Summer Programme for Teachers: Developing a Learning Module on Model Systems Using Archival Material
Drosophila melanogaster, MS-003-5-6-15-8, K S Krishnan Papers, Archives at NCBS.
This summer, join the Archives Education Programme at the Archives at NCBS to collaboratively develop an interdisciplinary teaching–learning module on Model Systems in Biology by using archival materials of scientists Obaid Siddiqi and K. S. Krishnan preserved at the Archives at NCBS, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru.
The programme seeks to reimagine interdisciplinarity in education by bringing teachers to collaboratively design a classroom module on model systems. We aim to create a space where educators step beyond disciplinary boundaries and learn with and from each other.
We invite teachers from Biology, Physics, Art & Design, and History backgrounds who are curious and eager to explore a discipline beyond their own area of expertise. The programme encourages participants to become co-creators of knowledge : thinking across subjects, experimenting with ideas, and designing meaningful learning experiences together.
Why This Programme?
Teaching and learning becomes most meaningful when it is grounded in collaboration, driven by curiosity, and connected to real-world contexts. Yet most teacher training programmes remain discipline-specific. While such programmes strengthen subject knowledge, they often leave little room for interdisciplinary dialogue or co-creation.
At the Archives at NCBS, we believe that archives are an interdisciplinary space, where different disciplines naturally begin to speak to one another. It offers a unique setting for teachers to engage with primary materials and rethink how scientific knowledge is constructed.
When teachers see themselves as ‘makers’, classroom interactions can shift into shared meaning-making experiences: collaborative, contextual, and responsive to the moment.
What Will the Module Explore?
A model organism is a species that scientists study extensively in order to understand biological processes that also occur in other organisms, especially those that are harder to study. Model organisms should be able to reproduce easily in the lab and should be simple and inexpensive to obtain and maintain.
The programme envisions the co-creation of a classroom module that moves beyond textbook descriptions of model organisms. Participants will use archival records to explore processes behind the selection of a model system, the experimental imagination, frugality, and collaboration involved in scientific work and connections across disciplines.
The goal is to develop a module for middle and high school teachers and learners that encourages inquiry, critical thinking, and hands-on engagement with the idea of model systems.
We also envision this as the beginning of a long-term collaboration with participating teachers and schools.
Details:
Location: Archives at NCBS, Bengaluru (with both in-person and remote sessions).
Eligibility: Open to teachers currently teaching at the secondary or higher secondary level in schools. We aim to select teachers with training in Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Art & Design, and History, along with one Teacher-Educator. If you are a teacher who is curious, collaborative, and interested in co-creating new educational material while working across disciplines, we highly encourage you to apply.
Number of Position: 5
Stipend: Participants will be provided a small stipend (Rs 5000) with additional support for travel and accommodation upon request.
Important Dates
Last date to apply: 25 March 2026
Date of Interview: 31st March 2026
Period of Workshop & Mentorship: For 3 weeks including both in-person and online interactions, tentative starting is from the 2nd week of April, 2026.
How to Apply
Fill out the application form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Iv996xo1yPVYlw98iyhWJi6EubBPK4COEXNh56NBN6s/edit
For queries, contact:
Email : sahamatha@ncbs.res.in, anjalir@ncbs.res.in
