Parenting with Research

Friday, June 13, 2014

Teaching versus Parenting

The kids have been learning about the body all week. We started with a Magic School Bus Science kit and have expanded on it. They weren't understanding how the blood can carry things and how we breathe in oxygen, but out CO2. So I found a game and spent 2 hours putting it together during nap time. I had to print, cut, color, etc. The game board takes up my entire living room table. It was such a pain. This afternoon we spent 15 minutes playing the game. They now completely get it. They can explain how oxygen, sugars, and protein get into your body, which organs they travel through to get into the blood, how the blood carries different things to different cells all over the body. They can explain how the waste and CO2 is made and how the body gets rid of it using various organs. They can explain the difference between arteries and veins. This game really did teach a lot. The problem is now that they get it, they won't want to play the game again. As a teacher, I would save it for the next group of kids. As a parent... um... I don't even know where to store this. I'm thinking of passing it along to a family in our neighborhood that we are friends with, but her kids are older and I don't think they are ready for this yet.

Intellectually I get that it's worth it to have them understand the concepts quickly and easily. However, it seems like a waste that only 2 kids are going to use it. (Unless I find someone to pass it along to.)

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Summer Science

In addition to the many Science experiments we do at home, Sweet Son requested more Science this Summer. I enrolled them in a few camps at our local Science museum. Here are some of the projects they came home with.