Press Release
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Mateo and Cientina Celebrate
Day of the Three Kings with You
January 7, 2009
The main characters of the San Francisco Bay Area Spanish-language cartoons come to the Children's Discovery Museum with very entertaining games.
The Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley, participates once again in activities for San José’s community, sharing educational games at the Children's Discovery Museum in celebration of the Day of the Three Kings.
The most popular game of "Balloon Ride" invites children and their parents to guess and play, using strategic reasoning. Who will be the one to remove the last strand of rope so that the balloon can begin to fly? Initially, the parents look cautiously from a distance but within minutes they also begin to do calculations. “It is a game for all, for grandparents, parents, uncles, and children,” says José Franco, Director of the Mateo y Cientina Project.
Lawrence Hall of Science is using the Mateo and Cientina cartoons to approach our community and invite Latino families to discover mathematics and sciences in an entertaining way. The cartoons are already everywhere. You can find them in your medical clinics, dental offices, taquerías, libraries, and even some churches around your city. “They are all helping!” comments José Franco enthusiastically, while he reports that the project has a staff visiting two times per week, going door to door to various centers in the community to speak about the project. "We want to approach our children and our families to tell them that mathematics are everywhere.” At the Children's Discovery Museum you will always find a Mateo y Cientina kiosk for the Three Kings celebration. You can have a fun time, not only with the game of "Balloon Ride", but also with "Snails Races", throwing giant dice while you learn about probability!
Many parents and children who have taken part in the festival in previous years ask Mateo y Cientina teachers and volunteers about the project. The project has created the cartoons in Spanish to motivate families to have fun while they learn about science and mathematics. It also offers classes in several areas of the community for those families who are interested in attending the workshops. The workshops are taught by teachers who are familiar with the curricula of our Bay Area schools, and through games and activities they introduce concepts that our children are learning in school. In a similar way, the cartoons invite you to play with materials you find in your daily life, such as paper, plastic cups, cardboard plates, baking soda, cornstarch, pebbles, and other familiar objects.
The children who have responded to the cartoons, and shared their comments with the Mateo and Cientina team, receive an educational toy and a family pass to visit the Lawrence Hall of Science, where the cartoons were created.
The education of our children and our community is a responsibility that we all share. Mateo y Cientina invite small-business owners in the Bay Area to support this project by offering incentives, by helping us distribute these cartoons, or by offering space to carry out the educational workshops. La Oferta newspaper has given us significant support by printing Mateo y Cientina in their publication every other week. Mateo and Cientina want to come to you, and to all in your city!
After finishing the cartoon activities, please complete the questionnaire at http://study.rockman.com/LHS_SM/SpanishMedia.html
About Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley
The mission of the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) is to inspire and foster learning of science and mathematics for all. LHS is the public science center of the University of California, Berkeley, and an innovative leader in the field of science and mathematics education. LHS engages students and their families in exciting science and mathematics at LHS as well as in their classrooms, schools, and communities; designs and disseminates effective instructional materials and exhibits; and creates distinctive learning and leadership opportunities for educators. LHS is committed to serving all, especially those with limited access to science and mathematics.
Director: Elizabeth K. Stage
Communications contact: Verónica Urdaneta, LHS Public Information Officer, (510) 643-3849
