Understanding physics – with your own hands

Why did you start working at the school laby?

I have been fascinated by natural phenomena ever since I was a child. Through my three children, my childhood enthusiasm for both animate and inanimate nature has returned to my everyday life. I also enjoyed teaching during my time at university. However, the school lab is a completely different challenge. Children are honest and direct, but also emotional and enthusiastic when they enjoy something. Their feedback brings dynamism and a lot of joy to my everyday work.

What distinguishes the school lab from science lessons at school?

The school lab does not function like a traditional school lesson. This is our great advantage. There are no long lectures; instead, the children experience that they can work things out for themselves.

Is there anything that has become more difficult today?

Primary school children today find motor tasks much more challenging. Many of them are no longer used to handling scissors, glue, and tools. Some children are also very anxious, so we encourage them to just give it a try. We deliberately don't take any work off their hands. It's about doing things yourself, even if something breaks or simply doesn't work.

How can you tell that the content is getting through?

Primary school children are easy to inspire; we see their eyes light up. Also, teenagers in the physics classes in the middle or high school can be very motivated. And when I notice that the children are becoming passive, I stop explaining. It's really important to us that the children do something themselves.

Was there anything that surprised you?

At the beginning, yes, I sometimes misjudged some of the activities, such as the energy bike. As an academic, I thought it wouldn't be very exciting. But then I saw how much fun kids and teenagers had pedaling and really experiencing for themselves what it feels like to produce 100 watts of energy.

What would you change if you had more money?

I don't think money is that important. Nowadays, children are surrounded by things that can't be taken apart and repaired. That's why we like to work with simple materials, so the children realise that they can truly understand them. For example, we have strong magnets that they can experiment with to experience their power; these magnets are not very expensive. Maybe it would be cool to get a new magnetic track in the shape of a Möbius strip. The little superconducting pellets could then travel along it. But even our simple magnetic track is a real highlight: you can see what's important.

And more time?

More time would be great. My time is completely filled with organising appointments and the team. It's the same for my colleague Ulrike Witte from the school lab in Adlershof. We both only have part-time positions. And that time is not enough to develop new concepts.

What could you do with more time?

We would like to reach out to the working groups at HZB, look at their experiments, and talk to the scientists. Inspired by the current research topics, we could develop new experiments for the school lab. We would like to offer thematic and methodological innovations.

Thank you for the interview!

About Dirk Lohmann:

For his doctoral thesis at the University of Potsdam, Dirk Lohmann has modelled ecosystems in the African savannah. He was then a lecturer and managed several research projects, before he specialised in organisational development, working as an independent team developer and facilitator. Since summer of 2024, he has been the head of the school laboratory at the HZB site in Wannsee.