Had a brush with bursitis this week and it reminded me how our family used illnesses or accidents for learning. Broken bones, strep throat, or bronchitis provide occasions to delve into anatomy, illness, and well-being at whatever level your child may comprehend. Discuss x-rays, the jobs of medical personnel from techs to surgeons, how vaccines work - or don't - why and how the body succumbs to illness and how to prevent common accidents or injuries.
For instance, if a friend, family member, or neighbor has a broken bone, take a quick peek at Science News for Kids and you'll find an experiment that takes calcium out of a bone, along with book and video recommendations on the skeleton. Dig out a Human Anatomy coloring book or find workbook pages to color. Identify specific bones using the correct Latin nomenclature. Using a current, relevant situation builds interest and aids in comprehension and retention.
Other interestingtopics on Science News are "What is the Appendix Good For" or "The Tell-tale Bacteria."
Check out the Branson Academy Resource page for other cool science sites. Any topic in the news or community opens possibilities for exploration.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Public Language
So, Mom is back in college - working on a degree in Theater Arts. And, oh, my! This is sparking all kinds of ideas for homeschooling families!
First, my encounter with public language. The f-word has become not only a frequently used verb and adjective, it is also "like, you know!" An adverb, conjunction, interjection. The language of young adults has altered radically from my time on campus. These are bright college students. Yet, generally, they are unable to use the rich variety of the English language,the scores of existing nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, synonyms, homonyms and antonyms in their conversations,reducing all to a two-syllable expletive.
The students have some sense that this language is not appropriate for classroom use, however, once the bell rings an immediate cacaphony of what was once called "gutter language" assaults the ears. Interestingly, when students engage in conversation with me,the oldest student in the class, they invariably show respect and treat me the same way they treat their teacher by refraining from profanity and apologizing for any lapse. For which I am duly grateful.
Still the thought persists - why? Is this the type of language spoken in their home environment? Did anyone ever say to them, "we don't talk like that" as we did in our family?
Now there's something to discuss over lunch!
First, my encounter with public language. The f-word has become not only a frequently used verb and adjective, it is also "like, you know!" An adverb, conjunction, interjection. The language of young adults has altered radically from my time on campus. These are bright college students. Yet, generally, they are unable to use the rich variety of the English language,the scores of existing nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, synonyms, homonyms and antonyms in their conversations,reducing all to a two-syllable expletive.
The students have some sense that this language is not appropriate for classroom use, however, once the bell rings an immediate cacaphony of what was once called "gutter language" assaults the ears. Interestingly, when students engage in conversation with me,the oldest student in the class, they invariably show respect and treat me the same way they treat their teacher by refraining from profanity and apologizing for any lapse. For which I am duly grateful.
Still the thought persists - why? Is this the type of language spoken in their home environment? Did anyone ever say to them, "we don't talk like that" as we did in our family?
Now there's something to discuss over lunch!
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