ASSIGNMENT[TOPIC: SCIENCE CLUB]

PREPARED BY

ATHIRAKRISHNAN U K

PHYSICAL SCIENCE

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INTRODUCTION

The scientific and technological advancement of today is a long

forward journey from Stone Age. As we live in an age of science, it is essential that the students

have a deep insight into the background of science. People seem to posses seeds of creativeness

but, climate for its germination is absent. It is generally seen that our school programs are not

giving due place to scientific experiences and proper environment. Schools lay too much of

emphasis on rigidity and traditional

Each individual has his own interests, talents and abilities.

Even a progressive syllabus fails to cater to the needs of each. Science educators, now a days are

found to exhibit growing interest and means of stimulating group participation and mobilizing

interest in learning science. Organizing science clubs is one among such activities.

SCIENCE CLUB

A science club offers children the chance to do science-related

activities that extend and enhance the science they experience in the classroom. Most clubs use

the opportunity to explore areas of science not covered by the curriculum and to give the club

members plenty of opportunities to do practical science. An organization which caters for the

inculcation of scientific attitude and a genuine interest in science, and also can supplement the

work of the classroom and give the syllabus a practical dimension may be called a science club.

A science club is an out-of-school-hours club that offers

children the chance to do science-related activities that extend and enhance the science they

experience in the classroom. Each science club is different, as the club program reflects the

interests of the children, the club organizer and the facilities available. Most clubs use the

opportunity to explore areas of science not covered by the curriculum and to give the club

members plenty of opportunities to do practical science. A science club can be run in a lunch

break or after school.

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Through activities of a science club, learning of

science becomes joyful. The science club caters to freedom for expression, where as the

classroom atmosphere leads to conformity and repression. While activity participating in a

science club students organize thought and translate these into action and there by develop a

zealous enthusiasm to strive for the cause of scientific enterprise

OBJECTIVES OF SCIENCE CLUB

To develop a general interest in science

To encourage individual and group activities

To develop habits of exploration and creative faculties

To make the students and public science minded

To develop interest in scientific hobbies

To provide challenging opportunities to the gifted

To develop in children a sense of healthy competition

To keep the students in touch with the recent advances in sciences

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ORGANISATION OF SCIENCE CLUB

A properly organized science club will be a valuable aid to

teaching science and also a means of motivating the children for learning science. The successful

working of the club depends on the persons who organize it and also on the interest and

enthusiasm of students. Though science club is run by the students for the students, the science

teacher is the pivot of all activities.

To begin with, the science teacher can explain the importance

and benefits of organizing science club and can arouse enthusiasm among students. This

discussion may be followed by a business meeting in which office bearers are chosen. Every

science club should have its own constitution. There should be a General body and an Executive

body. The principal or Headmaster should be the patron and the science teachers should be the

sponsors. Executive members such as President, Vice president, Secretary, Treasurer, Librarian,

Publicity Officer, etc. are chosen from among the student members. The executive committee

has to chalk out programs. The activities of the club should be taken up by the students

themselves. There should be regular meetings, discussions, planning, feedback, etc.

ACTIVITIES OF THE SCIENCE CLUB

Holding and participating science exhibitions and fairs

Conducting essay competition on scientific problems

Celebrating science days and birth days of eminent scientists

Maintaining a bulletin board and displaying science news

Publishing school science magazine

Organizing lectures, debates, seminars etc and conducting projects

Arranging visits to places of scientific interest

Conducting visual programs of scientific interest

Collecting specimens and arranging them in the museum

General reading of scientific literature and participating in scientific hobbies

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IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE CLUB IN SCHOOL

Non formal mode of education is organized activities with

educational purposes carried on outside the highly structured frame work of formal educational

systems and consists of an assortment of separate educational activities, not bound by age

restrictions, time schedules and sequences to keep in line with the levels of academic standards.

We all know that we can learn and remember things better if we do it and practice rather than

just study/read them. This basic principle is involved in the formation of organization called

“SCIENCE CLUB” meant for “Learning by Doing”.

Children have the tendency to make things, break things, and

handle things. Self expression, independent research, etc are some of the opportunities provided

by the science clubs. Science clubs also allow the students to work on their own ideas, hobbies,

experiments etc. In the classrooms, the students work formally and restrict themselves to the

school curriculum. Where as in science club, there are no restrictions and the students can work

on their own ideas with full freedom. Science clubs may also help reduce the burden of the

increasing science curriculum. Students can learn more through the activities and their own

experiments and clarify general scientific concepts. The coordination between the classrooms

and the science clubs will help the student to compute their curriculum in a subtle way. Science

clubs are sometimes considered as the backbones of the curricular activities in the school.

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Science clubs channelize the energies of students and make use

of their skills and talents, which satisfy their instincts and urges and helps in their overall

personality development. Science clubs work in association with classroom instruction of science

subjects. Therefore we can define science club as “an organization, which helps in the

development of scientific attitudes, and develop genuine interest in science and scientific

activities, supplements the work of the practical bias”.

CONCLUSION

Learning by doing and learning by living are two essentials of

learning science. Children are interested in making things, breaking things and handling things.

But the curriculum does not satisfy this natural urge. In the classroom everything is done in a

formal, artificial and controlled atmosphere. This will never give the child an opportunity for his

free flights in the world of science. Our classroom teaching does not provide opportunity for self

expression, constructive activities and independent enquiry. No time is assigned for practical

work. All these lead to the need for an organization providing an outlet for the pent-up emotions

of children and for pooling their energies. An organization which caters for the inculcation of

scientific attitude and a genuine interest in science, and also can supplement the work of the

classroom and give the syllabus a practical dimension may be called a science club.

REFERENCES

Science Education – Dr. K. Sivarajan, Prof. A. Faziluddin

www.science club.com

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