Why is science literacy so important?

[Kevin Saldanha]

why is science literacy so important?

Science surrounds us. It is everywhere in our daily lives - all day, every day!

From an early age, we interact with our environment, asking questions and seeking answers. This question-and-answer process lies at the heart of knowing and doing science. It is a way of knowing and thinking about the natural and physical components of the world in which we live.

The importance of science in our daily lives may not be obvious, yet we make science-based choices every day. Science is involved when we choose what to eat, or choose products with the least impact on the environment or make informed decisions about our health-care. Science is the foundation of an innovative culture and at the core of significant political decisions. Understanding science is crucial for all Canadians so we can be informed and active in our country's future.

Let's Talk Science uses science as a learning platform to provide programs and services that develop an understanding of science and the role and impact it has in our lives.

Active, hands-on/minds-on experiences, as well as research and problem-solving opportunities, build an understanding of what it means to know science. Doing science develops our ability to ask questions, collect information, organize and test our ideas, problem-solve and apply what we learn. Even more, science is a platform for building confidence, developing communication skills, and making sense of the world around us. Read more about how we learn to maximize the learning experiences of children.

 

Science is inclusive.
Science is part of our daily lives: all day, every day, everywhere we go. Our personal lives are real world contexts for learning science and understanding the impact of science on our lives. Everyone can become engaged in science by way of linking daily personal experiences to science, regardless of where they live, how they live or what language they speak. Our knowledge of science comes from the contributions of many different cultures and people. Access to science education develops confidence and positive self-image for all learners, regardless of culture, gender, race, social class or religious beliefs.

 

Science crosses subjects.
The world is not fragmented into discrete subjects and science is not isolated from everything else in our lives— it crosses into all subjects. Not only do different types of science interact (such as the concept of light energy, which links biology, chemistry and physics), but science can be found in subjects like history, geography, philosophy and all sorts of subject areas. For example, understanding time periods in history and societies includes learning about scientific innovations and technology used during those periods. Science is even dance and music – it allows us to understand how we hear music, how we move our bodies to dance and how our eyes see art.

Learning opportunities linking science to other subjects provide a rich context for integrating science, technology, mathematics, and language concepts and skills. Integrated programs help learners understand concepts across different subjects and make connections within a particular subject area. Integration of different sciences can help learners connect concepts to concepts, topics to topics and explicitly link different disciplines of science.

 

Science develops literacy skills.
Language and literacy skills are integral to knowing and doing science.  Reading, writing, and speaking are all essential to comprehending and communicating scientific issues and ideas. Active hands-on/minds-on science programs provide valuable context for students to develop literacy skills through reading and writing informational and non-fiction text.  But literacy in science is more than just reading and writing: understanding the impact of science in our world provides opportunity to debate issues through written, oral, or visual presentations. This gives students opportunities to read, write, defend and communicate their findings in meaningful ways. 

 

Science develops numeracy skills.
Numeracy, like language and literacy, is integral to doing science.  The skills of sorting and classifying, estimating and counting, measuring, graphing, collecting data and analyzing are frequently used when doing science. Science investigations provide rich context and authentic opportunities to learn and use numeracy skills within the context of science.  For instance, understanding and predicting how forces act on a structure involves science, mathematics and design technology through data collection, measurement, presentation and interpretation skills.

 

Science develops general and technical skills.
Science is a way of knowing and thinking about the natural and physical world. Observing, measuring, inferring, classifying, predicting and communicating are some of the skills fundamental to science.  Not only are they integral to science investigations, solving problems, and making decisions, they contribute to science as a body of knowledge and a 'way of knowing.'

Conducting science investigations and explorations involves use of inquiry skills.  Inquiry is a circular process: the conclusions can take the learner back to the original question and lead to more questions, involving learners in the process of learning.  By formulating their own questions, planning, and conducting investigations, learners build new meanings, understanding and knowledge. This helps develop their critical thinking, reasoning, and decision-making skills.

Science also requires using technical skills, important to procedures used in various disciplines of science, such as doing a titration in chemistry or using a spring scale in physics. Part of learning these technical skills is developing an understanding of the safety considerations involved when handling materials and equipment and performing experiments.

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"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful. "- Seneca