BANGALORE: Science, as it is taught in schools today, is mainly a theoretical subject, and most children find it hard to grasp the practical application of classroom concepts as they are presently taught. In order to overcome this gap, the ‘Sunday Science School’, a project to help students understand the functional aspects of science, will be launched in various parts of the state, such as Mysore, Dharwad and Mangalore including Bangalore.
The programme is targeted at students between the age group of 10 and 15 years. It will cover a comprehensive range of science topics and is divided into three levels. Under Level-01, there will be eight topics covered which will include energy, weather, biology, optics, electricity, magnetism, chemistry, space and astronomy. At the end of Level-01, students will have completed over 50 activities and made 22 take-home projects. They include, levitating pencil, nephoscope, electricity from flowing water, solar car, infinite images, make an electroscope, etc.
The sessions are designed to help the students to form a good understanding of the basic concepts of the subject. This ensures that students not only succeed in achieving high grades but will also be equipped to understand and research on practical subjects. Dr Sujatha Virdhe, director of ‘Sunday Science School’, believes that students should focus more on research and application of science instead of only pursuing jobs. She said: “Unless we do something on our own, the nation
cannot progress.”
The ‘Sunday Science School’ aims to cultivate logical thinking in students, as the ability to reason and ask questions are an important aspect of science.
The programme, in Karnataka, is a joint initiative of Dr Sujatha Virdhe, Director L Green Ventures, and Pune SSS. Dr Virdhe has over 20 years experience in designing science education experimentation kits, and she was also a scientist with ISRO for 23 years.