Science and maths can be a dreaded subjects to many children, irrespective of their age. To help them grasp the concepts better and understand the subject, a creative method of teaching is imbibed by teachers and parents. It is called STEM. It refers to various creative experiments and projects which help to teach different scientific concepts in a fun and hands-on manner.
As a result, the students will be able to grasp different concepts quickly and learn the subject in-depth. However, getting creative about the teaching technique is not always easy. Here are some of the ways in which you can apply STEM techniques to foster curiosity and enhance the learning capacity of the child.
- Cloud in a Jar
This is a fun way to teach kids about the water cycle, evaporation and condensation. It gives them a visual idea about how the water cycle works using simple household items. In this experiment, you can demonstrate the creation of the cloud in different ways and give a step-by-step explanation about the process to children. Usually a mason jar, water and hairspray are needed to do the demonstration. It is not harmful to the child and you can encourage them to perform the experiment themselves.
- Water Cycle Bag
This particularly explains the water cycle to the kids. The continuous process of evaporation, condensation and precipitation is explained with this. The best part is, you need only a plastic bag and water to demonstrate the experiment to the child. Take a permanent marker to draw the sun, water and cloud on the bag. Fill 1/4th of the bag with water. Add blue food colouring to it so the changes are easy to watch through the process. Close the packet and tape it to a nearby window or wherever there is sunlight. After some time, you will notice the water evaporating and becoming vapour and again changing back to liquid on condensing. Eventually, when the air cannot hold the water anymore, it will start precipitating on the sides of the bag.
- Oil Spill
Oil spills are a major issue all over the world. To demonstrate the effects, many CBSE schools in Kolkata perform the oil spill experiment in class to make the kids more aware. The experiment is simple and can be modified according to the age group of the kids to make it more challenging. Water and oil are mixed in a container together. Add a few feathers or similar light objects that can float. Give the child a few spoons, sponges or paper towels. Assign the child to separate the oil, water and feathers. The kids will witness how the oil spill is extremely difficult to separate from the water and especially the effect it has on the feather. Now when you give the lecture on its effects on the environment, the kids will be able to comprehend the issues better.
- Crystal Sun Catchers
Making salt crystals is a fun activity for kids and it also helps them understand the concept of crystallization. The ingredients needed are quite cheap and you can quickly perform the experiment while maintaining absolute safety. However, it is more suitable for advanced kids and not for primary students. The crystals are made to catch the sun which makes the activity even more fun.
When you are being innovative with the STEM activities, it simultaneously makes your kid more enthusiastic about the learning process. Keeping this in mind, you can easily guide them to master some simple scientific concepts using STEM activities shared by top schools.
