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Greetings!

Deborah Wuehler and family

Over the past 15 years, the teaching of science at our house has never relied upon only one source. I have provided textbooks, read-alouds, experiments, nature walks, and field trips. My husband has helped, too. When the kids are very young, he introduces them to the world of insects and bugs (we have hatched and raised all kinds of butterflies and moths, praying mantises and spiders, wasps and ladybugs). They then grow into learning about creek critters and chemistry, dinosaurs and disasters, and then graduate into electronics, energy, and computer science.

I asked my husband this morning if he could share with you his heart on science:

Hello! This is Richard. Deborah likes science, but not as much as she likes words. Between the two of us, I tend to be more science-oriented, while Deborah is much better with words, so here is my attempt to write about why I like science.

I like science because it reminds me of how awesome the Creator of the universe is! All through the Bible, especially Genesis 1, we see how the Creator created everything with wisdom and understanding-and His creation is very cool!

Speaking of cool, have you ever had someone open the refrigerator while you are lying on the floor some distance away? You can feel the cold air from the refrigerator pouring over the floor like water and spreading out across the floor. Why is that? Why is cold air heavier than warm air? We serve an awesome God. Dry ice does the same thing; it settles low in an icebox (filled with ice cream, of course), keeping the contents inside cold while not just floating off.

What about ice cubes? Water, when it gets cold, also gets heavier, but then just around the freezing point, it has some very special characteristics and actually expands to a solid that is lighter than warm water. Once again, what an awesome God to make water to behave like this. To be sure, without this characteristic, life in frozen ponds and lakes would not fare well-ice would sink to the bottom instead of floating.

Interesting too, is the fact that God likens water to His Spirit, and His Spirit wants to encourage and lift us up during those difficult times of life, too. The Spirit refreshes us like a cold glass of water (with floating ice) on a hot summer day.

Thank you, Jesus, for the Comforter; One who is just like you! You are awesome!

Being able to worship and exalt our Creator in the classroom, the outdoors, or the kitchen is one of the foundational reasons for keeping our children Home Where They Belong!

Worshiping with you!

Richard and Deborah  

TOS Senior Editor 

 

Read Diana Waring HERE soon!

  

Diana Waring

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Until Diana Waring joins us, veteran homeschool parents will be filling in for her. This week's article is by Colleen Berry. Colleen is a native Floridian, wife, and mother of two. She homeschools her children, Holly and Elijah, now in middle school and high school. She fills those few and unpredictable moments of "free time" with reading, scrapbooking, and family travel. She likes to write and to teach. She gave her heart to Jesus at the age of 3 and has a love for young children and teens. You are invited to check out her blog, Colleen's Quest, where she keeps curriculum reviews and thoughts about the Christian homeschool life in general.

Colleen Berry

Bringing Science Into the Kitchen 

By Colleen Berry

You don't have to go far or spend a lot of money to start your kids off right in science. You can step into your kitchen and, using some common household items, begin teaching them right away.

First off, baking is a fun and tasty form of chemistry. By teaching your early elementary-age children how to follow recipes accurately, measure ingredients carefully, and experiment with flavors creatively, you are preparing them to work up their science labs in high school. Teach them that pancake batter is a mixture, but when you add blueberries, you've made a compound (because you can remove the blueberries if you have to). Make a batch of lemon squares to see the reaction of baking powder and lemon juice as it fizzes up carbon dioxide. Help them discover how heat changes things when you steam vegetables, bake a cake, or torch some creme brulee. Imagine your child's wonder when you show them that yeast is alive!

For the next stage, and all through the elementary years, your local library may be a great help. Our library has a whole shelf full of books on how to make sticky, gooey, gross, interesting, fun, or mouth-watering concoctions in the kitchen. Find them in the "Junior Non-Fiction" section (usually in the 500s, according to the Dewey decimal system). Or find lots of ideas online as well. Many will explain the science behind the experiments in a fun way that's easy to understand. As always, you'll want to make sure that the resources you choose line up with your worldview. Read the books, choose the "recipes," and head for the kitchen!

Even in the middle and high school years, you can find reliable and renowned science texts that use household items often found in the kitchen. This approach makes science both affordable and easier for homeschoolers to accomplish. At some point, your child will need exposure to a microscope and some fancier equipment, but for the most part, your kitchen tools will work great.