Making Connections: Can you connect science to your world???

I only have two memories of ever studying scientific topics that related to my local environment in grade school except in elementary school I remember going to the planetarium at the local high school. It was the best trip ever! We learned all about astronomy and our universe, and it was all life like, almost as if we were watching the evening sky inside of a school. I also recall studying scientific topics in my Earth science class here at MSMC. We were learning about different rocks (like slate, gneiss, schist, etc). My professor even told us to look when we were driving up 84, to take notice of the rock on the side of the highway, going towards Connecticut, and how we could see each one of these types of rocks right there on the side of the highway!!! Really neat stuff, I was able to see in person what we were learning about in class, it's really nice when that happens!                                                                                                         

According to constructivist theory, by linking science to student’s own individual “larger pictures” we not only promote learning, but we also help them use science thinking to comprehend events that happen in their daily lives more in depth. We are living in an increasingly complex world- one that requires us to be vigilant, decisive, and considerate about our immediate environment. Those who understand scientific ideas in the context of their daily lives have a head start in dealing with the issues that their lives present. By relating science to these students’ daily lives we can construct school science experiences that will encourage their involvement.    

                                                                 

Howard Gardner has suggested another intelligence, and no, I do not think that there is more than one type of intelligence, I could be wrong. This whole idea of naturalistic intelligence seems to be a subject that a person may have more experience or knowledge in, not a different level or kind of intelligence. I would have to do some research to find out more information about this to better decide my view on this.

In my view, the most important reason to teach children about green science is for them to learn to love the earth we live in and take care of it. I believe with the amount of technology in this world today, our children are growing up in a different world than we did. I believe green science is imperative for the future of our earth.

 

We need to teach students to appreciate nature and understand it through all means of life, including energy conservation. If we raise our children with the right ideas about going green, the earth’s future is brighter.     

                                                        

I remember my field trips and believe they were meaningful, which is why they are in my memory. They could have been more meaningful if there were more of them, or done more often. Field trips to students are meaningful because it is fun to go on trip instead of sitting in a classroom all day. These are the ways we can experience life with our class in real life situations, not just on a board or in a text book.