I wasn’t sure that my Science students would respond positively but I figured I would give it a shot, so I marched into class and gave each student 5 Post-It notes.
“Write one question you have always wanted to ask on each note,” I instructed.
Not everyone managed to come up with 5 questions in the end but I certainly enjoyed the silence that permeated the air as they cracked their brains to brainstorm questions.
Some of them submitted questions, which frankly surprised me because I had assumed that preparing for the nationwide exams would kill any inherent curiosity. But their spirits were left unsubdued. More interestingly, some of them asked questions that were similar, thus showing that what children are interested in often deviate from what is covered in the syllabus.
Their questions included:
- Is skin an organ?
- How many layers does skin have?
- How many stages are there in the life cycle of a spider?
- What category of animals will spider and crabs be classified under?
- Will our fingernails ever stop growing?
- What are fingernails made of?
- How long does puberty last?
- What happens if a person breathes out so much carbon dioxide inside his body? (Okay weirdly phrased. I think she wanted to ask if people could die due to lack of oxygen.)
This Science teacher is pleased as punch. I’m glad that they care enough to ask questions and look forward to building a more relaxed knowledge-building classroom as we explore the answers together.
Their questions made me think. So what do I want to teach them as their Science teacher? Climate change is an obvious choice since they have to deal with the consequences of their ancestors’ selfish actions. Not just about heavy floods in Singapore but also about our upcoming solar panel farm. Maybe even link it to ESG investing so that I teach them about money at the same time.
I also want to teach them about the diaphragm! Not covered in the syllabus but so crucial in our breathing. I want to teach them diaphragmatic breathing so that they will know how to use it to calm themselves down and safeguard their mental health. And perhaps even explore if there are any differences between belly breathing and diaphragmatic breathing. (I seriously have no idea. Please feel free to enlighten me.)
