Primary Science Teachers Workshop

- Ecosystems

“This was one of the best science workshops I’ve attended. Thank you!”

Without a doubt, the 145 teachers who attended the recently held NIHERST Primary Science Teachers Workshop left satisfied with the material covered and the hands-on exercises that were demonstrated during the series of one-day exercises. Organised for the benefit of 100 schools in the St. George East Educational District, this cycle of workshops on Ecosystems followed a similar exercise conducted in May/June 2009, which focussed on the Structures and Mechanisms strand of the Primary Science Syllabus.

From foraging in a “forest” made from crepe and kite paper leaved trees to sorting through beach sand looking for seashore dwellers, the teachers learned about using very simple techniques to explore habitats and understand the impact of change on plant and animal populations.

Standard Four teachers in the group obtained tips on developing hands-on exercises to share information on wetland systems and also were shown the mangrove swamp feature of the NIHERST video series “Natural Wonders of the Caribbean” as a useful educational resource.

The online resource of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) entitled “Ozzy Ozone” was also shared with teachers, to inform them of freely available online materials that are prepared in digestible format for youngsters. This particular resource is of great benefit to teachers at the Standard Five level, who need to provide instruction on the ozone layer.

After the lunch break, the teachers got back into action mode, with everyone getting involved in a kinaesthetic exercise designed to educate students about the impact of pollution on marine life. With a cacophony of giggles, the teachers demonstrated their interpretation of the movement of seaweed, jellyfish and leatherback turtles and then launched into an activity that illustrated feeding relationships and the consequences of marine pollution.

At the end of this stimulating exercise, the teachers were prepared for a question-development session, in which they examined both well-written and poorly-written test questions and were given some guidance in formulating new questions based on the ecosystems theme. Several teachers indicated that they enjoyed this part of the workshop, as it enabled them to generate questions to use with their students in review of the concepts taught.

Teachers attending the workshops also gained additional resources to use back in school as information brochures and posters obtained from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), the Health, Safety and Environment Department of PETROTRIN, and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management were distributed to all participants.

The staff of the Public Education Unit of the National Science Centre is happy that the participating teachers were satisfied with the materials provided and the format of this recent workshop series. It is hoped that students will benefit from the use of these hands-on techniques in their classrooms and that this will itself generate greater interest in science among the youngsters.

Before the end of the current academic year, the Unit hopes to undertake one more cycle of workshops on the Matter and Materials strand of the curriculum.

Written: November 2009