Suprabha Hani, Principal, Mount Carmel Global School, Badangpet, Hyderabad shares how the school is motivating children to explore space science
1. How is Mount Carmel Global School fostering space science education?
We have a space lab that has all the facilities to motivate and intrigue a child to take up space science. Students get to know the technicalities behind a space technology and the phenomena in space with its celestial bodies.
2. What are the recent activities in space science that MCGS has undertaken?
Students at Mount Carmel recently had a session on the Chandrayaan 3 launch. They whole-heartedly participated in the discussions. We had also brought in an expert who enlightened students on various aspects about space. The Space Club organizes sessions thrice a week and students get to work on various space working models.
Students are given time to research these topics on their own in the space lab after which group discussions take place. Such activities help in cultivating research skills in students. They are also given projects on building space models and presenting them in exhibitions. Parents are invited to visit these exhibitions where students explain how these models really work. The practical experience of building a space model by applying theoretical concepts truly makes learning wholesome!
3. How did the school start its journey with space science education?
We had been thinking of having something innovative in our school for some time. This is when we were researching and finally found the idea of having a space programme and lab quite fascinating. Soon the idea was brought to life and now we have all the facilities and support we need to keep the programme up and running.
4. How is the space education program integrated into the school’s curriculum?
The curriculum for the space programme at Mount Carmel has been planned to align with the syllabi of specific classes and subjects. So for example, a student studying in class 6 will get to learn and work on space projects that further emphasize on the knowledge delivered to them in their regular classrooms. This helps the child know about the vast space that there is and also revise subjects like Maths, Chemistry, Physics, etc taught at school. Also, group discussions improve the communication skills of students.
5. Do you collaborate with external space organizations?
We collaborated with various space experts, scientists and researchers to provide our students with excellent space education. Our students have visited ISRO where they got to see the space equipments. Experts there were amazed to see how much these students knew at their age.
6. How do you assess the impact of space education on students’ academic performance and overall development?
Students undergo weekly assessments where their space knowledge is gauged. They are handed out quizzes or are asked to elaborate on topics taught in the class or in the space club by their instructor once in a week (preferably on the third day). Practical models made by students help teachers access if they have enough clarity on the concepts used.
7. What are your future plans for expanding space education initiatives at your school?
We plan to rope in experts from the industry who can interact with students on space science and technology. There are plans to take students on field trips to ISRO. We have done it earlier and we plan
to do it now as well. There are a lot of plans we currently have and we wish to implement those one by one.
8. What are the challenges in fostering space education?
When we started out with our space programme, few students enrolled for the classes. With time, as these students learnt more about space and displayed their models in exhibitions; more students started showing interest. Seeing the enthusiasm of the kids, more candidates enrolled for the programme. Parents really appreciated the initiative after seeing the enthusiasm of students. Following the Chandrayaan-3 launch there has been a surge in their enthusiasm.
When the “Space Club” was started by the school, my son being over inquisitive about space related wonders, joined this club. He had a vast learning experience through theoretical classes as well as practical kit-making sessions. I am whole-heartedly thankful to school for this excellent initiative.
Parent of Meharjeet Singh
Grade VI
