Why this approach is important

Learning science can be stimulating and exciting as it relates so much to everyday life. Using local resources, such as people and places or things like plants, animals and minerals, can make every lesson more real and stimulating. How you start or introduce any new topic can make a difference as to how students participate or not in the lesson, and how easy it is for you to maintain an interactive classroom.

This unit explores the creative use of stories and poems to introduce lessons about the environment that could greatly enhance the learning experience. Bringing in innovations that encourage curiosity and self-learning and foster awareness of the topic could lead to a very positive lasting experience for each student. Not least, everyone likes to listen to a story, and as a result, more students will be involved.

This unit focuses on stories and poems as one creative approach but much of what you read and learn in this unit can be applied to other strategies too. Stories and poems, whether traditional tales or new pieces specifically written for a lesson, can, as Cavendish et al. (2006) say, provide real contexts for you to introduce science in ways that make sense to the students.