Creating A Love Of Science
Growing up on a farm I was surrounded by science as a little girl. From calves being born to our pet kangaroo, to planting vegetables, understanding the importance of the weather, firebreaks or dung beetles, the processes of preserving fruit and jams, and the benefits of fixing or modifying what you have, rather than buying new. My father also had a love of the ocean and so we spent many hours fishing, roaming the beach looking for shells, and snorkelling to explore the reef to find abalone.
Although I did not recognise it at the time, my world was all about science, hence my love of science and a career as a Science Teacher before being a Principal.
Why Science?
As we celebrate National Science Week at the College, we need to understand that exposure to science from a very young age is critical for creating a love of science. Children naturally explore and discover from an early age so introducing children to science builds on their ingrained curiosity.
Science, directly and indirectly, influences all aspects of our lives. From the food we eat to the way we travel around, science is everywhere. Through the Science Curriculum, students learn to ask questions, make predictions, observe, test, and then communicate their findings and develop critical science skills. Many of these skills are attributes that are part of our Connecting Learning to Life initiative.
How We Inspire A Love of Science
Many of our girls choose to study science subjects in their senior years but if we leave it until then to ignite their passion it may be too late. Students begin choosing subjects in Year 7 so awareness of science is important in the younger years.
At the College, we aim to inspire a love of science beginning in Year 5. For our students, the Science Curriculum is an extension of their everyday world. Our girls are exposed to Science as a subject area in Years 5 – 10 and in the following ways:
- Ladies in Lab Coats (and Little Ladies in Lab Coats for Years 5 and 6)
- Eco Sisters (Junior Sprouts for Years 5 and 6)
- Robotics
Electives
- STEngineers
- Science Quest
- Marine Science
- BrainSTEM
Our fantastic Consilii Centre provides an ideal learning space for all of these opportunities. However, it is the passion of our Science Department, led by Ailsa Harris, that inspires a love of science in our students.
Our Science subjects and opportunities encourage the girls to engage in challenging educational pursuits in and out of the classroom, to persevere in their work and reflect upon their learning and their own growth. Such activities include preparing presentations and justifying their findings and conclusions by documenting their process and synthesising data. They work cooperatively by teaching others, sharing, listening, and respecting group roles and responsibilities. Without a little risk-taking, and experimentation, many of the technological advancements that have occurred in the last couple of decades would not be possible.
What Can Parents Do?
- Support your daughter’s learning about science, explore and find out together, you don’t need to be the expert
- Discuss science questions at the dinner table. Having a jar of questions can be helpful.
- Talk about different careers in science and technology
- Share your views on science in the news
- Ask lots of “why” questions
Let’s continue to work together to inspire all girls to explore science and to determine if it is an area of interest or passion for them. There are so many roles of the future, such as health, agriculture, technology, or sustainability, that have a close link to the many branches of science.
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Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
