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12.2
SCIENCE AND EDUCATION
READING
1
Look at the photo. What are the people doing? How
do you think they are feeling?
2
Look at these questions from a website about
Bahrain Science Centre. Read the webpage and match
the questions with the answers.
1
Is the Bahrain Science Centre a tourist attraction?
2
Can I take my class to the centre for a visit?
3
Why should I take my children to a science centre?
4
How are science centres different from museums?
5
How can the centre help students to do better at
school?
3
Read the text again. Find words made from the
following roots. What kind of words are they? history-
historical (adjective)
important inform rest education
demonstrate
4
a
Summarising
Read the webpage again and
summarise each paragraph in one sentence.
4
b
Work with a partner and compare your sentences.
5
Have you visited the centre? If so, what did you
think of it? If not, would you like to go? What would
you hope to learn there?
for class visits. If students spend
time here, they will return to the
classroom with a smile on their face
and a new found interest in science.
The centre is also happy to organise
talks, debates, demonstrations,
workshops and even night time star
gazing.
D
____________________________
The centre attracts school visits in
the mornings. However, at other
times of the day it is also very
popular. The centre also attracts
visitors from other parts of the
country as well as from abroad. The
most common comment heard by
reception staff as visitors leave is:
“If I lived closer, I would definitely
come here more often.” It may not
be the main reason why people visit
Bahrain but many visitors to Bahrain
come here during their stay in the
country.
E
_____________________________
If you wish to come with a school
group, just phone reception to
arrange a visit. As long as there
aren’t too many other visits
scheduled, you will be able to
bring your class any day of the
week in the morning. The centre
will be happy to see you provided
that there is at least one adult for
every ten children aged twelve
or under, or one adult for every
fifteen older students. The Bahrain
Science Centre offers unusual and
unexpected activities for children of
all ages. Why not visit and see for
yourself?
THE BAHRAIN
SCIENCE CENTRE
The Bahrain Science Centre: Frequently
Asked Questions
A
_____________________________
Although they are both educational, the two places
are quite dissimilar in a number of ways. Museums
are places which show objects of historical or
cultural importance. They can be interesting and
informative but, for young children, they can become
dull and tiring after a while. Children like to touch
things and learn by doing while talking to others and
that’s what a science centre can offer. You could
say that a museum provides information whereas a
science centre develops understanding.
B
_____________________________
Science centres can offer an unforgettable
experience for children who can learn and have
fun at the same time. Imagine you were a parent
of two or three restless children, would you prefer
to lead them silently around a museum’s corridors,
explaining in whispers what they were looking at
and worried that they would misbehave? Or would
you prefer to take them somewhere where they
are actively encouraged to play and talk and have
fun? Science centres can help children become
independent learners. Supposing that you wanted
your children to understand how pulleys can make
it easier to lift heavy weights, would it better to
explain the theory to them or to let them actually
find out for themselves? Even adults when they enter
a science centre, find themselves experimenting and
playing and, indeed, learning. So, unless you have no
sense of wonder or adventure, you will also enjoy
and benefit from the experience.
C
_____________________________
The Bahrain Science Centre has been designed to be
educational. It provides strong support for the school
curriculum and so has become a popular place
