Shangcheng District adheres to a student-centered approach, ensuring high-quality curriculum, campusresources, activities, and assessment, thus coordinating resources and advancing science education in the new era to enhance students’ awareness of scientific and technological innovation.
Ensuring High-Quality Curriculum
Providing Premium Resources in a “One-Stop” Manner
Adhering to a greatviewpointofscience education, systematically structuring the science education curriculum system and extending it to the preschool stage.
First, it is to innovatecurriculum ofmoral education. With patriotism as the foundation, over 20 school-based moral education courses such as “Students of Qian Xuesen School” have been developed. Students are encouraged to independently select, organize, and distill information about scientists. Utilizing morning meetings, class gatherings, and other occasions, teachers share inspirational stories about eminent scientists like Qian Xuesen, Yuan Longping, Cheng Kaijia, Tu Youyou, Su Buqing, and Sun Jiadong. Through the subtle influence of these narratives, students are encouraged to appreciate the spirit of scientists and cultivate a willingness and aspiration to “love science, study science, and apply science” from an early age.
Second, it is to implement regular courses. Emphasis is placed on creating authentic scientific learning situations, guiding students to experience the joy of learning science during the exploration process, and stimulating curiosity and the desire for knowledge. Schools strengthen interdisciplinary and project-based learning approaches, gradually cultivating an open classroom environment where teachers provide guidance as needed and students take ownership of their learning, thereby fostering students’ scientific literacy.
Third, it is to enrich extendedcourses. Utilizing science education to leverage the integration of moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education, schools have developed nearly a hundred distinctive extendedcourses. These include the Aerospace Cultivation Labor Course at Qian Xuesen School, the Student Science Workshop at Qianjiang Foreign Language Experimental School, the Bridge and Engineering Experience at Maoyisheng Experimental School, and the Scientific Pig Weighing at Dinglan Experimental Middle School. These courses guide students to validate classic experiments conducted by scientists while engaging in practical operations, fostering their scientific practical skills.
Ensuring High-Quality CampusResources
Immersingin the Scientific Spirit “Around the Clock”
Integratingresources both inside and outside schools to facilitate seamless connection between the main educational venues within schools and the broader community.
First, itistostrengthen the main educational venues within schools. Leveraging five provincial and municipal-level bases for nurturing the scientific spirit, the schools in Shangcheng District have established over 130 “Science+”future learning centers, such as artificial intelligence laboratories, youth science academies, maker spaces, and 3D technology halls, which transforms scattered educational venues into a comprehensive educational network. The district is increasing the openness of school-based scientific education facilities to the public, establishing safeguard mechanisms to provide opportunities for visitors from outside the school to engage in educational activities and exchange ideas.
Second, itistomake fulluse of the broader community as an educational space. The schoolsinthedistrictactively coordinate resources from off-campus research bases, science museums, and museums. Through collaborative activities, mutual inspiration, and interaction between teachers and students, a comprehensive youth “15-Minute Science Popularization Knowledge Circle” across schools, museums, societies, and enterprises hasbeenestablished. With the assistance of student organizations such as the Red Scarf guides, young scientists, and culturalandcreative designs, schoolsconduct venue-based learning to inspire students’ curiosity in science.
Ensuring High-Quality Activities
Encouraging Self-Exploration through “Close Engagement”
Emphasizing the combination of “inviting in” and “going out” activities to enhance students’ self-exploration abilities.
First, itistofollow the principle of “inviting in.” Over 100 scientists and science communicators are invited to the campus. Leveraging platforms such as scientific lectures, popular science lectures such as Many Adventures in Space Traveland Why Airplanes Can Fly? are conducted, guiding students in thematic project investigations and fostering their scientific literacy. Collaborating with the Department of Science and Technology, over 200 events such as campus science and technology sports competitions and science and technology art festivals are organized, allowing students to grasp cutting-edge technologies and boosting confidence in scientific innovation.
Second, itistofollow the principle of “going out.” Theme activities such as “Exploring Scientists Around Us” are organized to encourage students to engage in face-to-face exchanges with scientists and experience scientific ideas and the spirit of scientists from multiple perspectives. Using visits to scientific research bases as a starting point, students are guided to explore places like Academician Alley, Academician Road, key laboratories, innovation centers, and expert workstations. Through on-campus learning, field trips, and experiential learning, we aim to internalize the spirit of scientists into student character.
Ensuring High-Quality Assessment
PromotingDiversified Development of Innovating Quality
First, itistoexplore multi-dimensional assessment. ShangchengDistrict is committed to exploring the implementation of a multi-dimensional assessmentsystem that integrates assessment of assignments with showcasing of works, combines unified assessmentwith tailored assessment, links outcome assessment with process assessment, and unifies individual assessment with team assessment. This system aims to protect the unique ideas of each child, thereby igniting theirinnovative drive.
Second, itisto innovatedigital empowerment. By enriching the technological resources on the “Taohuodong” digital platform with science-themed parent-child activities, and leveraging the “One Family Day OneWeek” activity, thedistricthasconductedover 100 high-quality science education parent-child activities. Parents can use the “StarredParent License” platform on the Zhejiang Service APP to record Family Day activities, fostering a positive atmosphere for scientific engagement within families.
Next, the education department in Shangcheng District will build upon the rich foundation of “BeautifulEducation”. It will focus on the systematic cultivation of students’ core competencies, strengthen experimental teaching, emphasize practice, and leverage abundant resources to establish activity platforms. The goal is to instill in children a curiosity to explore the unknown, teach them to think like scientists, set examples of scientists from an early age, and guide them towards scientific literacy through the integration of the moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education. The actions taken are aimed at promoting the enhancement of scientific literacy among primary and secondary school students, and achieving the goal of contributing to the nation through science!