Relatable Science 1

Relatable Science
Tianna Barnes
Educ-4262 Lakehead University

Relatable Science
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Science in school is considered one of the staple subjects. What is not talked about in
science classes is that science is used in every day and is an integral piece to life. Many people
do not have the opportunity to go to school and learn these important lessons and those that are
fortunate enough to gain science skills in the classroom may not gain the experience necessary to
use science in an effective way on a daily basis. These are views from my personal experiences
with science in the past. There are negative and positive aspects to all stories, but the exploration
of these moments can tell a person where they stand and where their behaviours towards certain
situations begins.
The beginning of science was a forgetful one. Looking back to primary school a vague
memory of drawing and labeling a flower in grade three appears followed by a very fond
memory of hatching chicks in grade two. It is clear that science in the class at a young age was
not very engaging. There was copious amounts of sitting and listening or copying notes and not
much is remembered. The science that I remember most from these ages are my siblings
science fair projects. Potatoes and how they react in different conditions was a subject learned
because my brother asked for help with recording and deciding his findings. The science behind
different types of dyes is another subject not taught in school that was learned because my sister
let me help with the different dyes. It would be nice to say that more science being learned out
of the class was not the teachers faults, but in this case, at least, school was a passion. School
was a reason to wake up early and prepare for a day, even at a young age. It is clear that the
science that is recollected is science that was completed in a physical manner. Whether it was a
simple as drawing a picture or as practical as making a game use a magnet or as elaborate as
hatching chicks as a class. None of the science remembered was taught from a text book. The
science remembered is more functional and relatable to every day life and this trend seemed to
continue through most of schooling.
Advancing a few years, the drawing of the moon phases in grade six and building a
popsicle stick bridge in grade five are two aspects of elementary school science that resonate.
The bridge was an excellent project in my mind. It was hands on and a collaborative assignment.
The bouncing of ideas in the class, not just our partners, led to some very strong bridges for ten
year old students. It was the first time that our teachers had let the students decide how to solve
a problem by themselves. It was not the importance of whether or not they succeeded, it was
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about the process that was taken to arrive at the final product. It was a new an exciting way of
learning.
This contemporary idea of learning was continued and extended in grade eight. Mr.S was
the teacher that changed my outlook on science completely. All of a sudden the students were
given the responsibility for their own learning. The learning was still structured, but it was the
first time there was any freedom. We were given a list of tasks to be completed, in a science
journal, about fluids that could be done in any order. There was time given to work, but that time
had to organized by the student and many of the tasks given were open ended. We had to decide
the path that would be most productive. There was an Invention Convention run by Mr.S
where students had to invent and build a prototype of anything ranging from a solar oven to a
rain cover for a bicycle. This class was the first time where science was explored directly in the
sense of how it could be applied to our lives outside of the classroom. Grade eight was an
exploration of science outside of the class that led to students completing an online survey that
produced a list of science occupations suited to their strengths and attributes. It was decided by
this online entity that my future would result in being a truck driver. I was devastated. Mr.S
took the time to go and talk to each student about their results. When he came around he stood
behind my chair and read the results. He knew immediately that this is not what had been
assumed in any imagination. Mr.S leaned down and said that he knew I could be anything that
came to mind, a rocket scientist even. These words are the moment that is most memorable of
all elementary science. The juncture where a teacher showed an interest in a students life and
their interest in astronomy was absolutely breathtaking. This would change an already positive
attitude towards science into a drive to make it through classroom science.
The ambition gained was a necessity through high school. It seemed that the progress
made at the conclusion of elementary school was not on the radar of the teachers in high school.
Science was not the worst experience that occurred in high school, but it was uneventful.
Science was taught in a lecture and note taking format with a seldom basic experiment. The days
where students were enabled to leave their seats to learn in nature or take springs into the
hallways was monumental. These are not moments that should be considered as such. It seemed
that any responsibility for learning gained was dispossessed from the students. The worst
element of high school science was the lack of attachment of one teacher. In such a small school,
this teacher taught grade nine academic science as well as grade eleven and twelve university
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level chemistry. There were many times when Ms.G stated that she did not care. She did not
care if we did the work, she did not care about her own schooling when she was a student, and
worst of all she did not care about the students she was teaching in the moment. She blatantly
told the class that she taught the subjects that she was most comfortable with and only skimmed
the rest. This led to the destruction of a passion for science that was building in my life.
This destruction did not end my science career though. There was still more learned in
the science class than any class where written papers are the only standard for learning. When
attending university, a second attempt was given to chemistry and a first to geology. Chemistry
was a failure. Lessons were taught in the same manner as high school. This was understandable
as the class was over two hundred students as opposed to thirty. It was exciting to have a lab
section to supplement learning as these resources were not available in high school. It was a
great disappointment. Every lab completed in first year seemed to be the same procedure. There
was no variation to learning which lead to a lack in diversity of knowledge. Chemistry became a
dull experience. Contrasting this, geology was new and diverse. There were still lectures since
the class was so large, but there were also trips. The mention of a field trip on the weekend was
a grievance in first year university. This trip, as well as the one completed in second year, was
the only reprieve from the lecture hall. More was absorbed in a day than an entire semester. The
practicality of learning about rocks with physical rocks was so simple. Further geology courses
led to interesting and engaging discussion about science occurring in the present day.
Being in the present is the most important aspect of learning that has been encountered.
When science is taught in a productive manner by a caring teacher it can lead to the most
rewarding outcomes. Collaboration and problem solving are the two greatest skills to be learned.
These skills can be fostered by learning that is practical and relevant to the experiences of the
audience. If all of this is done, science should be an experience that every individual has the
opportunity to encounter. Life skills, as well as problem solving skills, are learned through
understanding of scientific processes such as steam burning the skin or how yeast makes bread
rise. Science can also lead to relationships and confidence being built. Mr.S is still in contact
with a few students from my grade eight class and he positively effected my life as well as the
lives of those other students simply by caring. Looking forward, I can only hope to be as open-
minded as Mr.S taught me to be. It has been made clear through experience that not all students
learn in the same manner as each other and that a few words can go a long way. Science is not
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always about the content being learned, but it is should always be focused on the process being
followed and the relevancy to daily life. With these perspectives, there is high hope for a more
engaged science community in the future.