
Experimenting, researching, inspiring – creating lively science lessons. That was the wish of the Berthold-Otto-Schule in Cologne – an integrative elementary school with three classes.
Subject teaching at the school is to be strengthened without neglecting the other subjects. Due to the catchment area, the focus in lessons is currently mainly on German and particularly on German as a second language. Unfortunately, this means that subject teaching is neglected. It was therefore the school’s wish to implement the STEM education project “TuWaS!” – Technology and Science in Schools”. The program is ideal for this. The project supports science lessons by providing tried and tested teaching materials and suitable training courses. This will ensure that the subject lessons get children excited about STEM subjects through exploratory learning and promote teamwork and language development. The required materials are made available on a sustainable loan basis. This allows the school to focus on action-oriented science lessons, which also promote the pupils’ language skills when experimenting and learning together. This interdisciplinary learning offers the children the opportunity to experience self-efficacy through positive experiences and successes in research.
“TuWaS!” offers further training for teachers and experimental and teaching materials on 12 scientific and technical topics (e.g. weather, electrical circuits, life cycle of the butterfly). Pupils can work with the materials continuously over a period of up to 8 weeks on a topic from biology, chemistry, physics or technology. The school also benefits from the project’s logistics and maintenance service: the materials are delivered to the school every six months and maintained at the TuWaS! logistics center.
The Karl Bröcker Foundation provides financial support to enable the project to be carried out at the school.