I agree that there are some fundamental scientific concepts that every primary school science curriculum should revolve around.
These concepts help us put our very lives in perspective. Who are we in relation to the universe? What exactly are we made up of? Where did we come from? To create models that students can actually conceptualize, where they can walk in and out of and envision creates a platform for developing this perspective. Understanding the vast amount of space in our universe and our minuscule relation to that vastness, or understanding the complexity of our intricate genetic make up and how we have evolved into the beings we are today, all of this is crucial to our capability to exist rationally in this lifetime.
I have always considered the main goal of teaching to be to inspire students to think for themselves and eagerly seek out information and experiences that will help them understand the world around them. I always have felt that the main goal of education should be to create well-rounded individuals with a strong grasp on identity- personally and conceptually- so that they can better understand themselves and the reasoning behind people's actions, both historically and in contemporary contexts. Education should aid students in their quest to gain better perspective on themselves, other people, and the world in general. This article prompts me to consider the ways in which I can articulate the means necessary in order make that goal more attainable. In other words- I can find overarching concepts in each subject area that are fundamentally necessary to fully embrace in order to approach the world individually, intellectually, and inquisitively... but also with perspective on the greater picture, and the individual's relationship with that which transcends the notion of ego.
"I wouldn't care very much if a sixth grader didn't know the definitions of acid and alkali, or pistil and stamen. If the kid had a sense of scale, a sense of place in the web of creation, a sense of wonder- that would be scientific literacy enough for me."
These concepts help us put our very lives in perspective. Who are we in relation to the universe? What exactly are we made up of? Where did we come from? To create models that students can actually conceptualize, where they can walk in and out of and envision creates a platform for developing this perspective. Understanding the vast amount of space in our universe and our minuscule relation to that vastness, or understanding the complexity of our intricate genetic make up and how we have evolved into the beings we are today, all of this is crucial to our capability to exist rationally in this lifetime.
I have always considered the main goal of teaching to be to inspire students to think for themselves and eagerly seek out information and experiences that will help them understand the world around them. I always have felt that the main goal of education should be to create well-rounded individuals with a strong grasp on identity- personally and conceptually- so that they can better understand themselves and the reasoning behind people's actions, both historically and in contemporary contexts. Education should aid students in their quest to gain better perspective on themselves, other people, and the world in general. This article prompts me to consider the ways in which I can articulate the means necessary in order make that goal more attainable. In other words- I can find overarching concepts in each subject area that are fundamentally necessary to fully embrace in order to approach the world individually, intellectually, and inquisitively... but also with perspective on the greater picture, and the individual's relationship with that which transcends the notion of ego.
"I wouldn't care very much if a sixth grader didn't know the definitions of acid and alkali, or pistil and stamen. If the kid had a sense of scale, a sense of place in the web of creation, a sense of wonder- that would be scientific literacy enough for me."
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