University student praises Science shows

By Marc Membrere 03 September 2020, 5:00PM

A student at the University of South Pacific has given programmes rolled out by science literacy group Imagine Samoa the thumbs up, saying they simplified a complex subject and will spark interest amongst children.

U.S.P. Alafua Campus student, Jade Suaesi, who is studying agriculture, said science shows presented to schools by trainers from Imagine Samoa will enable the children to gain new knowledge based on their level of understanding.

She said the show will enable students to know "how and why and what things are happening around us, our environment, why climate change is important, why this happens and how this happens."

Imagine Samoa’s Ruth Moghbelpour indicated in an interview with the Samoa Observer that they’ve received good feedback on their shows from teachers, school inspectors and principals who asked for the shows to return.

"From my mind, we’ve got to do something a little bit more sustainable, it's good to go in there and do a lot of interesting stuff for kids, but it's got to be sustainable,” she said.

Their shows, which will target pre-school and primary school students, are based on a book titled “Science Circus Pacific Extraordinary Science with Ordinary Stuff Workshop Booklet.”

The shows compliment the lessons taught by teachers from textbooks, Mrs Moghbelpour added.

"Textbooks are really important but it's actually taking it out of the textbook and showing them that it's going to connect to their emotion and their heart. That will start their interest and they will go to the textbook, they’ll go to google and they will start their own process of engagement with science innovation and investigation.”

Interest in science as a child was a major factor behind Ms. Suaesi taking up studies in agriculture at the U.S.P. Alafua Campus, according to Ms. Suaesi.

"When Ruth approached me in the beginning of last year about the ideas and the goals of it [Imagine Samoa programs], I thought back when I was at school and not just me but also the other students, my classmates who struggled with science. 

“They love the subject but the way the curriculum was set was something you wanted to do.”

By Marc Membrere 03 September 2020, 5:00PM

Trending Stories

Samoa Observer

Upgrade to Premium

Subscribe to
Samoa Observer Online

Enjoy unlimited access to all our articles on any device + free trial to e-Edition. You can cancel anytime.

>