Monday, Sept. 20 to Sunday, Sept. 26 is Science Literacy Week across Canada. Learn more about this yearly event and how the whole family can celebrate at the Library.
What is Science Literacy Week?
Science Literacy Week is a Canada-wide celebration of science-based activities that highlight our outstanding scientists and science communicators from coast-to-coast. Libraries (including yours truly), museums, science centres, schools and not-for-profits all come together to highlight the books, movies, podcasts and events that convey the excitement and influence of science in our everyday lives.
The theme for 2021 is climate. As most of us know, Canada's climate varies (sometimes dramatically) depending on where you are in the country—from long, harsh winters to the north, rain along the coasts and heatwaves and snowstorms to the south. This year, Canadians can explore how these climates have evolved over time, how those changes have impacted our lives and how our climates might change in the future.
Celebrate Science Literacy Week at EPL
For Kids
For kids and families, we’re partnering with Future Energy Systems at the University of Alberta for a special online event happening on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m.
The Energy Adventures of Tommy and Remi is an educational children's book series. Tommy and Remi, energy adventurers, explore the world of energy and climate change in search of ways to make a difference. In The Mystery of the Glowing Light, they learn how electricity is generated and transmitted into their homes. They also learn how they can reduce how much electricity they use! Join us for a live online reading of the book, followed by a Q&A with the author and illustrator.
For Adults
On Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m., join Future Energy Systems and Dr. Steve Bergens, researcher at the University of Alberta, to learn about capturing the energy of the sun and storing it in the form of carbon dioxide. This online talk is part of the monthly Energy Talks speaker series.
If you're looking for a general primer in science literacy, sign up for this FREE online course from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Science. You can also upgrade to get certified in Science Literacy. Over the course of five weeks, Dr. Claire Scavuzzo will teach you how to tell the difference between sensationalized statistics and a real scientific study.
To complement the course, we're partnering with Dr. Scavuzzo on a series of "Ask Claire Anything" sessions where participants can discuss the course contents in a safe space. The first event is on Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. We'll be talking about organic vs. non-organic food and applying the scientific method discussed in the first module of the course.
For more ways to explore Science Literacy Week, visit the official website for events happening all week nationwide. Many are available online so you can join from just about anywhere.
