MICROpolis - Science in cards
MICROpolis - Science in cards
The project "MICROpolis - science in cards" aims to highlight the importance of bacteria in nature to the public through the co-creation of a board game. Board games represent a modern tool for science communication as they encourage creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and active participation. The project was carried out through a series of one-day creative challenges in the form of hackathons in three cities, combining lectures and workshops. The process involved primary school pupils, secondary school students and university students, each group having a different role - from developing the initial concept and working out the game mechanics, to illustrating the characters. All stages of game development involved experts from relevant fields (microbiology, dramaturgy and mathematics), as well as teachers. The final phase was prototype testing, game promotion and a competition. The end result is an educational and entertaining board game that illustrates the interactions between bacteria and other organisms, available to schools and the wider public as an innovative means of science communication.
The exhibition "Scan the code, ask the bacterium" is part of the permanent display at the Botanical Garden "Jevremovac". By combining science and modern technology, visitors are able to discover the invisible allies of plants - bacteria - through augmented reality. The exhibition offers an immersive walk through the Garden and, using specific examples of plants and bacteria, presents the numerous interactions that connect them. At a time when we face the challenges of climate change, the reduction of agricultural land and global uncertainty in food production, understanding the interactions between plants and the bacteria that help them has become more important than ever.
While walking through the Garden, visitors can scan QR codes placed next to the plants to learn which bacteria are important for them, how they help them resist stress and disease, and in what way they contribute to their growth and development. The exhibition offers a unique outdoor learning experience and invites visitors to explore the microbial world using
innovative formats.