As a teenager I remember watching a show on television which explained elementary science concepts through experiments conducted with products that we use in our daily life. I enjoyed the show so much that I often watched reruns of the episodes. Application of the scientific theories captivated my attention in a way that the textbooks never could.
Later after I completed my M.Sc and worked in a laboratory I again realised how I enjoyed doing what I had read mostly in theories. Doing simple things like streaking a plate to isolate bacterial colonies, identifying them running different tests was way more interesting than going through pages and pages of textbooks. And it gave me a lot of confidence, the doubts in my mind cleared. I was surprised that the material explained in our boring lectures were actually quite interesting.
We need to give that confidence to our children from the beginning. The experiments designed for this workshop will solve the mysteries of science for elementary level students. We will open their minds to science involved in their daily activities. All of us use glue in our house but do we know that a glue is a polymer and can be made easily at home. The working of yeast, baking soda and vinegar. The importance of surface tension, the use of magnets, the reactions involved in rotting of food, making simple circuits: thats what we are aiming to show in The Incredible Forces at work.