Informal Science Education in Singapore

Abstract

Informal science education has become a key area of emphasis for providing students with learning experiences that complement or extend what is covered in the science classroom as well as in enthusing them about science in general. In Singapore, informal science education is recognized by schools to be an important aspect of enhancing especially the affective dimension of the learning process. A range of informal science destinations in Singapore are available to cater to the educational needs of students – for example, science center, zoo, bird park, natural history museum, and botanic gardens. Others include destinations where science and technology are used to come up with products for the marketplace – for example, semiconductor industries, soft drinks factories, etc. The wide availability of such destinations for informal science education within the small city-state is one reason why schools have been able to leverage on a diversity of such platforms to organize field trips for their students. This chapter explores the informal science education scene in Singapore. Some points of interest emerging from the establishment of key destinations for informal science learning are also presented.

Appendix: Brief Details of Attractions in Various Destinations for Informal Science Education

1.1 Science Centre Singapore

A range of exhibitions on various themes has been set up at the science center over the years. Generally, these are refreshed or replaced at regular intervals so that visitors can look forward to something new during each visit. For example, exhibitions on energy, chemistry, mathematics, and information technology have attracted large numbers of visitors when they were in operation at the science center. In more recent times, esoteric themes such as how the interfacing of quantum mechanics with information technology is creating technologies for the future as well as the science of fear have been explored.

Recognizing the need for young children (including preschoolers) to have early exposure to science, an exhibition hall catering specially to young children has been set up. The element of play is emphasized in the exhibits here in the process of learning science.

There are also a few outdoor exhibitions where visitors can explore exhibits that tap on the natural elements of air, light, and water for their functioning as well as those that tap on the large expanse of outdoor space for its operation.

There are numerous science enrichment programs at the Centre that schools and other institutions can book to bring their students to – for example, chemistry in the kitchen, heat and temperature, mathematical model making, magnificent world of plants, and so on. These programs cater to a range of levels, from pre-primary to tertiary.

Among the science publication programs, the role played by the science magazine, Singapore Scientist, is noteworthy.

The Centre also organizes a range of promotional activities to bring forth the splendors of science – for example, Science Buskers Festival, Drone Odyssey Challenge, and Snow Science Festival.

1.2 Singapore Zoological Gardens

In the zoo, students can learn about adaptations, which is a topic in the primary science syllabus. They can further go to four key zones where various adaptation-related activities are conducted – Wild Africa, Cat Country, Reptile Garden, and Frozen Tundra. For example, at Wild Africa, students can identify how structural and behavioral adaptations of giraffe, white rhinoceros, and zebra enhance survival in terms of obtaining food and protecting themselves against predators. At the Frozen Tundra, students can explore how polar bears and raccoon dogs prepare for hibernation and cope with freezing temperatures. A Wildlife Healthcare & Research Centre in the zoo focuses on wildlife conservation research. This research center provides facilities and expertise for junior college students and undergraduates who are keen on studies on wildlife conservation.

1.3 Jurong Bird Park

Some of the main attractions in the bird park are the Birds of Prey, Flamingo Pool, Lory Loft, Pelican Cove, Penguin Coast, Waterfall Aviary, Wings of Asia, and the Breeding and Research Centre. The bird park also conducts guided tours such as the Bird’s Eye Tour and Bird Discovery Tour, where visitors can explore the park with knowledgeable bird keepers or feed the birds. There are also daily bird shows such as the High Flyers Show and Kings of the Skies Show at the bird park. The bird park is an excellent place for primary school students to deepen their understanding of how different birds adapt to different habitats. For example, students can observe the penguin at the Penguin Coast, the lory at the Lory Loft, the hawk at the Birds of Prey station, the pelican at the Pelican Cove, and the flamingo at the Flamingo Pool. These birds are distinctly different from each other as they exist in different habitats which require different forms of adaptations. The beak of the pelican has the shape of a pouch which allows it to scoop up fish. In contrast, the beak of the flamingo is curved and has hairlike combs to filter its food from unwanted things. The feet of both the pelican and flamingo are webbed but the pelican’s legs are shorter than the flamingo’s legs. This is because the pelican flies and does not stand in mud; therefore it does not need long legs like the flamingo.

1.4 Jurong Ecogarden

There are four key areas in the Ecogarden. The freshwater swamp forest has an eco-pond which provides water for the more than 140 species of birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and other insects in the garden. The eco-pond is able to capture 65% of the rainwater runoff. There are information panels to explain how the eco-pond water is recycled for watering plants and flushing toilets within the Ecogarden. There is also a butterfly garden near the freshwater swamp, where at least 26 different species of butterflies can be found. The educational panels describe the various species of butterflies and explain how different plants cater to different species of butterflies and provide nectar or homes for them.

Located in the Stream Ravine is a composting station which educates visitors about the composting process, where horticultural waste generated in the garden is converted into organic resources. There are four barrels filled with compost that are in varying degrees of decomposition. These barrels can be opened to view the soil, leaves, and dead materials inside. This up-close observation of compost is superior to any strategy in the classroom for teaching about decomposition of organic matter. The wildlife corridor is a 15-m-wide underpass that serves as an animal crossing for wildlife such as the white-throated kingfisher and the green-crested lizard.

1.5 Singapore Botanic Gardens

Of the 21 small gardens, 4 are most relevant to school science, namely, Sun Garden, Healing Garden, Fragrant Garden, and Foliage Garden. The Sun Garden has a drainage system installed to help it simulate the dry condition in a desert. The plants here have adaptations to enable them to cope with very limited water. Students can spot plants such as cacti and agaves. These plants have adaptations such as thick succulent stems, needle-like leaves, or waxy coating. The thick succulent stems have a store of water that enables the plants to get through a period of lack of water. In some plants, the succulent stems may be green and take over from the leaves as the main organs of photosynthesis. Both needle-like leaves and waxy coatings prevent excessive loss of water from the plants.

The Healing Garden exhibits about 500 species of plants from Southeast Asia with medicinal properties. Spread over 2.5 hectares, the garden is designed in the shape of a human body and laid out thematically according to component parts or systems of the body such as the head, neck, ear, nose and throat, digestive system, respiratory system, and reproductive system. Students will be surprised by the plants they see in the Healing Garden because many plants that have traditional medicinal use are actually common plants. For example, the roots of Hibiscus tiliaceus may be boiled to cool a person’s fever; its leaves can be used to soothe coughs; its bark can be used for treating dysentery; and its flowers can treat ear infections and abscesses. Visiting the Healing Garden can also help students become aware of this fast-forgotten knowledge and realize the importance of conserving medicinal plant species. The Fragrant Garden exhibits many species of plants that have evolved to emit fragrances. Here, students can learn which plants release fragrances, the plant parts that release fragrances, and the uses of fragrances. Moreover, students can literally smell the plants. The source of fragrance in plants depends on the species. In some plants such as tembusu, the flowers produce the fragrance. Some plants such as nutmeg, mace, mustard, chilies, cardamom, cumin, and pepper have scented seeds. Other plants such as pandan, mint, thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil, and lemon balm have scented leaves. The scents released by flowers help to attract insects and small birds to aid in the important process of pollination. Some scents mimic pheromones of female insects to attract male insects. Upon exiting the Fragrant Garden, teachers can ask students to imagine and reflect on a world without fragrant plant species!

The Foliage Garden displays a wide variety of plants with leaves of varying sizes, shapes, colors, and textures and shows that the beauty and diversity of plants do not lie in their flowers alone. One unique plant in the Foliage Garden is the Raffles’ pitcher plant. Its leaves are modified to form pitchers that are narrowly funnel-shaped, which serve to trap and digest insects. In other plants, the leaves may be heart-shaped, palm-shaped, or oval-shaped. Some plants in the Foliage Garden have leaves which show varying colors. This is known as variegation. For instance, certain areas of the leaves of Leea zippeliana may lack chlorophyll and thus appear yellow or white. In certain Begonia species, the pigmented hairs mask the green color of chlorophyll and cause the leaves to appear red. Some plants have leathery or thin leaves to adapt to the hot and humid tropical weather. Other plants have hairy leaves which act as a form of self-defense mechanism to deter predators.

1.6 Gardens by the Bay

The Bay South Garden is the largest of the three gardens, and it has two conservatories, namely, the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest. The Flower Dome conservatory occupies an area of 1.2 hectares and replicates the cool and dry Mediterranean climate – the temperature hovers around 24 °C, while the humidity is about 60–80%. It displays exotic plants from five continents. The Cloud Forest conservatory is 0.8 hectare in area. It maintains a cool and moist climate found in tropical highlands between 1000 and 2000 meters above sea level; the temperature is around 24 °C and the humidity is about 80–90%. It exhibits plants from Southeast Asia and Central and South America. It features a 35-meter-tall mountain that is enveloped by mist and contains the world’s tallest indoor waterfall at 30 meters. Visitors can reach the mountain top via an elevator and descend the mountain by a circular path via seven levels. The various levels house plants from different parts of the world and thus have different themes such as The Lost World, The Cavern, The Waterfall View, The Crystal Mountain, The Cloud Forest Gallery, The Cloud Forest Theatre, and The Secret Garden. Both the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest are great resources for primary school students to study biodiversity, life cycle of plants, and how plants adapt to different environmental conditions such as humidity.

1.7 Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

Nature trails are frequently conducted to showcase the large variety of botanical and zoological species nestling in the reserve. Among the common plants include macaranga, figs, and rattan. Even among plant species, the diversity is pronounced – for example, among dipterocarps alone, there are 18 different species. Some of the common animal species include monkeys, reticulated pythons, birds, insects, spiders, millipedes, squirrels, and carpenter bees.

1.8 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

The wetland reserve provides authentic experiential learning experiences for primary school students to learn about biodiversity. Teachers can use the in-house worksheets to help students better understand the wetland reserve and its inhabitants. Students can observe and then classify what they have observed around them into broad groups of living things such as flowering plants, non-flowering plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, insects, and fungi based on the characteristics and similarities and differences between the species. This experience is definitely more authentic and alive as students can see, hear, touch, and smell at the wetland reserve, as compared to pictures and videos which are often used in classrooms. This can, in turn, arouse their curiosity and make them want to learn more about biodiversity. More than 35% of the world’s mangrove swamps are already gone. In Singapore, mangrove forest cover has been reduced from an estimated 13% in the 1820s to less than 0.5% today. The wetland reserve is thus an excellent place for secondary school students to understand the importance of conserving the environment and maintaining biodiversity as well as understanding man’s impact (both positive and negative) on the environment. Here, students can witness how the different forms of life coexist with man in the same living space and how a polluted environment can affect the survival of living things, which will eventually upset the balance of the entire ecosystem.