Learn Through Applications with Next Education’s Science Kit

The popularization of science to develop interest and a lasting passion among students is a major concern across the globe. There have been numerous initiatives to address this issue in India as well. The core objective of ‘Science Education’ is all about developing ‘Scientific Temper’ and ‘Science Literacy’ as overarching goals rather than providing students with a lot of content which can merely enhance their knowledge without clearing their concepts thoroughly. As facilitators are the key persons responsible for transacting the teaching-learning process in the classroom, they need to be more invested in terms of fulfilling the objective of science education.

To generate excitement and interest in science through hands-on activities, the role of ‘science kit’ as a learning resource has long been cognized since the ’50s and early ’60s. There was a strong thrust on learning science by doing in western countries. However, the scenario has not been very encouraging in India at that point of time. So the trend of empowering education with science kits was not a familiar phenomenon in India. However, in recent times, the whole academic scenario is gradually changing for the better. And schools and colleges are emphasising on more hands-on-activities, hence, science kits are becoming an eminent part of science education.

There has been worldwide recognition of the power of children’s early thinking and learning as well as the belief that science can lay the foundations for lifetime learning and future discoveries. With appropriate guidance, the natural curiosity of children can be harnessed in the right direction to make sense of the world. One of the best ways to help young minds develop a keen interest in science is by providing them with science kits. 

At Next Education, we believe that experiential learning is pivotal to turning knowledge into wisdom for children. Not only are our science kits designed to make learning fun and intellectually stimulating for children but it also gives them hands-on experience with different tools and equipment. 

Before we elaborate further, let us know what Science Kit is and what are their benefits.

A science kit is an educational tool that can act as a supplement to the traditional science classroom. You can think of it as a mini science lab of sorts that would aid in the holistic development of the student through a hands-on approach. These kits come with various materials, lab equipment, manuals etc. that would help the student learn and explore science by themselves.

Significance of Science Kits

• With the help of a science kit, learners get a deeper understanding of the concepts taught in science. 
• Using a science kit in a classroom scenario can extend learning beyond classrooms. Children can conduct activities and experiments not only in their classrooms but also in the comfort of their own homes. 
• Science kits comprise numerous activities that help students with different learning abilities i.e visual, auditory and kinesthetic. With such impactful activities, they ensure better retention of concepts and illustrations.
• Experiments are integral parts of science. Equipped with the idea and ingredients of numerous experiments, science kits help children develop an analytical approach to learning.
• Science kits ensures that learning is fun and intellectually engaging.

• They improve a child’s manual dexterity and help them develop a keen eye for detail. This makes them cognizant of the similarities and differences between various objects. 
• Since science kits promote an experimental form of learning, students get to work by a process of trial and error which give them exposure to understand the whole concept better and learn them by heart.

With the recognition that children need to be engaged in the learning process, Next Education has created the Science Kit for grades 1–10 to arouse the innate curiosity of the child. Learning through a hands-on model is a fool-proof method that guarantees clarity of concepts to a child. Moreover, learning through practical demonstrations help a child learn quicker than mere abstract revisions.

Science Explorer for students of Grade 7

Science Explorer (Grade 7) is a science kit for Class 7 students designed to facilitate experiential learning according to the CBSE guidelines for hands-on activities.

This DIY science kit for 12-year-old kids has the following features. 

• 10 activities with 4–5 interlinking concepts
• Exclusive projects such as Acid-Base Mystery, Fun with Rocket, Sprayer, Stethoscope, Telegraph Model and many more!
• Develops important skills such as world-awareness, experimentation, observation, creativity, problem-solving, higher-order thinking skills, risk mitigation and collaboration; and increases engagement and retention
• Activity videos on the NextCurriculum mobile app (Google Playstore) to be unlocked with product key provided inside the back cover of the instruction manual
• 100+ high-quality, reusable items

The smart Science Explorer is filled with interconnected activities. Some of those activities are mentioned below

Acid-Base Mystery

The Acid-Base Mystery activity prescribed in the Science Kit allows students to determine whether given chemicals are acidic or basic with the help of the litmus paper test. With this experiment, students learn to observe and examine the change in the colours of the acid-base indicators in the presence of acids and bases. It helps learners to understand the significance of observation in chemical experiments and enhance their knowledge with real-life examples.

Soil Properties

The Soil Properties activity is integrated into the Science Lab experiments because of the students between age-group 11 and 14 have the knowledge of soil and its formation. With this activity, they will get a deeper knowledge about soil properties like texture, particle size, water absorption capacity, and moulding properties. Additionally, the experiment will help students to understand the different layers of soil.

Fun With Rocket

Rocket is an intriguing factor for learners. With the help of this activity, students can learn to classify the change observed as a physical change or chemical change. The activity is integrated with multiple real-life experiences and examples which help students to understand the concept better and make it more relatable.

Stethoscope

Science Explorer for Grade 7 caters to different domains of science. As a Grade 7 student is aware of the human body, there are activities prescribed in the kit that talks about the human body parts. The activity Stethoscope determines the relation between the rate of heartbeat and physical activities. Students can derive how a person’s age has a relation with his or her heartbeat. 

My First Telegram

As Grade 7 students are exposed to the concept of the magnetic field and aware of magnetic and non-magnetic material, the Science Explorer has a designed activity based on the same concept. My First Telegram is the activity that explains the magnetic effect of electric current to students and lets them examine the deflection of the needle of a magnetic compass placed near the coil of an electromagnet. The activity explains the working of the telegraph system based on this phenomenon to the students.

Through generating enthusiasm and interest in science, Next Education’s  Science Kits work towards making science fun and enjoyable, rather than scary and difficult. With the help of our detailed manuals, the learners can easily build the various models, learning by themselves. In addition, the instruction videos available on the NextCurriculum app also ensures that the students will always have visual aids to always assist them in case of roadblocks. 

The methods of learning and teaching need to change and evolve to stay aligned with the rapidly evolving academic scenario. The advent of teaching assistance tools such as science experiment kits also makes the life of a teacher and parent easy. With the aid of the equipment in the kit, the teacher can easily demonstrate the concept in class, saving her the time and energy wasted in delivering monotonous lectures that do not guarantee a complete understanding of the concept to the listener.