When we talk about hands-on activity in Science, the first thing that pops up in our mind are experiments involving test tubes, magnets or microscopes. While that will generally be the case for post-primary Science curriculum, hands-on activities for primary level Science take myriad forms.
In this post, we’ll share 3 ideas on easy-to-conduct hands-on activities you and your child could engage in for Life Sciences topics. They do not involve scalpels or squealing frogs, which is a relief for most but a disappointment for some.
(1) Familial Fun
Draw up your family tree. For each member of the family, make a record of whether he or she has the following traits: attached or detached earlobes, straight hairline or widow’s peak, right-over-left or left-over-right hand clasp, longer or shorter second toe relative to big toe, straight thumb or hitchhiker’s thumb, dimples or no dimples, cleft chin or smooth chin. Besides subjecting them to a physical examination, have an inkpad and paper ready to collect their fingerprints as if they had broken the law.
Objectives & Merits:
- Identify traits that have been passed down across generations in your family.
- Learn which traits are heritable and which are not.
- Spend quality bonding time with your family.
(2) Roleplaying RBC
Round up 6 family members. Spend 10 minutes briefing participants on how blood circulates around the body and what types of gaseous exchanges occur at the lungs and other parts of the body.
Next, assign each of the following body parts to a member: Right Ventricle, Left Ventricle, Right Atrium, Left Atrium, Lungs, All Other Body Parts. Blow up 1 red balloon to represent oxygenated blood and 1 blue balloon to represent deoxygenated blood. The idea is to select a ‘body part’ as the starting point and then pass the red and blue balloons in an order that accurately reflects what happens in the body.
Objectives & Merits:
- Reinforce understanding of Circulatory and Respiratory Systems.
- Strengthen hand-eye coordination.
- Develop dexterity in handling explosive objects.
(3) Aviation Designer
Collect some dandelion seeds, and get some cardboard, sticky tape and a pair of scissors. Compete amongst yourselves to see who can design a set of ‘wings’ that will enable the seed to fly the farthest. You’ll need a steady and reliable wind source like a table or standing fan. Those who have faith in lung power will have to find out the hard way that it falls short on both counts.
Objectives & Merits:
- Nurture creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.
- Explore how wing design affects wind-dispersed seeds.
- Next best thing after actual aircraft design.