A study of heat
If I were teaching science in a Papua New Guinea upper primary school or high school, I would make the work exciting for students and any teachers working with me. I would prepare about 600 practical mastery questions on heat, light, motion, electricity, ecology, geology, and astronomy.
Theory would be developed mainly through practical scenarios. This is outcome based learning though teacher centred. Each problem would have an outcome to be explained. Students would never forget the study of science.
I would use the scenarios in English to promote discussion and creative writing. It would not be a major disaster if the library had no books. This approach would bring the world alive without books. There are hundreds of mastery exercises in science as we move to higher grades.
Why do birds fluff their feathers when they sleep at night?
Why do birds sleep with their heads under their wings?
How do many nesting birds keep their eggs warm?
How does a blanket keep us warm?
If we cover a dead body with a blanket, does the body
become warm?
If we leave a refridgerator door open does room temperature
rise or fall?
Which is coolest to wear in the hot sun, white or black clothes?
Does a hot cup of tea warm or cool the body?
Why are cooking spoons made of wood not steel?
Which tea cools quickest, tea in ametal cup or tin cup?
Why do we sweat? What happens to body temperature if
we do not wash with soap and water?
Does the daily temperature rise more on land or sea?
How does this affect the winds?
Does temperature drop more on sea or land at night?
How does this affect the winds?
Why do birds migrate across the Straits of Gibraltar and
Suez Canal to Africa?
Do migrating birds fly most by day or night?
When a warm current meets a cold current in the ocean,
which current rises?
What effect does the sun have on rainfall?
Why does Port Moresby get less rain than Kokoda?
Why is coral dying on world reefs?
Why do eagles build nests on cliffs?
Why should we keep our heads warm in cold climate?
Why does the temperature drop before dawn?
Why do snakes and lizards sleep in sunlight during the day?
Why do snakes and lizards like to sleep on rocks?
If the surface of the moon is cold, why does the moon shine?
Why are many PNG houses built on stilts?
Why are highlands houses not built on stilts?
Why does the temperature drop the higher we climb?
What happens to temperature if we go down into a deep mine?
Thses are only a sample of exercises in science. The students would be required to solve a puzzle in each exercise. It would teach them to think and consider a range of scientific insights. Then they would explain the solution in their own words. The series of exercises could be extended grade by grade. Learning by scenario is an effective way to study and apply knowledge.
If the teacher had these exercises, revision could take place regularly so that most students could recall the solution to most if not all problems IN THEIR OWN WORDS.
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