Learning about science through toys
 |
Rotating a stick that has an image of an empty cage on one side and a picture of a bird on the other tricks the human brain into interpreting the two images as one, giving the viewer the impression that the bird is inside the cage. |
BANGALORE (March10)—Ashok Rupner, faculty member of the Inter University Centre of Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, puts on his lab coat twice a week to teach science to children by involving them in an interactive session of active and fun learning.
IUCAA’s Children’s Science Centre was inaugurated in 2004 under the name Pulastya, one of the stars of the Saptarshi (Plough) constellation. The workshop is inspired by Arvind Gupta’s aim of popularizing science by teaching it in an entertaining way to encourage young children.
“Classes are held usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and children are taught scientific principles through a set of creative toys and experiments,” Ashok said.
Using an empty adhesive tape holder, lengths of copper wire, magnets and a LED diode—all of which was collected from broken toys found in garbage—Ashok built a small power generator.
“When the child starts playing with his hands and discovers the beauty of science by putting it into practise he will be more inspired to study science further,” Ashok said.
Ashok said that “after teaching the child how to make a power generator we teach him to assembly a little electric motor that follows the opposite concept.”
Later, he demonstrated the theory of magnetic levitation using a simple assembly of an empty CD box, two CDs and some magnets. The magnets caused the discs to hover and spin.
“In an hour of playing and making these toys, children learn more than in a full month of school,” he said.
Ashok showed how with a simple drumstick, a thread and a plastic straw it is possible to make a toy to teach the child the principle of persistence of vision through the classic “bird in a cage,” the concept that inspired the Lumiere brothers to make the first cinematograph.
“This is nothing,” Ashok said. “A list of more than 2,000 eBooks is available for free online.”
The books he refers to have instructions about how to build games related to astronomy, Newton’s theories, water pumps, maths, motors and generators, electricity and magnetism and many other topics. “We also have an online video-library database with plenty of videos about how to build our games in almost all Indian languages,” he said.
IUCAA’s Children’s Science Centre was inaugurated in 2004 under the name Pulastya, one of the stars of the Saptarshi (Plough) constellation. The workshop is inspired by Arvind Gupta’s aim of popularizing science by teaching it in an entertaining way to encourage young children.
“Classes are held usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and children are taught scientific principles through a set of creative toys and experiments,” Ashok said.
Using an empty adhesive tape holder, lengths of copper wire, magnets and a LED diode—all of which was collected from broken toys found in garbage—Ashok built a small power generator.
“When the child starts playing with his hands and discovers the beauty of science by putting it into practise he will be more inspired to study science further,” Ashok said.
Ashok said that “after teaching the child how to make a power generator we teach him to assembly a little electric motor that follows the opposite concept.”
Later, he demonstrated the theory of magnetic levitation using a simple assembly of an empty CD box, two CDs and some magnets. The magnets caused the discs to hover and spin.
“In an hour of playing and making these toys, children learn more than in a full month of school,” he said.
Ashok showed how with a simple drumstick, a thread and a plastic straw it is possible to make a toy to teach the child the principle of persistence of vision through the classic “bird in a cage,” the concept that inspired the Lumiere brothers to make the first cinematograph.
“This is nothing,” Ashok said. “A list of more than 2,000 eBooks is available for free online.”
The books he refers to have instructions about how to build games related to astronomy, Newton’s theories, water pumps, maths, motors and generators, electricity and magnetism and many other topics. “We also have an online video-library database with plenty of videos about how to build our games in almost all Indian languages,” he said.
Comments
Post a Comment