Applied STEM Projects for students with limited resources: Taking Ethiopia as a case study
This article gives a clear picture of how underprivileged students from rural schools can experience the beauty of Applied Science in the cost-effective way.
Solar Dreams: Powering Your Future
OBJECTIVE
Ethiopian hydroelectric dam-based electricity grids often experience Low water levels, due to which regular load shedding occurs across the country. It affects children socially and alienates them in an increasingly interconnected world. The consequent lethargy of the children disrupts their academic progression. To address this issue, if practical solutions are taught to the Ethiopian children and the benefits attached to the prescribed solutions are presented, they will show immense interest in learning about the processes and applications that provide much more renewable energy. In this short course, it is proposed that the children should be helped to develop an interest in basic computation and applied physics while practically learning how solar panels (a great source for renewable, inexhaustible energy) work and function. They should be able to understand the importance of what they are learning in their daily lives. Moreover, even the basic examples we shall use to represent solar power should be enough to instil curiosity in students. Lastly, all instructors should use the local language to communicate with students and should not pressurise them to learn technicalities that may discourage them from science overall.
TARGET GRADES
8-10-year-old children from the primary education cycle, mostly in grades 2,3 or above, are the target for this course. This is done, keeping in mind that in this stage of life, children are less distracted and, as the great scientist Carl Sagan said, “ Every (kid) starts as a natural-born scientist”
MATERIALS NEEDED
For small solar-powered setups in major schools, we will need a 6V solar panel, 4V or any other small light strip, some cardboard, strong liquid glue, basic stationery items, and two-wire strips to support solar connection. Even if this is not possible, we just need a teacher with a blackboard and chalk, a couple of students and a class with no external distractions.
OPENING/WARM UP
As this is a science-related topic, educating students about electricity and basic computational physics, teachers should introduce this course to children in the science period. In both cases I mentioned before, brainstorming is required. The teacher or instructor should question the students about the daily problems they face and keep up a very liberal atmosphere in the classroom, encouraging discussion between pupils. All communication shall be carried out in local/native languages to maximise student interest and participation.
After giving much time to the students for discussing various issues, it is time for the teacher to surprise them with a great future that will help them connect with the outer world more often, learn about different stuff, and, most importantly, for the children, playing games and entertainment will be accessible. It won’t shock many students to hear about renewable energy, but the fact that they can bring light to their neighbourhoods 24/7 by themselves will be amusing for them.
The teacher shall then draw a visual map of the “electrical future of your city” and astonish young students with a picture of technologies they have never seen before. If the teacher is satisfied with their interest in science already, he/she should continue, but should stop only if not and give them some time for brainstorming, plus ask them questions. They are still kids, and kids require time, time to process what they see and what they are being told. At least for a week, school should reserve 1 hour for this course. On some days, we can also have storytelling sessions related to science, especially. It is necessary to create a scientific atmosphere in the classroom before anything practical even starts. This can include decorating classrooms with scientific quotes, making children question everything they observe again and again, etc. Once children have developed a curiosity to learn science, they should be introduced to the mission they are starting from now. This environment will make them feel optimistic about their future, even though they are young pupil.
Now, for the first case where technical materials are not available, teachers with the help of a single chalk should be able to draw a map of their local town or village, where they can show how solar panels can bring a huge paradigm shift to their dark neighbourhoods. Now that the materials are available, teachers can start off by showing students a prototype of the project they are about to make and how it works to they can be intrigued from the start.
ACTIVITIES FOR CASE ONE (VILLAGES AND RURAL TOWNS)
The teacher should draw a huge sun and solar panel beneath it on the board, and then teach the children their relationship in providing us with energy through arrows
Take the children out, ask them to make mud houses and with the use of some basic stationery, tell them to show how they would use a solar panel with that
As every student builds his/her own house, you can turn that into a town that will function on imaginary solar panels. With motivated students and dedicated faculty can manage our funds from the school or collect donations to buy some smaller electric equipment that would be enough to make that mud village/town function.
Side by side, children can also observe how much sunlight touches their classrooms, a young panel patrol can be established, and we can provide children with manual scientific puzzles to solve regularly, etc.
This all distilled in the science of love within pupils and teaches them patience, leadership and problem solving at this young age in a rural village!
ACTIVITIES FOR CASE TWO (URBAN TOWNS/CITIES)
Once students observe the prototype already made by their teachers, they should be allowed to touch it and explore it because children always love to destroy a particular thing and try to make sense of its functions by observing its internal state, unaware of what it exactly is. Hence, let them explore! And that's what we want, an open environment for all! Teachers should be keen on answering every single question they ask, so the same pressure they feel in a typical classroom is not felt.
After that, you shall allow them to use science equipment to make something similar by themselves! That will be incorrect, and that is what we want! We need to make them realise their mistake and ask them to work on it until they find the right path to work on. In this process, teacher mentorship is necessary. A note to remember is that side by side, they (the students) should exactly know why the thing they are working on is important.
While the model solar panel is being made, we can reserve some periods regularly for showing science videos and animated movies to the kids (if possible) to make them love science even more!
Field trips to the nearest power grid can be arranged, and if possible, children can visit houses that function on solar panels and even online, they can watch some interactive animations to get more of an understanding as well. The project would probably finish very late, but the level of interest students develop in this time would be very important for their futures.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Leadership and Patience at this age! Hands-on experience in science Liberal Mentorship Free & Creative thinking The urge to ask Questions
Introduction to difficult concepts at this age!
Humanity The urge to serve local towns
Finally, some interest in school!
Satisfaction with whatever they study
The urge to learn more and more
REFLECTION
At the end of every lesson, we can ask students these questions:
What was the favourite part of today’s lesson Did you learn anything new Do you want to learn more about a particular thing? Do you relate this to your regular life? QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THE PROJECT/COURSE Do you want to serve your local neighbourhood like this? Do you think Solar Panels are useful? How much do you like science now? Are you satisfied with what you learnt
These questions can be asked in a simplified form using the local language. As the students answer those questions, staff would make graphs or just manually analyse how satisfied children are and how much they're into what they just experienced and did it by themselves. Later, they will note how this experience changed their academic performance and interest in studies generally.
EVALUATION
This won’t be like any typical exam students face after studying the whole theory and application of a particular topic. So, we shall ask the students to draw the map of their home with solar panels attached and write how they will work in points. We can even divide students into groups to make this even more interesting and creative. Students should be taken back to the grid station where they went previously, and now we shall check their understanding, as it will be necessary to ask them some basic oral questions. But no answer will be considered wrong! Instructors should encourage the student who they asked to provide their answers, whether correct or not, until he is completely right. For some days after the course, we can even conduct quick-fire sessions with students in science class, and if someone answers wrong, teachers can instruct his/her classmates to explain the answer to him/her. This will promote brotherhood and love in the name of education. Finally, it is very important to note that students should not be pressurised with any kind of long oral/written test that may discourage them from being a potential FUTURE SCIENTIST!