CREATIVE USE OF WASTE MATERIALS IN
 TEACHING SCIENCE.
 

Science Teaching

Teaching of science is not mere transaction of science-based knowledge so as to load students' mind with facts and figures. If a child can recall that 'In the solar system, Pluto is the smallest and furthest planet situated at an average distance of 59x10 8 km from the sun with a time of revolution of 248 years round the sun and it has also a moon'- well, in a quiz competition he may score full marks, but so far as science education is concerned, it has hardly anything to do with. It is just like remembering some other information such as -`Alexander the Great who was the third king of Macedon invaded India in 327 BC and confronted king Porus.

Teaching of science is a process in which the three essential components are - to acquire Knowledge, to Understand the concepts or principles and to Apply those in a novel situation in order to solve a problem. To illustrate this with an example consider the incident (or could, be an accident) when a speeding truck while entering into a low passage under a railway bridge got stuck tighly in it. It could not come out from the other side. Big bosses from the traffic police, railways and civic-body as also general public were all looking towards the top to give all possible and impossible suggestions to bring the vehicle out, however all in vain. A little boy came forward and with all humility suggested that deflating the tyres could help. In fact, it is the manifestation of what he knew and what he understood, applied to solve the problem.

At school level, science is taught through theory as well as practical. Although, at higher education a part of the science tends towards more abstract and theoretical, but at lower stage, experimentation and demonstrations are essential components for explaining many of the concepts. So often we say `Science is Doing' - because it is highly desirable to incorporate activities, supporting the theoretical teaching so as to leave a permanent impression of understanding. It is quite tough to explain, say, a principle like that of Archimedes only by theoretical lecture. A student's mind may not readily accept the result. And that is why many grown up people remembers the interesting story of `eureka' associated with the great scientist, but when asked to explain the Archimedes' principle to a child, he may fail miserably. On the other hand, while teaching the topic, if the phenomenon is explained by doing an actual experiment to show that loss of weight is equal to the weight of displaced liquid, it will leave a permanent impression in the grey cells. In the same manner -`Why a ship floats but a metal sheet sinks, can best be understood with the help of demonstrations. And that is why `Science is Doing'.

Improvisation

If we say 'Science is Doing' and teaching of every topic should possibily be supplemented by appropriate activities or practicals, then is it essential to have sofisticated labs full of apparatus, equipments and chemicals? In fact, such facility is neither always available and luckily nor do we need it many a times. While teaching, if one gets the required experimental arrangement ready-made, well it is very good. However, sometimes the standard teaching aids may remain out of reach - may be due to any reason. Look around, quite possible one gets something from the surroundings, which may serve as a better teaching aid for the topic. A step further, perhaps he who is innovative, may prepare such an aid from the available materials from here and there, Improvisation is the term, that refers to an off hand construction of a teaching aid with simple available materials costing little or nil.

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Take the case of scientists, specially of ancient days. They basically depended on improvisation in order to show their inventions or results. No doubt, scientists are basically creative. And perhaps, scientists like Galelio, Newton or Faraday often made things out of waste materials. Thus, designing an apparatus or device from easily available materials or wastes is in the line of scientific tradition.

The following is a list of common items used in teaching of science, and those can be improvised :

i) Optical bench, Metre bridge, Potentiometer.

ii) Pin-hole camera, Periscope and Photometer.

ii) Single resistance, Resistance box, Rheostat.

iv) Experiments to show reflection and refraction of light.

v) Experiment to study fall of body through liquid.

vi) Trolley experiment - to study motion.

vii) Ticker timer.

viii) Alarms for food, fire, rain, bruglar, letter etc.

ix) Electromagnet and experiments , based on magnetic effect of current, (e.g. call bell).

x) Models of eclipse, Solar system etc.

It is suggested that one should further add another ten such items to this list.

The advantages of improvisation are so evident. It gives an alternative to aids which are not available, costly or out of reach. Using waste materials for constructing an aid not only involves low or no cost but also helps in reducing environmental hazard, These aids, are usually simple, easy to construct and easy to handle. These are repairable, replaceable the disposable with no botheration about life for condemnation. Above all, improvisation can be helpful in making the teaching child-centred, activity oriented and participatory. What is notable, it helps the child in inculcating scientific temperament and provides scopes to develop creative faculty.

Teachers' Role

When we say of improvisation, it is not out of place to cite examples of some enterprising teachers who improvised themselves or with the help of their students, something novel out of wastes.

Take the case of the unfortunate situation, where a teacher skips all practicals on image formations by spherical mirrors and lenses only because his school lab does not have an optical bench. Whatever efforts he may make to explain the topics theoretically, the void remains there. While on the other hand there are instances of several teachers who do perform those experiments of spherical mirrors and lenses simply by improvisation, using metre scale, candle, improvised stands and improvised screen made out of things which we throw otherwise. When experiments on 'trolley' and 'falling body through viscous liquid' were introduced in the syllabus, several teachers improvised the experimental arrangements most successfully. In fact, through Improvisation one can nurture his creative faculty.

Activities associated with science exhibitions of science clubs provide opportunities to the students to show their ideas and creativity. There are people who complain about the futility of a science exhibition involving wastage of time, energy and money and displaying of stale or `ready-made' models. There lies a difference between a creative scientists and an ordinary student. Nevertheless, the child cannot be blamed, It is the teacher, who has to guide the child. It is true that - one can take the horse to water, twenty cannot make it to drink'. The teacher can only motivate and provide a congenial atmosphere for the child so that his creative skill may bloom. And this can be done spontaneously through day-to-day activities. It is needless to think of separate class for `teaching' creativity.

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Availability of Waste Materials

When we look I around us, we see so many things which once used for some purpose but now turned into wastes. A broken device, a discarded worn-up item, a dismantled machine part, broken porcelains and packings and packages used for all type of items turn into wastes. As for specific examples, common waste materials those can be used in science teaching cover a very wide range from a discarded injection syringe, fused electric bulb, tube light, tubes and tyres, empty packets of cigarettes and other items, metal cans, match boxes, bottles, packaging materials to a condemned vehicle. With the advancement of technology, business, advertisement and change of life style, waste materials have multiplied may fold. Inventions, of numerous systhetic materials such as polythene, nylon, plastic, thermocol, PVC, summica and many such items have opened a new front for waste materials. Packings of consumers goods are now made in novel, beautiful and presentable forms what we did not see in years back. One can make a comprehensive list of such commonly available waste materials which can be conveniently used to construct something improvised and creative. One is tempted to cite the example of highly acclaimed 'Rock Garden' in Chandigarh created out of absolutely waste materials by Mr. Nek Chand. Indeed, it is an wonderful example of using wastes for creativity.

The waste materials, otherwise create an environmental hazard. These need only to be disposed off. Many of these may or may not be recycled. Why cannot we think of using these purposefully to create something useful. In a way it is an alternative to recycle them. (Please see Chapter 9.9).

A Way to Creativity

I know a child, who used to get gifts, beautiful latest mechanised toys of all sorts, from his relations staying in Japan. No doubt, the child liked those toys but he was in the habit of breaking those only to see how those work. It is the curiosity in the child which was responsible for the destructive act. On a later stage, it was found that the curiosity led the child to be creative and innovative. The other thing which can also lead one to be creative is knack of improvisation of something to serve in need.

It is repeated again that appropriate uses of available waste materials in improvising some experimental arrangement, model, project or activity lead to development of creative skill. And through the creative skills, the child acquires the basic objective of learning science - viz. Knowledge, Understanding and Application. It will be an achievement for a teacher, if he can bring a situation where he improvises three or four teaching aids and his student comes forward with a new idea to create of his own the next one,

INDIVIDUAL

&

GROUP

ACTIVITIES

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