Böcek Şenlik Okulu (BÖŞO): The Fun Side of Science

BÖŞO is run by Ankara University Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Plant Protection, Division of Entomology. It is a free science-education and social responsibility programme: its programme “Ecology Education with Insects in Primary School” is taken to schools, science festivals, fairs and festivals in Ankara and in other cities of Türkiye.

An education day combines three visual presentations with a hands-on workshop.

• Poster presentation: before the visit, four colourful posters (“Let’s Get to Know Insects”, “How Insects Help People”, “Record-Breaking Insects” and “Insects in the Food Chain”) go up in every classroom, so pupils and teachers can prepare, and they stay there through the school year.
• Computer presentation: a talk of about 35 minutes on the many sides of insect life, in plain words, built to spark questions and discussion rather than to list facts.
• Animated films: one to three five-minute comedy cartoons about insects competing for food, water, mates, nests and shelter, followed by questions that recap the day.
• Hands-on workshop: in groups of five or six, pupils examine insect specimens from the museum collection of the Department of Plant Protection, with the naked eye or a magnifying glass; seven workshops range from honeybees, ants and silkworms to pests and the beneficial insects that feed on them.

Insects are the largest group of living things, and children’s curiosity about them is a boundless source of energy for teaching science. The programme aims to:

• teach pupils about insects and about the relationship between insects and people;
• let them watch the fascinating lives of insects and discover scientific methods while having fun;
• replace fear and disgust, often born of misinformation, with a healthy attitude towards insects;
• build ecological awareness through the role of insects in the food chain, and carry it into everyday life.