How do you sensitize and excite children between the ages of five and eleven in Astronomy? Will this science’s relevance be felt and understood by minors who are not even in a formal institute of learning and are in a community learning center? This were the questions we had in mind shortly before we started the "Nyota" kids project at the ray of hope center in the slums of Kawangware.
After brainstorming and wondering how best to make the solar system personal to the children Jonah came up with a wonderful idea; why can’t the children build up the solar system from clay.
This idea provided us a channel to effectively communicate to the children on our planet and galaxy. We knew we had exactly three hours at the school so we were challenged in designing activities that would last that long.
Personally, I was looking forward to going back into the classroom after months of absentia from interacting with the kids. On the other hand I was apprehensive of what exactly was going to happen at the Ray of Hope community centre. After all we have to go there for a second and third time. The first time therefore has to be with a bang so that after we leave the kids are looking forward to having us back.
It was decided that Jonah, would do the introduction, basically introducing our group to the children and why we were there. He would then introduce the earth and pass on the globe to Susan who would in turn take the kids through sense of scale and introduce the planets using Celestia. After the kids have a sense of how unique each planet is from the other they would be handed colored cards with the planets and split into groups and build their own planets. I would then wrap up the programs, with a careers talk on general science then narrow it down to relevance of Astronomy.
We arrived at the center exactly at 10.30 to find the kids having their porridge. We sat at the mini-staffroom with the two teachers at the center. We tried to find out more about the children’s background and more so their science background. The teacher admitted that their science knowledge was indeed minimal.
The Ray of hope Center is basically made up of two classes the lower and upper classes. Basically the kindergarten and pre-unit aged children are all grouped together whereas the older kids are in another class. They have a PE room that is not so big. It is in the PE room that we had all the fifty six children heaped plus their teachers, Michaela (an American volunteer at the centre) and the three of us. Initially the idea was we would project the planet images on the wall but as soon as we saw the PE room we realised this was not possible. Besides, there was a power cut at the centre.
Jonah went straight on and introduced our group and planet Earth in sheng (Swahili slang), and the kids immediately responded. He then passed on the globe to Susan who went through sense of scale. The kids had fun guessing how the earth moved and the little Earth, Moon sun dance that Susan had three volunteers demonstrate to show day/night and eclipses.
When she asked the kids if they knew any planets, we were shocked to hear the kids shout the names of different planets considering that their teacher had warned us on their little astronomy knowledge.
How about a little knowledge of our own home? The children role play and act as the Sun, (boy holding torch), earth (boy with globe) and moon (girl with small ball)
Using Celestia, software on space, Susan showed the excited children how planets differed from each other. We then divided Clay to scale of different planets and divided the children into ten groups.
Each group was assigned a planet that they were to mould and the last group was to mould the moon. Even though the clay was divided to scale, some naughty kids managed to acquire more clay to make their planet bigger. The moon group divided its clay amongst them and made little moons. This turned out well as suddenly we had asteroids.
Each group was then to paint their planet exactly the same colour it was. This proved to be a challenge at the paint we had did not necessarily have all colours that the planets have. Overall the kids did a superb job and that day, they went home knowing exactly how each planet looks.
The Saturn group had extra fun as they had to make a ring around their planet. The Jupiter team had to enlist help from their teacher, as they had to mould huge chunks of clay into one huge Jupiter.
It was great passing through different groups in different rooms and hearing the kids tease each other about planets assigned to them. At one point I remember the Venus team teasing the mercury team that their planet was so rough and they wonder if it represents the group members. The mercury team hit back immediately telling the Venus team that they did not even know how to properly pronounce their planets name.
At the end of the day, we had an important photo session with all the groups posing with their planets. Each team was proud of their production. They proudly posed holding their planets and smiling.
The children then were asked to arrange the planets in order after which Susan named them and the teacher took them to a little display room behind the P.E. room.Our planets after the children arrange them in order (wish we had more space)
We assembled all the children in the PE room for my little careers talk and the relevance of today’s activity. I was nervous, but managed to psyche up the kids with a Swahili proverb – where there is a will there is a way to dissuade them from thinking of they can’t because of their disadvantage and instead think that they can. I asked them to repeat the proverb over and over until they believed it.
We had a little chant at the end on science for Africa and Science for you and me. My only regret at this point is not having proper video recording equipment so as to have a video diary trilogy of our subsequent visits to the centre.
The children, as a vote of thanks, sang us a song that has been ringing in our heads for the past few days and I think will stay their longer. The song starts with twinkle twinkle little star then stretches to the alphabet. We are challenged; next time we are here we must have a solar planet rhyme. Next time is next week… Mmh...
After lunch, we left Ray of hope community centre Kawangware, dirty but enriched and with a clearer vision on how to sensitise young children. Indeed it was a two way learning process.
The "Nyota" for kids project was sponsored by FourTell eAfrica Ltd.
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