Kids do not know how to use a ruler
Hideo Nakano, Diepkloof Extreme Park, Soweto, South African, Johannesburg Botanical Garden, Japanese, Roto-copters.
EVANDER – Mr Hideo Nakano, a science specialist at the Osizweni Education and Development Centre, urged teachers to use real laboratory thermometers to teach science.
He established that many of the Grade 6 pupils from various schools who attended the World Wetlands Day celebration at Diepkloof Extreme Park in Soweto on 14 February did not know how to read a laboratory thermometer and were not good at using basic tools such as rulers and staplers.
The event was organised by the City of Johannesburg, Johannesburg City Parks and Johannesburg Zoo.
Laboratory thermometers show temperature quantitatively and are one of the most basic tools to measure the environment.
“When I asked three Grade 6 pupils to read a laboratory thermometer during a short workshop, none of them knew how to.
“A Grade 3 pupil from any Japanese school knows how to use and read the laboratory thermometers and I took it for granted that South African Grade 6 pupils were also able to,” said Mr Nakano.
More than 300 pupils took part and learned about wetlands through short workshops and exhibits given by representatives from science centres before the official celebration.
Johannesburg Botanical Garden invited Osizweni to the event and Mr Nakano prepared a short workshop during which pupils visited the Osizweni booth from 9am to 11.30am.
“I intended to show visitors how algae blooms occur in spring and in autumn across water ecosystems.
“In order to show water stratification, I packed four 1.5 litre plastic bottles filled with ice and hot water using two 1.4 litre insulation containers.
“I also prepared simple science activity materials such as roto-copters and paper blade helicopters and Cartesian divers.”
“The park ground was tilted and it was not suitable to do the water stratification demonstration and the contents of the algae blooms were too difficult for the Grade 6 pupils to understand.
“We could not use the roto-copter droppers because of the wind.”
Mr Nakano then showed pupils how to make the roto-copter and paper blade helicopter and did a demonstration on the Cartesian diver and paper tube rocket.
