Linking Science Lessons to the Real World
The science teachers at Branksome Hall Asia are excited to start the new school year. Our focus for 2020 is to continue to review the content and concepts of our Grades 6-10 units to ensure that the Branksome Hall Asia science curriculum standards are met as we progress through the year. In addition to the usual tests and inquiry-based assessments, we plan to explicitly link our units to the United Nations Sustainability Goals to highlight the global nature of science education and its role in solving our current environmental issues.
Science teachers will be incorporating the service-learning approach to the current Criteria D assessments and trying to ensure that there are local, national, and possibly global audiences for the completed tasks. Highlighting real world situations will help students create meaningful products. The goal is to engage students in their learning which then leads to specific actions that will help make the world a better place in the future.
An example of such service learning is seen in the study of the digestive system in Grade 7 where the research question is “Am I eating healthy foods?” The students are currently researching the definition of healthy foods and apply this concept to themselves personally. The extension into service-learning adds local, national and global issues which are connected to the health food industry. A service-learning project could include raising awareness of the impact of media on our food choices or focus on the water issues surrounding the cultivation of healthy foods such as avocados. A campaign or presenting to other grade levels are all possible service actions that increase awareness of the issues.
The new greenhouse is a wonderful addition to our available resources and it will be used by specific classes to grow seedlings. The goal is to allow students to have hands-on experience with the factors that influence the growth of plants. These lessons will be linked to the various methods of agriculture used on Jeju Island and compare them to other countries in regards to sustainability and carbon footprints. Raising awareness of the global nature of food production and the cost to the environment of the use of pesticides and herbicide is the goal of these service-learning projects.
Connecting science content with real world situations increases the importance of issues that affect all of us and this is a fundamental part of the MYP program and Diploma Program. Branksome Hall Asia science teachers are all experts in linking the units they teach to local, national and global issues.
K.A. Binns, B.Ed., B.Sc. (Nursing), M.Ed. (Leadership)
Head of Science
IB MYP/DP Biology, DP ESS Teacher