Ms Taylor's students at Levin School are ready to explore the impact of unwanted bugs into the country.
Ms Taylor's students at Levin School are ready to explore the impact of unwanted bugs into the country.
Science education has come a long way in recent decades and the science kits provided by House of Science Horowhenua to local schools are hitting the right note with Horowhenua students.
The local branch now has 23 out of 35 science kits available and many kits are booked out monthsin advance, that's how popular they are.
At Levin School, students in Paulianne Taylor's class are keen experimenters. They are studying bugs using the kit called Invasion Busters.
There go the bugs....
Levin School
They have supplies of green, blue and red balls and by throwing dice they demonstrate how bugs multiply very quickly. Each time a particular colour comes up the number of balls in the container must double. Each child in the team keeps a record of each throw and the number the bugs in the container grow by.
They also talked about how bugs get into the country and how they multiply, and how devastating some bugs could be to Horowhenua, where a lot of food is grown. "People could lose their jobs, or go hungry."
Local House of Science coordinator Denise Keen said each kit comes with all the materials needed and instructions in English and te reo.
"The kits help the kids observe, collect data, evaluate that data and then make decisions based on the data. These are all useful strategies elsewhere in life. Literacy and numeracy skills are also enhanced by this science learning approach."
Science is serious business for these kids.
Local schools pay $400 a year (at the moment) for a subscription to House of Science and that entitles them to as many kits as they would like. Most kits are good for two weeks worth of studying and experimenting.
"Everything comes in the kit and in the end, what is left over goes back in the box and the box goes back to the local branch, where they are cleaned and restocked for the next school. We do not have to run around and get all supplies," said Ms Taylor.
She said she makes a plan each year and based on science topics in the curriculum she pre-orders the kits, which always arrive on time. She said she had been using the kits for three years and finds it very convenient. "If you want to you can adapt the kits too."
In her classroom, there is evidence the kits are inspiring her students to explore science.
"House of Science takes the fear factor out of science for many teachers and their kits are very popular because they make it so easy. The instructions are good enough to allow students to figure out for themselves what they need to do to make it work.
"My kids are always excited when a new kit comes in," said Ms Taylor. "This system allows schools to share resources and the kits can be used again and again."
"We can learn more and we get to do stuff," said Ms Taylor's students. "Science is much more interesting and we learn lots doing activities that we enjoy. We learn a lot and it is fun"
Denise Keen, Horowhenua coordinator of House of Science, was delighted to see Levin School's students enjoying exploring science using the House of Science kits.
Each box costs $2000 to buy, plus $500 to restock them each year. Local businesses and groups, such as Foxton Rotary, or schools, or parent associations such as Manakau School's Parents Association, have sponsored a box. Some boxes have been in circulation for five years and need updating and there are always ideas for new boxes.
"We need more boxes on more topics," said the students at Levin School. "Please give us more."
A business can sponsor a box, or a club and parents can band together for a box. Each sponsor gets their name on the box.
Denise Keen would also like a few more volunteers, who are available on Thursdays or Fridays to collect, deliver and restock boxes. "While we focus on Horowhenua, we also cover Kāpiti, Porirua, and Palmerston North. We can do more if we had more boxes and more volunteers."
The boxes explore forensic science, water, weather, bumblebees, space, the sea, pollination, planet earth, learning to use microscopes, measurements, soil, magnets, bugs, fossils, food, fireworks, and electric vehicles, to name a few.
Tools at the ready to deal with whatever a House of Science kit throws at them.
More than 300 schools around Aotearoa New Zealand use these kits to help their students explore science and there are House of Science branches everywhere, each of which has its own kits.
House of Science is a charity and relies on donations. You can find out more about them on the internet: https://houseofscience.nz/horowhenua
If you want to know more or would like to sponsor a box, please contact Denise Keen, ph: 027 200 3261, or email: denise.keen@houseofscience.nz
