Melbourne researchers at Deakin university have found trips to the beach help kids become better at maths and science. They are encouraging educators to include beach classes as a way to improve STEM knowledge.
Category
đŸ“º
TVTranscript
00:00This is research by Deakin University's Centre for Research and Educational Impact and they're
00:08calling on not just kindergarten classes but also parents to dip their toes into the water
00:14this summer and treat the next trip to the beach as a learning experience.
00:19They followed kindergarten classes or beach kinder classes that are already in operation
00:25here in Melbourne over a period of time and just basically sat back and watched and observed
00:32what children were commenting on and also learning in this very wide open classroom.
00:38And they say one of the benefits is that this classroom changes every single time you come
00:43down.
00:44For example, the children might discover a dead fish or a cuttlefish on the beach and
00:48that then changes the entire learning experience to one about biology.
00:53And they say that this is really important because it helps to increase children's STEM
00:58knowledge.
00:59So that's science, technology, engineering and maths.
01:02And they've given the example of digging a tunnel in the sand.
01:05They say if you've got to measure the tunnel, well there's a little bit of maths for you.
01:10If you have to make sure that the tunnel doesn't collapse, well that's physics.
01:14And if you're wondering about the composition of just how wet the sand might need to be
01:19or why seawater is in fact salty, well there's chemistry.
01:23And they say it's all of this which really helps to understand and increase children's
01:29knowledge of the environment around them as well as help them care for it in the future.
01:35Now researchers from Deakin are calling on governments and educational authorities to
01:41really provide a framework for curriculums for beach kinder so that it can be rolled
01:46out much more frequently to really enjoy this free and ever-changing classroom in a similar
01:53vein to bush kinder that is already in widespread operation.