| Hardly back from the Science Festival, in early November SOLEIL launched its new educational project “SOLEIL pursuit". Find below the article written by two 16 year-old "trainee reporters" at the synchrotron who followed one of the classes.
"Students at Meudon High School came to take part in SOLEIL pursuit, a new concept to enable high school students to discover the Synchrotron. That day, Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011, the pupils had an appointment at 9:30. They must have been in a hurry because they arrived early! We joined them in the reception building. Together, we watched a short film about the synchrotron and how it works, what it is used for and it even mentioned the special sheep that are there to keep the grass short. Ten minutes later, the youngsters divide into teams of 6 and are asked to choose a passport in the name of a famous scientist, such as Marie CURIE, Rosalind Elsie FRANKLIN, Isaac NEWTON, Christian HUYGENS, James Clerk MAXWELL, René DESCARTES or Wilhelm Conrad ROENTGEN.
To enter the Synchrotron, they must answer the first question on their character and face a first challenge. All the teams find this test quite quick and easy to do. We then head for the synchrotron and the rest of the test: 6 stages, 6 questions, 6 challenges and a few surprises later. We each follow our team, Louise with the Newton team, which begins with challenge No. 5 on X-rays, and Anna-Lynn with the Franklin team, given challenge 2 on infrared radiation. Before answering their respective questions, the teams are entitled to some additional information on how the Synchrotron operates. Each team then goes to the place related to their challenge and finds its "mission" drawn at random. The challenge that the Newton team draws is "diffraction". For this the pupils are given three different images and 3 samples: a tea bag, a coffee filter and a hair. They must pair up the correct sample with the correct image, using an experimental setup involving laser diffraction. For each correct answer, students from each team earn a small sticker to complete the visa on their passports. Even for 14 year-old pupils, these "stickers" are a great success! 2 hours have gone by and the teams have all passed the successful challenges on offer. They return to the reception building. The Newton team brings up the rear, finally through the doors! The final challenge is to write a summary of a short scientific film picked at random. A brave volunteer from each team reads aloud to the attentive audience the brief written with the rest of the team. Surprisingly, or not, this written test proves to be the most difficult. The jury, composed of SOLEIL communications staff and teachers, decides on the winning team and present it with a "rainbow maker", a crystal made to move by a small solar motor, which diffracts the light and creates colorful rainbows. On this occasion, NEWTON is the winning team." 
|  | 3 questions that Sandrine Irace Guiguand, a physics teacher at Meudon High School was asked Were you already aware of the Synchrotron?
Yes, I had already visited with my pupils and I know some members of SOLEIL staff! What kind of visit do you prefer and why?
“SOLEIL pursuit” is more interesting for the young as it is more rewarding; pupils feel more involved and therefore appreciate this visit better. I would be happy to do it again and with my other classes! Which challenge did you like best?
The equipment challenge was my favorite! Even if we understand how the synchrotron works, it is always a special moment when you witness the surprise of the pupils when they themselves produce an electron beam and operate the coils or magnets to run it. This kind of educational experience always leaves its mark.
Interview by:
Anna-lynn CLEMENT & Louise DAVID,
16 year-old trainee reporters.
 
 
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