THE PECULARITIES OF THE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES OF PRIMARY NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION

The extracurricular activities of natural science education (EANSE) is one of the most significant fields of natural science education. The field hides inside numerous opportunities of choice. Whatever advanced natural science education is – it omits the functions and do not provide the opportunities that could be offered by the EANSE. Teaching is not and cannot be limited only by classes at any stage of the educational system. Pupils gain new experience in the extracurricular activities that is very important to broadening of creativity and other properties relevant to modern life. The usage of the latest information technologies, communication and cooperation, group work, the change of ideas and a critical approach towards social reality are the greatest abilities of human being in a new century. School has to devote an exceptional attitude towards its development. Hence, the system of extracurricular activities should exhaustively be used as this is a place where schoolchildren can acquire knowledge and experience that cannot be obtained at school, i.e. different methods can be applied and the attitude that they are the users of nature as well as responsible for its evolution and protection can be fostered. It should be remembered that an affective value-based aspect is very important to the correlation with nature. It includes a need to feel concern about the environment, to communicate with nature and to feel being an integral part of it (Makarskaitė, 1995).