#MetKids Microscope was developed as a way to create, share, and encourage STEAM education for students aged 10-12. The series tells real cases from The Met’s Department of Scientific Research that highlight the relationship between science and art. The choice to create an animated series rather than a live-action one was influenced by our inability to film in small laboratory spaces while pandemic-related restrictions were in place. Each episode concludes with a related experiment that families can try at home.
The #MetKids team worked closely with scientists at The Met to ensure that we were telling stories that accurately capture the research being conducted at the Museum. This is reinforced by the inclusion of the scientists in the episodes themselves. We aren’t just reporting their stories, they are here to tell them to you.
By incorporating step-by-step instructions for at-home activities into the video, we ensured that the educational value of the series is maintained regardless of where it is watched. This is particularly useful for teachers when they use the videos for curriculum-building.
#MetKids Microscope is as imaginative and exciting as it is educational, and is already one of the most popular #MetKids initiatives to date. Because animation allows us to weave visual and contextual information about art and science into each frame, we were able to tell stories that take viewers around the world in both grand and microscopic scales. Animation director Lisa LaBracio and team accomplished this in every frame of every episode. The funky score from composer Austin Fisher reinforces the series’ fun and breezy pace.
