Learning through Experiments- Science Kits to Ensure Real-Life Connect

With the advent of the 21-st century has come the realisation that the traditional methods of learning such as board and chalk are rather insufficient in equipping the children with the knowledge necessary for traversing this complex and competitive world. While classroom teaching is important, real-world knowledge that is gained through practical experiences holds a lot of importance in the growth and development of the child.

Current teaching-learning methods in the classroom are largely restricted to the one-sided flow of information which in many cases becomes boring and even complex for the students to grasp. Such methods of learning often create a disconnect between what the child has learnt and the real-world applications of it. Understanding a theory or a concept is not the same as being able to apply it in one’s daily life. This is something that a lot of teachers forget to put their emphasis on.

What is a Science Kit?

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.

Advantages of Science Kits

• Allows much better understanding of the concepts for the students
• It is an experimental form of learning, and the students work through trial and error, learning through their mistakes.
• Ensures that learning is not boring and monotonous. 
• Ensures better retention of concepts in the student’s mind.
• Creates lifelong learners by sparking the spirit of inquiry in children and making them want to learn more and explore.
• Improves a child’s manual dexterity and helps them develop a keen eye for detail.
• Makes sure that learning is not merely restricted to the classroom, and that students can even perform the activities in the comfort of their homes.

    With the recognition that children need to be engaged in the learning process, Next Education has created the Next Explorer Science Kits to foster the innate curiosity of the child. Learning through a hands-on model is a fool-proof method that guarantees the clarity of the concept to the child. What might take a child ten times of revision would be etched in their minds through one single demonstration. 

The science experiment kit for each grade has been created keeping in mind the unique needs of the child at every stage of their brain development. Each kit comes along with 10+ activities with at least 4-5 interlinking concepts which would make the real-life connect easier. Such a method, crafted specially to ensure that important skills such as experimentation, observation, problem-solving, language development and risk mitigation are inculcated in the child, also guarantees increased engagement and retention.

In addition, each science kit also comes with a product key that will unlock exclusive activity videos available on the NextCurriculum mobile app (Google Playstore) to help the children further learn through visualisation.

Science Kit (Class 8)

Science Explorer (Grade 8) is a science kit for students (13 years old) in the third grade. It consists of activity materials and an instruction manual detailing step-by-step procedures for executing different activities. Before each activity, detailed explanations of the safety measures that the students need to take while conducting the experiments are provided in the manual. The activities are often followed by a list of questions that the student needs to answer based on their observations. In addition, the manual also provides real-life examples for each principle. The manual also comes with interesting facts to make each activity interesting, as well as an ‘Explore More’ section to let the students investigate and study more by themselves.

The activities include:

Irrigation System: Using the concepts of atmospheric pressure and vacuum, this activity has been designed to help the students understand the working of a pump.

Reactivity Race: The activity uses the student’s knowledge of displacement reaction to examine the reactivity of various metals and arrange them accordingly. The activity relies on the student’s prior knowledge that a more reactive metal displaces a less reactive metal in an aqueous solution.

Hydraulic Arm: The activity uses the student’s prior knowledge about atmospheric pressure to verify Pascal’s law as well as to examine how the law is applied in the use of a hydraulic arm.

Fire Extinguisher: The activity helps the students understand the working principle behind a fire extinguisher. The students would need some knowledge about the chemical properties of acids and bases for performing this experiment. The activity is conducted using vinegar and baking soda, and the fire extinguisher model is used to extinguish a candle. The activity must be performed with care while wearing gloves.

Guitar: The experiment uses the students’ knowledge of the concept of sound as well as sound, frequency and amplitude to explain the mechanism used in guitars to produce sound. The experiment also examines the frequency of the sound produced by a guitar changes with the length of the vibrating string. It also examines the relationship between sound produced by a guitar and amplitude of vibrating string.

Electroplating Name: The activity uses the students’ prior knowledge of the concepts such as electroplating, conductors and insulators to examine the conductivity of water. The activity also requires the students to have knowledge about the light-emitting diode (LED) as well as open and closed circuits. The activity will also examine the change in the conductivity of water when salt is added to it. It also examines the process of electroplating copper onto an iron plate.

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

With the changing times, the methods of learning and teaching also need to change and adapt. 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.