The ability to communicate science-related knowledge effectively to non-experts is essential for a successful career in science, and also for fostering public support of taxpayer-funded science research programs. In the Fall of 2018, students in professor Andrew Mountcastle’s Science Communication course explored various ways to communicate science to public audiences through creative project-based learning exercises, including multimedia video productions. Students examined how narratives and storytelling can be more effective for public engagement and comprehension of science than an information deficit model, and inevitably learned a fair amount of biology along the way.

Tool Use in the Animal Kingdom explores the questions of how and why otters use tools to access otherwise unobtainable food, allowing them to survive in all sorts of environments, and was created by Anthony Anzora ‘20, Emma Ullman-Kissel ‘20, Pippin Evarts ‘20, and Asher MacDonald ’18.

Keystone Species explores the concept of keystone species and how certain animals, such as beavers, keep ecosystems in balance, and was created by Sarah Allen ‘20, Duncan MacGregor ‘19, and Hazel Simpson ’20.

Brick-Building explores the history, progression, and process of brick-building at the Bates Mill in Lewiston, Maine, and was created by Nicole Recto ‘21, Jack Arend ‘20, Casey Kelley ‘21, and Anais Ranque ’21.