More than 400 parents and students enjoyed an evening of STEM activities at E. B. de Silva Elementary School on September 14, 2022 — the first large event of this kind since 2019.
Figure 1: Children gather at the Subaru Telescope booth, play, and discuss the Subaru Telescope's version of Karuta. (Credit: NAOJ)
Subaru Telescope was among the organizations who volunteered to bring fun science-themed activities to students and adults alike at this event coordinated by the Hawaii Science and Technology Museum. Other participating organizations included the Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory, Keaau High School Robotics Team, Big Island Invasive Species Committee, University of Hawai`i at Hilo (UHH) Sea Turtle Stranding Response Team, and UH Institute for Astronomy.
Subaru Telescope showcased a game based on Karuta, a traditional Japanese card game where players identify proverbs and poems and match them to corresponding pictures. In the Subaru Telescope version, staff asked astronomy related questions, and keiki ("children" in the Hawaiian language) thought of answers together, then tried to find the cards with the correct planet images in response to the questions. Some questions only had one correct answer while others had multiple correct answers.
Figure 2: A child thinking about the Subaru Telescope's version of Karuta together with a teacher from another school. (Credit: NAOJ)
"The students often discussed possible answers with their friends or parents, which was a fun way to encourage cooperation and engagement with each other," says Subaru Telescope Public Information and Outreach Assistant, Lisa Hiraishi. At the end of the game, the keiki got a certificate naming them as a "young astronomer." We will continue to develop this game and use it at future events. Hopefully, the students absorbed some new fun facts and knowledge about the Solar System.
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