GENERAL NOTES

Charts
They are designed to appeal to the child’s imagination and their reasoning minds. There are
mainly three kinds of charts.

• Impressionistic charts
• Factual charts
• Working charts

Used/shown during the presentation

Promote reflection – throw up questions
Not for copying
Size is significant
Manipulation of ideas

Impressionistic Charts
Dramatic
Appeal to imagination
Aid to visualisation
Images not exact representations
Scientific fact as impression
Not fantasy – based in truth
Represent what cannot be perceived by the eye

The role of the impressionistic charts is to create an impression in the minds of the children. They
are dramatic and appeal to the child’s powerful imagination. They help them to visualise ideas and
phenomena that are not immediately available to the senses. They portray images which are not
exact representations of the concept in question. However, these ideas are based in truth and not
fantasy. The use of personification, which is the representation of an abstract quality in human
form, for example the angels carrying buckets of fire into space and returning to Earth with buckets
of ice help children visualize something that cannot be seen; The warm boy in bed covered with
many blankets depict the Earth with more layers in the atmosphere closer to the surface as against
the cold, nearly frozen boy with very few blankets at higher altitudes.

Factual Charts
Diagrammatic
Factual charts may be presented before or alongside impressionistic ones
Maps are taken from atlases -
Usually clearly Isolated
key to later atlas work
Base of follow up not required/ choice

These factual charts are more diagrammatic rather than images although they may be presented
alongside the impressionistic ones. Maps are taken from atlases and are clearly isolated in terms of
the idea they mean to convey. For example, the rivers of the world and rivers of Asia charts isolate
the rivers while the rainfall chart only refers to the rainfall. These help the children transition to
regular atlases. These can be the base of later follow up work.

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 Working Charts
manipulative activity - work for the hand but engages the mind.
Embodied knowledge
Aids internalisation and
promotes understanding
promotes repetition

Apart from the impressionistic charts, the work charts are also important material that allow
children to use their hands to manipulate material to arrive at an understanding of the underlying
concept being presented. For example, the work charts in the chapter on the Sun and Earth enable
children to reason and imagine what would be the season and weather if the sun were at either of
the tropics or at the equator as they place the pieces at different places on the chart. The possibility
of this manipulation of materials guided by the reasoning mind helps to concretize the abstract
concepts presented there and help children work practically with these ideas. These charts aid
internalisation of the idea, promotes understanding and provides opportunity for repetition.

Experiments

There are two kinds of experiments

• Impressionistic experiments
• Factual experiments
Impressionistic experiments earlier and factual ones later

Impressionistic Experiments
appeal to the imagination
arouse interest
given at once

These experiments are given early on in the elementary class. They arouse interest and appeal to
the imagination of these children. They demonstrate ideas or laws in a very broad sense. For
example the demonstration about how some particles are attracted to each other and others are
not is presented in the first God Who Has No hands story, but that idea is later taken up in much
greater detail.

Factual Experiments
Explores facts
Understand processes
Only essentials
Everyday objects to be used
Promoting thinking
Promotes scientific approach

These experiments are more factual and help children understand specific processes in greater
detail. Here too, only the key, essential idea is addressed. As far as possible, everyday objects are
used in these experiments. They promote thinking and a scientific approach to science.

Practical considerations of the Work with experiments.

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Theoretical Aspects
The experiments support the imagination of the children in the second stage of development. They
visualize a rule from the first great story "God Who Has No Hands. The experiments are the key to
the basic laws of the universe.

With the experiments, we cannot show all the concepts. They are limited.

They arouse the interest of children. The children continue their own research. They repeat
experiments. Children find experiments in books.

The children understand better and better why something happens in this way or how something
works. They learn to formulate and justify a concept. The experiments help intellectual growth.

They learn to observe carefully and to formulate or write down their observations.

Experiments are an indirect preparation for other physical topics.

Doing an experiment means taking responsibility. The children must follow to guidelines. It is
similar to exercises of the practical life in the Children`s House, they work with their hands, they
have to stick to a sequence. Experiments can take longer and the children have to observe for
several days. They need passions.

Practical Aspects

Choice of experiments
The first experiments always refer to the story "God Who Has No Hands".
The experiments are divided into four groups:
❖ Different Ways of Combining
❖ The Three States of Matter
❖ Further States of Matter
❖ Attraction of The Earth

There are also experiments on other geographical topics, for example, the structure of the earth or
the sun…
We will get to know them later. It is important to observe the children and listen to them, then we
also know what interests them. Older children also choose experiments from books.

How we present experiments

We show the experiments on three different levels:
Step 1: The teacher shows the experiment in an impressionistic way. We do not use any
chemical terms.
Step 2: We accompany the children during the experiment. We use the following names of the
substances and the terms, for example, solution.

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 Step 3: The children experiment themselves. There are also command cards for the
Experiments you'll learn about later.

Preparing the environment.

For the work with experiments, an appropriate area is needed in the classroom.
Clearly structured shelves that contain the necessary equipment in a clearly arranged order:
❖ Jugs, bottles, glasses, spoons and cutlery,
❖ Heat source and accessories such as heat-resistant underlay, metal pans, sieves, pliers,
refractory
❖ glasses,... etc.
❖ harmless materials in small containers on the shelf
❖ trays, documents
❖ protective goggles
❖ think about where to present the experiments

Cautionary rules.
Set up the experimental table near the water, provide a bucket of water and/or sand.
Introduce, exemplify and observe strict habits:
❖ Do not touch your mouth or nose while experimenting.
❖ Handle heated bowls or glasses with pliers, there are also pliers for test tubes.
❖ The contents of test tubes spit when the heat is applied.
❖ Test tubes belong in the stands.
❖ If substances are to be mixed in the test tube, close it with a cork (never close with your
thumb and shake!).
❖ When observing what happens in the test tube, keep it away from the face.
❖ Fragrances can be perceived well if we 'fan' the test tube in front of our nose.
❖ Materials on the experimental shelf are used exclusively for experiments.
❖ The room should not be abandoned during the experiments.
❖ Present experiments that produce strong vapours outdoors.
❖ Hands are washed at the end of work.
❖ After completion of the experiment, wash and care for everything properly.

Techniques that we show the children.

❖ Organizing the handling of matches
❖ Handling the camping stove and another heat source
❖ Handling refractory materials
❖ Cleaning of the materials with the appropriate aids
❖ Providing first aid
❖ Extinguish fire

Environment
Promote independence
Orderly work habits

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Sequential steps
No sets on a single tray
Promote assembling of sets
Safety
Water point in the classroom
Double drainers
Store the non-dangerous substances and the china on shelving under the sink
Labelling of objects
Organise alphabetically for order

The single most important question we must ask ourselves while preparing an elementary
environment is ‘does it allow my children to work independently’? If they need to keep coming to
the adult to refill the honey or ask where the saw dust is, then the answer is no. We need to think
carefully while setting up the lab especially and think of a logical and sustainable sequence in
which the materials may be arranged.
We must never keep single sets together on a tray – that means, we do not keep three glasses
together on a tray for the first GWNH experiment. All the glasses are kept together and the children
collect what they need. They assemble the materials required. That helps engage and provides
purposeful work for the reasoning mind of these children. These children might work much faster
than the primary ones and lab equipment will require them to slow down and handle the material
carefully.

Dangerous chemicals
Locked – key in safe custody
Containers marked in red
Only small amounts at any one time
Refilling of such substances when the children not there
Other substances children can be involved in the refilling.

Dispose of dangerous substances as appropriate. Liquid substances should be disposed under cold
running water.

A First Aid box should be ready at all times. We can show children how to use matches safely.
Have good quality matches in the environment. It is important to model responsible and safe
behaviour around the children. As an adult it takes a bit of experience to do the experiments well.
We need command over the situation and control. It is better to do the experiments with a settled
class. The rules are to be very clearly laid out. The children cannot interrupt. Both those present
and those not present at the demonstration need to know the rules. The older children can help with
the experiment or with the younger children who may not come to watch the experiment.

We must remember that the systematic way we handle material while presenting to children will
set the tone for the way children handle material too. Always use an oil cloth when working with
water, always have a bowl/bucket of sand while working with fire, use goggles and protective
gloves whenever required. We might think that it is not required for simple kitchen style
experiments, but for the children it is essential that they “see” the care with which even you as an
adult handles these materials. (Alison’s example of the teacher who whispered across his class
when his leg was broken). We know that these elementary children are building their internal or
intellectual order but that only means that the external order we create is even more important

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because otherwise they will not notice it.

In terms of presenting experiments, we must present small groups of experiments to small groups
of children initially. We can some levels but they do not apply to all the experiments.

The adult does the experiment impressionistically not mentioning the substances or techniques.
This is for dramatic effect.

The second level is to repeat the experiment with the children, focussing on the factual and
gradually showing the children the substances being used. The children can join in the activity but
cannot use anything dangerous on their own.

The children do the experiments themselves. Dangerous chemicals are never used without adult
supervision. Give the children a reasonable chance to be responsible.

Get the children to tell what they observed or write what they observed. We have to be wary of
killing their interest by making them write and tell about this every time.

Command Cards
They are like the Botany Command Cards but there are many more of them. They are grouped into
3 sets. Set 1 is the working set. The card will have the following titles – subject (eg. Formation of
the Earth); material; command. The second set has only the statement. It will be whatever
happened. Set 3 is the Control of Error set. It will have the subject, material, command and
statement. We can keep the working set in a separate container and the other two sets together or
we can have all in the same box.

Command cards are designed to give the children the possibility of working independently and
with others. Unlike Botany, the substances used may be dangerous and these will have to be under
supervision.

They need to be organised and they can be organised by letter code. They can be divided into
sections under the particular chapters in Geography. Set 2 and 3 will not be organised. For the
children to use these they must be able to read. They should have been introduced to the
experiments already; at least a few sets of them. We introduce the idea to the children. Here we
have a few experiment cards. Explain and read the card with them. Ask them whether they can find
the material and show them the card that tells what they have to do.

Set up experiments near the water point. This is helpful. Later on after they have the experience
when they have worked through Set 1 you can introduce Set 2. The children can search through Set
2 to find the statement. They should always have had the experience first.

Nomenclature
As with the other subject areas nomenclature is basic because in this subject there is a great deal of
terminology and naming. Nomenclature in the casa is given for two purposes. The first is for
vocabulary and the second for reading classification. From 6 years onwards the children’s

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spontaneous interest in words seems to diminish. As they need a certain amount of it we need to
give it early on in the elementary class.

Nomenclature material can also be given to children who come from the casa with limited reading
skills. We need to build up these skills. The pictures are simple. The sets are classified. They can
be single words and then they have modified definitions. We also have a booklet which we can
use as a resource and also as a Control of Error.

What we are emphasising with the elementary children are the concepts contained in the
nomenclature. Nomenclature is not given at a set time, but whenever it is appropriate. What we
need for this kind of work is a high level of interest and the possibility of repetition. Wherever
possible encourage the children to make models. They can make name slips for the models.
(Mountain – base, peak, summit), So you can have terminology, concept and etymology.

These models do not become permanent features of the class. They can draw mountains and
mountain features and label them. They can also take pictures from magazines and label them.

Puzzle maps are not useful in elementary class. The pin maps can be used for nomenclature –
countries and capitals. You can do countries, capitals and flags in different combinations.