The Christian EducatorA publication of North Valley Baptist Schools

Is Science Alive or Is It Dead?

By Rhett Kiser

Our science classes, like most of our classes, are going to be alive or dead.  Students will either want to come to or dread to come to our science class.  As a teacher, there is nothing worse than going  to a class knowing that you will not enjoy the class so much so that you bring your mints along just to stay awake.  If your class is boring, it is not the subject’s fault, it is the teacher’s fault for not preparing.  Whether or not the class becomes dead or alive solely depends on us.  We must make it exciting!  We must give the subject matter life!

What can I do to make my science class a class that is alive?

Be Prepared – The more prepared you are, the less dead time there will be. The more you know about your subject, the more excited you will be about it.

Have Visuals – So many of our students will learn more easily if they can just see it.

Use the Science Lab – I have the privilege to have the use of a science lab in which to do experiments.  If a science lab is not available, one can still do so many different labs right in your classroom.

Play Review Games – Review games should not only be question answer time.  I love to make my review time into a game.  Put-put golf, baseball, around-the-world, the black hole  are some different games to play.

Watch Videos – Find a video that helps illustrate a lesson that has been previously taught.  These videos will allow students to see the concept in action.

Assign Projects – When I teaching about birds, I could teach about the method of flight but not necessarily about all different kinds of birds. To help the student learn about some of the specific birds, they would do a research paper about what was not taught in class.  This kind of project allows the student to continue learning outside the classroom.

Experiments – After one has  taught about a particular part of science, has shown them in lab or a video, have them do it for themselves. A teacher can learn much about his students after he has seen their science projects. It can be both fun and exciting.

When class is over, what have I, as the teacher, accomplished? Did I finish the book and give all the tests and quizzes, or did I create an excitement about science and exploring what God has created for us? God commanded Adam to subdue nature.  If we want to convince our students that we must use what God has given to us, we must get them excited by being excited ourselves!