The word “science” probably brings to mind many different pictures: a fat textbook, white lab coats and microscopes, an astronomer peering through a telescope, a naturalist in the rainforest, Einstein’s equations scribbled on a chalkboard, the launch of the space shuttle, bubbling beakers …. All of those images reflect some aspect of science, but none of them provides a full picture because science has so many facets:

Science is both a body of knowledge and a process. In school, science may sometimes seem like a collection of isolated and static facts listed in a textbook, but that’s only a small part of the story. Just as importantly, science is also a process of discovery that allows us to link isolated facts into coherent and comprehensive understandings of the natural world.

Science is exciting. Science is a way of discovering what’s in the universe and how those things work today, how they worked in the past, and how they are likely to work in the future. Scientists are motivated by the thrill of seeing or figuring out something that no one has before.

Science is useful. The knowledge generated by science is powerful and reliable. It can be used to develop new technologies, treat diseases, and deal with many other sorts of problems.

Science is ongoing. Science is continually refining and expanding our knowledge of the universe, and as it does, it leads to new questions for future investigation. Science will never be “finished.”

Science is a global human endeavor. People all over the world participate in the process of science. And you can too!

WHY SHOULD YOU STUDY SCIENCE?

Have you ever wondered why you need to learn science in elementary school? Many students wonder why they need to learn it so early in life. Others just fail to understand the importance of including it in the school years. Science offers the answers to various questions we ask out of curiosity, in our early years.

For instance, how does it rain? How does our body function? and many more. Science is just as important as learning other subjects like mathematics and history. Because the subject is so vast, learning the basics right from your early learning days will enable you to decide whether you want to pursue a higher education in the subject. Here we discuss some important aspects in our lives that are covered by this subject.

Develops problem-solving skills With the knowledge of science, you learn to think logically and solve a problem. It is this problem-solving skill, which is learnt in the early years that have enables a person to solve problems. Communications, medicine, transportation, and almost everything you see around you are mainly present because individuals have used their knowledge of science to create real life applications. Knowledge in this subject also enables you to understand many other subjects better. 

Awareness about technology Learning the basics of how certain devices work can help you develop ideas of your own and invent new technology. Even the knowledge of how to use telescopes, microscopes, and other devices in a laboratory can help you in examining objects and determining differences between them. Fixing minor problems in electronic objects in your own home is possible when you have the basic knowledge about technology. 

How to conserve natural resources All aspects of the environment have a deep impact on our lives. As a student, science helps you to learn about how the earth functions, and how to make use of natural resources. It also teaches you how the lack of these resources affects living things, and how you can conserve these resources. When you learn about wildlife in science, you will learn about the many species that are already extinct, because of shortage or absence of certain resources and environmental changes. Awareness about such aspects can help you contribute towards preserving wildlife. Science also teaches you to recycle and reuse products and promote a greener environment. This knowledge is very essential to help save our planet for the future. 

Instills survival skills Science helps you learn about the various weather conditions, and helps you distinguish between normal weather and dangerous weather. With this knowledge, you can stay alert about natural disasters or survive the disaster. Because you learn about the characteristics of different objects that you use in your day-to-day life, you will be able to distinguish between things that are safe to eat and those that you should not. Almost everything that a person does requires a basic knowledge of science, and logical reasoning that is based on this subject. So, it is undoubtedly important to learn science from the early days of school.

By: Damjan Georgievski