What science stuff does my child REALLY need to learn?
When I teach a science class, this is the questions I get asked most: “What science stuff does my child need to learn?” Parents are wondering exactly what bases they should cover for their kids to understand science before they hit the high school or college scene.
This is a difficult question to answer, partly because it depends on what your ultimate goals are. If your child wants to just get his feet wet and see what all the fuss is about, then grab a couple of science kits and just play. On the other hand, if your kid reads every science text on the planet and is still thirsty for more, there are a few basics you can cover to be sure she is both well-rounded and happy about learning.
There are 18 main principles in science, ten of which kids need to know and understand before they hit college. (As a college professor myself, I’ve seen senior students struggle with these basics that they should have mastered years ago.) And these principles are…Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.
Thanks for this great summer course. And also thank you for the 10 things the kids (and I) should know. I look forward to your class next week.
You’re welcome!
I have a son who is going to be a senior. In light of the 10 things a kids should know, I’m wondering the best approach to getting him up to speed. We’ve homeschooled the last two years with SOS and I’m not sure he’s gotten a great grasp on all 10 things. Do you cover those in your materials for a senior in high school?
Yes, great questions. I’m writing a post right now that will be up shortly that outline experiments you can do to illustrate these principles. If you do have our Science Mastery program (SMP), those ten principles are what the SMP is wrapped around. Note that you do not need fancy equipment to drive home fundamental basics… keep it simple and concise so your student is not lost in the details. I’ll tell you more soon, including how to show the particle-wave duality behavior of light… more soon!