A group of scientists, including people from the Royal Society of Chemistry, recently proposed that experiences such as licking an ice lolly should be part of the science curriculum. By licking a lolly and seeing how it melts – the idea goes – children would better learn about melting, and therefore about chemistry and physics.
But does licking a lolly, or experiences such as kneading dough, playing with shadows or digging in soil, actually help pupils to learn science? Deploying examples and demonstrations in the classroom can be a helpful gateway towards deeper understanding, but it’s not a shortcut to knowledge.
