Teaching and Learning of Environmental Science

Education is now populary regarded as selection of culture.Curriculum planners had also realised the need to teach young children the importance of their environment in their life.According to the importance of our physical environment it is wise to explore why it is necessary to let children learn about their surroundings.
In the eary inception of Zimbabwe formal education the teaching and learning of environment was known as nature study.Lessons were mostly taught inside the classroom ,using teaching and learning aids like pligrams,charts,dead materials from dead animal.In the topic of animals pupils would be asked to draw animals and label the only ,even in higher grades.
The classrooms were entitled to have a nature corner/place which were put shells ,dead plants animal skeletons and other bones collected from the environment.
By 1990 the Germany Organisation initiated workshops on how best can environment science taught in the elementary/primary schools.The recommendations from these workshops among other things change the subject from nature study to Environmental Science.The theme of the newly designed syllabus is to do and participate.In other words learners should not just told what is in their environment ,but rather they should go into environment and find the relevant facts whilst actively participating in the lesson.
Environmental science is an integrated subject which encompasses all other taught subjects which include languages,social science,mathematics and moral studies.
The main aims and goals of the environmental science is to let pupils be aware of themselves ,environment as they focus on the five levels of knowledge which:
Basic Scientific Knowledge
Pupils acquire basic scientific knowledge
Comprehension
After acquired the knowledge of science ,then should understand to it,for example how cholera develops.
Application of Ideas
apply the knowledge and able to classify.In this case they are applying ideas.
Analysis
When they gathered facts should be able to analyse the classified and understood facts.They are sorting,comparing or analysing.
Synthesis
Pupils will be able to design /create and construct.
The methodology of environmental science is mainly child centred as learners are interacting with the teacher ,among themselves and their environment.
There should be a lot of demostrations ,experimentations,project work,problem solving,games,case study ,drama,discussions and fieldtrips.
The Science Process Skills
These are activities by learners to investigate a science phenomenon use to explore a particular topic or concept.Process skills are grouped into three distinct categories:
1.The Basic Science Process Skills
Pupils are observing,counting ,describing or explaining as they should be able to ask insightful questions.
2.Intermediate Process Skills
Learners are instructed to draw what they had observed .They also measure ,compare ,infer or conclude.
3.Abstruct or Complex Skills
Learners are now involved in the estimations ,hypothesizing ,create questions from every problem and make their own judgements and predictions.
Determinants of Process Skills
The topic to be taught ,lesson objective and what is wanted to be understood by learners.The teacher should take into consideration the cognitive level of the learners and whether the class is a mixed or else.
The teacher should develop the lessons fron known to unknown and the lesson should be mainly child centred ,hands on approach as learners are freely allowed to use all their senses ,touching ,seeing,feeling ,hearing and smelling.Let the learners compare ,measure until they form a concept.
Importance of Environment as laboratory/Media.
Environmental science is absolutely effective if taught using mainly outdoor lesson.Start from the classroom and then go outside.
Organisms such as animals and plants must be studied in their natural habitat.
It is unecessary to let pupils collect organism such as nests,leaves or bones to the classroom ,just teach them there so that they develop an awareness of the importance of environment to their life.
Unless the collection is very necessary ,don't destroy the environment,after use return the specimen to its original setting .
Suggestions for a Successful outdoor lesson
•Study the environment.
•Prepare all needed materials for the lesson before the lesson.
•Divide the class into smaller groups and train group leaders to lead other carefully.
•Give clear instructions as your introduction
•Give diversified exercises for different groups to do.
•Learner schould carry their notebooks,recorders or camera and let them discover for themselves and avoid telling them the answers.
•Teacher should be an active listener and guide.
•Show interes and enthusiasm in the lesson.
•Avoid disturbing natural environment.
•Check weather before letting go go outdoor lesson.
•Ask pupils to evaluate ,judge,conclude and consider themselves.
•Teacher should make follow -ups on children's reports.