Middle School Jeev Vigyan: Shikshakon Ke Liye Ek Sansadhan is an extensive resource book designed for science teachers to effectively teach biological sciences at the secondary school level. The resource book was developed by the Eklavya Foundation, which is associated with the Hoshangabad Science Teaching Programme (HSTP). The book comprises nineteen well-structured and logically sequenced chapters focussing on biological concepts from both botany and zoology, addressing various areas of study such as morphology, physiology, anatomy, and cytology. The chapters cover topics that include the study of leaves, seed germination, seed dispersion, floral structures, biodiversity in the living world, food, sensitivity, the animal kingdom, microorganisms, reproduction in plants and animals, animals’ internal organs, animal life cycles, plant nutrition, and the growth and development of both living and non-living entities. As a resource book, the text and topics align with the objectives of science education, specifically the enhancement of scientific literacy, the cultivation of a scientific attitude, the promotion of scientific inquiry, and the development of science process skills among learners, with special emphasis on the biological sciences. It also serves to encourage teachers to foster higher-order cognitive skills, which include analysis, classification, synthesis, and evaluation.
The book encourages a pupil-centric biology teaching-learning process. It also includes various tools and techniques for formative and summative assessment in the biology classroom. It bridges the gap between biological concepts and learners’ real-life experiences. It also focusses on understanding biological processes and science through experiments and observations in the natural milieu. The book democratizes biology education for learners with diverse socio-cultural and learning abilities in the Indian context. It includes several stories of scientific discoveries. Students can thus explore the history of biology. The pictorial representations are hand-drawn, which stresses the importance of drawing diagrams, a very important aspect of studying biology. The book has Learning Kits at the end, and as per their need, learners can cut the kit and study various biological concepts.
Each chapter advocates empiricism and scientific inquiry among learners in a broader context that encourages knowledge construction from their daily lives to engage in the process of science. Every biological concept in the chapters is presented in a way that learners can think beyond the classroom. The organization and structure of the topics and subtopics are logical and scientific. Notably, various methods such as excursion/field visits, demonstrations, discussions, and projects are integrated into the instructional form, including preparation, precautions, requirements, and steps of the various experiences and activities. The recommended activities are sustainable, cost-effective, and context specific. They can be conducted using affordable, locally available materials from schools and the surrounding area. Additional record sheets are also provided. The language used in the book is informal and easy to understand for teachers and students. Pictorial representations are simple; the printing and binding quality of the book is good, and affordable.
As science encourages questioning in the classroom and promotes scientific inquiry among learners, this resource book helps teachers and learners to pose questions and seeking answers scientifically. Conceptual illustrations in Hindi encourage the participation of learners from Hindi language backgrounds. Most significantly, the complex and subtle nature of biological sciences can be studied from real-life experiences, which this book makes possible.