An article by Andrew Holding in the Guardian stuck a chord
with our own experiences of learning science as a child and also seemed to
reflect the enthusiasm for certain science lessons seen in today’s students.
The essence of Andrew holdings article is that 'Neglecting
the rich history of science when teaching it is a missed opportunity to connect
the subject to the world around us.'
Andrew states that teaching the stories and characters
behind scientific discoveries makes the difference when engaging students on a
particular topic. ‘Storytelling is nothing new and has played a role in
education for centuries, if not millennia. But with the pressure of working
towards examination, many teachers and students lament the lack of time spent
beyond the syllabus. The stories and characters behind the science are often as
fascinating as the science itself, or sometimes just mind-bogglingly strange.’
Sharing the real life stories behind the science is a technique
the producers of TV docu-dramas would use and that’s why the often manage
engage the masses in what would otherwise be viewed by much of the audience as
pretty dry subject matter – it’s the human angle which brings the subject of
the science to life and which enables the subject to connect and cut through
with it’s audience.
A great case in hand is the 100+ year journey to the
discovery of DNA and all the individuals involved in this journey, starting in 1869 when Swiss biochemist Friedrich Miescher
isolated a new substance from the nuclei of white blood cells through to James
Watson and Francis Crick’s paper of 61 years ago. Studying the history of each
step on this journey will surely help engage students and help cement a better understanding
of the science behind DNA.
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