Transforming science for young people: Marie Neurath and Isotype books for children

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This Follow-on project enhances the value of the original research undertaken in the 'Isotype revisited' project (AHRC AH/E00895/1) by identifying approaches to science communication that will engage young people and the general public. It aims to create new audiences for the approach to science communication taken by Marie Neurath in her books for children, produced in the 1940s and 1950s. The illustrations in these books, in series such as the 'Wonder world of nature' and 'Wonders of the modern world', were innovative in their approach to the design of complex information.The project team includes members of the original 'Isotype revisited' group; colleagues at the Institute of Education at Reading and their students; teachers and children in primary schools in Reading; project partners Design Science, a science communication and education agency; and House of Illustration, a gallery in London.The team will produce innovative and creative worksheets and animated video for primary school science teaching. The resources will include guidelines for teachers about how to produce worksheets using illustrations based on Marie Neurath's explanatory illustrations. Consultation with teachers and teacher educators as part of the design process will ensure that their ideas and needs are taken into account. Pilot schools will be involved in evaluating the effectiveness of the resources to ensure they are relevant and effective.A curated and designed public exhibition will demonstrate the cultural impact of Marie Neurath's work, in particular raising awareness of her distinctive approach to illustration, using comparison, scale and 'before and after' scenarios, combined with functional use of bold colours. To engage new audiences with this work, this public-facing exhibition at House of Illustration, in summer 2019, will show examples of Marie Neurath's illustration from the children's books, as well as sketches, drawings and correspondence that show the iterative nature of the design process. Design Science will contribute ideas for the contemporary interpretation of the material to engage non-specialist audiences in science. House of Illustration will advise on design and curation of the exhibition, and provide a venue in the cultural quarter at Kings Cross, London.