a lasting impression on the young minds of our community. We also received unanimous recognition and praise from parents and the person in charge of the site, and the final result was very satisfactory.
Activity group photo
3. Educational tools
3.1 Brochure
Our team has designed a science communication brochure about phytase to spread awareness among the audience about its vital role in animal feed. Through captivating illustrations and concise information, we showcase the adverse effects of excessive phytate consumption on animal health. Simultaneously, we emphasize the positive impact of adding the right amount of phytase to animal feed. The QR code on the brochure offers a way for the audience to follow our team's journey and stay updated on our latest initiatives. Our aim is to use this brochure to encourage more people to understand the importance of phytase, promote sustainable agriculture, contribute to environmental conservation, and make scientific knowledge accessible and engaging to everyone.
brochure
3.2 Poster
The poster on phytase played a central role in our community science education activity. With a clear and compelling design, the purpose of the poster was to promote awareness and understanding of the enzyme's vital role in improving nutrition and reducing environmental impact. By presenting concise and visually appealing information, our goal was to engage the participants, particularly the young minds in our community, and inspire them to make informed choices in their daily lives.
poster
3.3 English Rap
We wrote an original rap song related to the topic of the project. The aim of our rap song is to promote awareness and understanding of the enzyme called "phytase" and its significant role in various aspects of our lives. Through rhythmic verses and catchy beats, we intend to educate and engage our audience about the importance of phytase in breaking down phytate, unlocking phosphorus, and enhancing sustainable practices in agriculture and animal nutrition.
We recording the rap song
3.4 Clay
We provided the children with clay and asked them to make their own images of phytase in clay. The children gave full expression to their imaginations, pinching different shapes of phytase and giving them cute names.
Kid with clay
4. Online Education
4.1 Online Education Activities
4.1.1 Spreading Knowledge Through Rap
"Spreading Knowledge Through Rap" left a profound impact on both the participants and the wider community. Key achievements include:
(1)Increased Awareness: Through the engaging and relatable medium of rap, awareness about phytase's applications spread far and wide, empowering individuals to make informed dietary choices.
(2)Creative Expression: Participants discovered a new way to express themselves through rap, combining artistry with education to convey meaningful messages.
(3)Community Empowerment: The event fostered a sense of community and shared purpose, encouraging people to actively participate in the promotion of knowledge.
(4)Online Reach: Leveraging social media, we reached a larger audience, extending the educational impact beyond the event venue.
Check the Audio:
https://ys-meta.oss-cn-shanghai.aliyuncs.com/picture/961697080730635-aud-1.mp3
4.1.2 Online Micro-Course
The purpose of our online micro-course on phytase is to promote awareness and understanding of this enzyme's vital role in sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation. In our science communication video, we not only introduce what IGEM is, but also discuss the significance of SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) experiment standards, and provide a brief overview of the key experimental processes involved in our research and development.
People can extend their heartfelt appreciation for the fantastic science communication video. The content was not only informative but also engaging throughout. The introduction to IGEM was insightful, and the explanation of SDG experiment standards added a layer of real-world relevance to the subject.
Online Micro-Course
4.1.3 Science Communication Comics: Phytase in Animal Feed
By using comics as a medium, we aim to expand our audience and engage both adults and children alike. Through these captivating and relatable comic stories, we aspire to foster a genuine interest in science and promote understanding of how phytase plays a vital role in animal nutrition. This event endeavors to bridge the gap between entertainment and education, making scientific knowledge accessible to a broader audience and contributing to sustainable development and environmental conservation efforts.
Through comics, we vividly portrayed an animal consuming regular feed, highlighting the negative effects of excessive phytate intake leading to nutritional deficiencies. However, when an appropriate amount of phytase is added to the feed, the animal's health significantly improves.
Science Communication Comics
4.2 Online Education platform
4.2.1 Douyin
Douyin, a short video sharing platform popular among young people, has a large and active user base, with young people as the main user group. The release of popular science videos can attract more young people's attention to new feed additives. Douyin is characterized by short videos with concise content, which is suitable for spreading knowledge points. Releasing popular science videos on Tiktok can quickly attract users' attention and enable knowledge to be disseminated with higher efficiency. Our team used Tiktok to publish popular science videos to broaden the channel for the dissemination of synthetic biology knowledge, while increasing user engagement in an interactive and innovative way.
Douyin
4.2.2 Sina Weibo
As a widely popular social media platform, Sina Weibo can reach a wider audience, including not only ordinary users, but also many professionals and farmers interested in agriculture, animal husbandry, etc. Users can also interact with comments, ask questions, and communicate. Our team carried out the popular science activities of feed additive phytase through Sina Weibo and achieved good results. Popular science information has been widely disseminated and aroused public concern and discussion.
Sina Weibo
4.2.3 Wechat public account
Wechat public account
Wechat, the largest social media platform in China, has hundreds of millions of users, covering all ages and industries. Popular science activities through the wechat public account can convey the knowledge of the new feed additive - phytase to more people and improve the public's awareness of the field. Through vivid and interesting text, easy-to-understand pictures and videos, we can better arouse readers' interest and enhance the effect of science popularization activities.
4.2.4 Bilibili
Bilibili
Through our popular science activities in Bilibili, we can communicate phytase knowledge to the general public in an entertaining and easy to understand way. The Bilibili platform also has a strong creative ability, and many users show their creativity in the form of animation, comics, videos, etc., which provides more possibilities for the secondary creation of phytase's popular science activities. By conducting phytase science popularization activities in Bilibili, we can make full use of its huge user group and interactive characteristics to improve the coverage and dissemination effect of science popularization.
4.2.5 Xiaohongshu
Xiaohongshu is a social platform for sharing and recommending products and life experiences. By launching phytase science popularization activities in the Little Red Book, we can more effectively reach the target audience and attract more people's attention and understanding of this feed additive. This will increase public awareness of phytase technology. Xiaohongshu is also a platform used by many consumers to get product information and shopping advice. By recommending phytase related products and brands in XiaoHongshu, consumers' trust in these products and purchase willingness can be improved, and the development of the feed additives market can be promoted.
Xiaohongshu
6. Conclusion
In our educational activities, we have focused on providing extensive information about feed additives to address public misconceptions. Our campaigns emphasize the importance of adhering to regulatory guidelines for safe usage. Additionally, we introduced our phytase enzyme feed, highlighting its benefits in promoting animal health and reducing environmental impact. Through collaboration and transparency, we aim to build trust and empower consumers to make informed decisions about feed additives. Our goal is to foster a positive and well-informed outlook on their role in animal nutrition.
Through a variety of online and offline educational activities on relevant topics, we enable more people to understand and participate in discussions about our topics. These events have played an important role in promoting public understanding of new feed additives, and we have achieved excellent feedback and education results in these events.