U.S. SCHOOLS TEACHING OE SCIENCE

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29998, 6 December 1962, Page 15

U.S. SCHOOLS TEACHING OE SCIENCE

As an adult, it is some* times difficult to conceive and accept the giant advances in science which the world is at present witnessing. When one sees a film or a television programme outlining the details of lunar research or the problems involved in landing a man on Mars it often leaves one aghast and with the uneasy feeling that one has become personally involved in the world of Flash Gordon. It is not easy, but it if essential to realise, that for young children this scientific phenomenon is part of their ordinary existence and that they live in a world of constant scientific achievement and change and that they want and need to know the what, why and how of this changing world. They have a natural curiosity which impels them to look, probe, question and seek for explanations and it is without doubt the responsibility of the school to assist them in the knowledge, appreciation and awareness of the world in which they live. The search, after knowledge expands as the child grows within his environment and it is essential that he be provided not only with the materials and opportunities with which to satisfy his natural curiosity but also with a systematic method of attack upon the problems which present themselves to his receptive mind.

Much fine work has been done in New Zealand, particularly in the natural sciences, the proximity with which we live to nature presenting great opportunities for observation, collection and experiment. However there are some wider aspects of scientific knowledge of which children are becoming increasingly conscious and which would appear to warrant incorporation in the educational curriculm at an early stage. It is the instinctive urge to discover which must be satisfied and directed and by the presentation of greater opportunities at the lowest levels there would surely be developed an awareness of the scientific approach and the formalism of the sciences at the postprimary level would not come, as it does for many, as a deluge of incomprehensible material which is vaguely connected with the everyday world. There is perhaps, no country in the world at present which is more conscious of the need for the development of scientific attitudes than the United States and while there may be those who consider that science is carrying humanity towards a nuclear Armageddon it must be appreciated that science is the basic element in the progress of civilisation. There has therefore been developed a very systematic approach to the teaching of science in the elementary schools of the United States beginning at kindergarten level and continuing through the educational programme until specialisation begins at the latter stages of high school. Typical of the national approach, the six-year science programme in the elementary schools of the Los Angeles city schools aims at developing a sequence of understandings, the material to be presented being divided into six sections:—plant life, aninjal life. earth, space, machines, and energy.

A cross-section of the topics covered at the various levels is enlightening. Plant Life.— Kindergarten: Plants are living things. There are many different kinds of plants. People grow plants for food. Grade V: Some plants have protective devices. Seeds are produced in flowers. Man improves plants through selection and improving environmental conditions. Animal Life.— Grade I: All animals need food, air and water. There are many different kinds of animals. Some animals are raised by man and some are wild. Grade IV: Some animals migrate. Laws are made to protect animals. Earth.— Kindergarten: The earth is made of land, water, and air. There are many kinds of living things on the earth. Rocks are not living things. Air is all around us. There are many different kinds of weather. Grade VI: Man has learned to conserve some of the materials and resources of the earth. Some rocks contain fossils. Air is a mixture of gases, water vapour and impurities. Man has developed many ways to help him adapt to the weather. Space.—Grade III: Stars are suns. The moon appears to change form. The moon reflects light from the sun and stars. Grade V: Solar and lunar eclipses occur as the result of the relative positions of the sun. the moon and the earth. The sun is a star. The sun and stars aid in navigation. Machines.— Grade II: It is easier to move a load by using wheels than by dragging or sliding the load. It is easier to move a load by using a ramp than by lifting the load. Grade VI: Machines convert energy.

Energy.—Grade I: Moving an object requires work. Light is necessary to see objects. Heat is produced in many ways. There are many kinds of sound. Magnets attract some things. Grade VI: Elements can combine to form compounds. Sunlight contains all the colours of the spectrum. Light is a form of energy. Sound can be transmitted in many ways. Most forms of energy are derived from the sun. Man is devising ways to control and utilise nuclear energy. The time allocated to the study of science is laid down by regulation, a minimum of 60 minutes instruction being required at the kindergarten level rising to minimum of 100 minutes in the upper grades. It is not considered just sufficient to teach science but every endeavour is made to develop within the children the ability to use the scientific approach in the solution of problems until, when fully assimilated, the scientific attitude becomes not merely a way of looking at certain things but a certain way of looking at everything. While authorities do not agree on the exact steps of the application of any one scientific method there does appear to be a certain progression of the main phases:— Sense a problem.—Through normal observation, manipulation, reading, audio-visual material and teacher motivation. Define a problem.—What we want to know in simple and meaningful terms. Hypothesizing.—What we think will happen based on what W’e know. Planning solution.—Appreciation of the need to have all the materials available for the testing of hypotheses.

Experiment— Controlled experiment, observation, manipulation or demonstration. These experiences reinforced with reading. Drawing conclusions.— What we found out. Compare with original hypothesis. Verify through reading of references. Material related to the motivation and solution of science problems, for either individuals or groups, is readily available within the school or from the local science centre, the latter offering, on call, such resources as:—Bulb, rhizome, com, tuber exhibits; piant materials for cuttings; seed cereal and grain studies; soil components; shell materials for classification and mounting; leaf prints; wind guages; animal mazes; bird feeder and nests for study; fish gardens; miniature hot

houses; soil erosion exhibits; ducks, poultry, fish reptiles, goats etc.; science kits and equipment; electricity and magnetism kits; light and colour kits; Machines and energy kits; rock and mineral kits; weather kits. The above is a selection of the material available and available with it are resource persons who have been specially trained. When one looks at the situation in the teaching of science in the elementary school of New Zealand in the light of the situation in the United States, there are a few observations which could be made and which could have some validity:— (1) There appears to be some case for the broadening of the scope of science in the New Zealand primary school. (2) The scientific method could be introduced at an earlier level so that study of science is a continuous process and not one of the mysteries of post-primary scholarship.

(3) The four main centres of New Zealand and some of the other cities also are of sufficient size to warrant the establishment of a science centre.

(4) The enthusiasm and cooperation of the parents is a vital factor in the establishment of an interest in science amongst children. (5) It is the responsibility of the school to assist children in the knowledge, appreciation and awareness of the world in which they live.

MR R. F. ARMSTRONG. Headmaster of the Ouruhia School, made these observation as a Fullbright Scholar in Los Angeles.