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1) Explanatory note
Extracurricular work is
voluntary both for the teacher, and for pupils. Unlike
class work it is more various, difficult, labour-consuming, interesting and
pedagogically significant with informative and especially educational points of view.
As a whole extracurricular work can surpass compulsory class education by its
efficiency. The following belongs to the extracurriculars: circles of young naturalists,
electives of young naturalists, groups of "assistants" on the offices equipment, etc.
The basis of extracurricular activities of educational organizations must be
independent, predominantly research-activity of students, carried out under the
guidance of a teacher: independent experiments and observations, work with
directories, determinants, magazines, scientific and popular literature.
The main content of extracurricular work on biology should be connected with
studying of the surrounding wildlife, socially useful
work on conservation, promotion
of nature protection knowledge among the population, visual aids production.
The success of extracurricular work on biology is greatly connected with its
contents and organization. Extracurricular work should cause interest, get pupils
involved in different activities. Therefore it should not be turned into additional
classes of pupils according to the sections of biology studied at school, conducted
like lessons, laboratory and other obligatory researches. To some extent, class work
in biology must be the rest from mandatory training sessions. When organizing the
extracurricular work it is always necessary to consider age features of children.
2. The course contents
Main directions of the extracurricular work
The extracurricular work of the botanical contents carried out mainly with
pupils of the V-VI grades, should include supervision and experiments on studying
the structure and physiology of plants; acquaintance with variety of flora and value of
wild-growing
plants in human life, with the seasonal phenomena in the life of plants,
classes in room floriculture, etc. Among mass actions of botanical character Steppe
plants, Week of a garden, Day of the wood, Crop Holiday etc. have great value.
The main content of the zoological extracurricular work should be connected
with the classes of studying the specific structure of the most widespread animals of
local edge, identification of the animals harming rural and wood farms, and measures
of fighting against them, acquaintance with rare animals and ways of their protection.
Great interest has the work on creation of a wildlife zoological corner, care and
observation of their inhabitants and their domestication. The great interest in children
is caused by the work on attraction and protection of birds, protection of ant hills.
Extracurricular work on anatomy, physiology and hygiene of the person, carried
out generally with the pupils of the VIII grade, usually includes: experiences and the
introspection finding out the value of exercises on the bodies’ development; the
experiences finding out the influence of various factors of environment on bodies’
activity; promotion of the healthy lifestyle among pupils and population; explanation
of emergence and different distribution of superstitions.
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Extracurricular work on general biology is connected with studying of heredity
and variability, fight for existence in a plant
and animal life, interrelations of
organisms of concrete habitats, etc. First of all it is necessary to prefer those types of
extracurricular work which are of useful importance, or give the chance to connect
theory with practice, to realize a research principle. The content of this work should
be available for each age group of pupils.
The circle of young naturalists, is the main kernel of the organization and
activity of all extracurriculars. The purpose of them is to interest pupils in biology, to
deepen and expand their knowledge, to develop the skills of supervision and an
experimentation. Work in a circle should be conducted systematically, with
voluntary, but constant structure. Each school should have such circles.
Grades
Circles
1-5
Young
nature experts
6-7
Young botanists
7-8
Young zoologists
8-9
Young physiologists
9-10
Young biologists
Principles of the circles organization
- To accept everybody in circles including poor learners and not enough
disciplined. The last quite often start to be interested in biology and to behave much
better, than at lessons. Therefore work in a circle should be considered and as means
of education - Number of pupils in a circle should not exceed 15 people. If
participants are more, 2 groups will be organized.
- Work of a circle should be carried out on students’ self-government. Therefore
it is necessary to choose the Council for self-government: the head, 3-4 assistants, an
editorial for the newspaper, bulletins, announcements
of the beginning of a circle
work etc.
- Teachers should be the heads of the circles, and the pupils of 10-11 grades may
be the heads in primary school.
- Scheduling of a circle work taking into account the study of local lore,
ecology, nature protection and especially nature enriching activity.
- Circle meetings - 2 to 4 per month.
- Summarising the circle work after a topic studying, or a term, a half-year, a
year. The most effective and evident is the reporting and summarizing in the form of
scientific evenings, conferences, role-plays, exhibitions, competitions, Olympiads,
writing papers, reports, naturalistic campaigns etc. Thus the work becomes mass and
socially useful.
Circle scheduling. When scheduling it is necessary to start with protection,
enrichment and studying of the native nature and carrying out a research activity in
