When Science Flops
From Danielle Merrit-Sunseri, Curriculum Developer
We rescued a couple of kittens at our house during the pandemic. As quirky as most cats can be, these two brothers take the cake. Norbert in particular is both a delight and troublesome ball of fuzz. He will eat pretty much anything and regularly steals a variety of food from an unguarded countertop, including expected items like chicken and bacon, as well as lettuce, olives, cashews, marshmallows, and anything else he can carry in his mouth. He knocks over glasses of water, nicks balls of yarn and knitting needles, and carries mouthfuls of kibble all over the house. However, he has also been dubbed ‘math cat’ because he faithfully accompanies students during their math lessons. He purrs so loudly and easily that he brings joyfulness in an instant. And he loves his people, greeting them at the door when they have been away, begging for a belly rub or game of tag, and relaxing with them in the evening.
Like Norbert, science is at once as irksome as it is delightful and fascinating. When I was a student experiencing moments of intense frustration, my advisor would quote Einstein, “Danielle, if we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research…” Science happens when we lean into that uncertainty and frustration with imagination and curiosity.
I had the pleasure of witnessing this recently with Alveary member Faith. Faith had read her lab, gathered her materials, and followed the procedure only to see… nothing! I know how disappointing this can be, but this is where science actually happens. It is not a static body of information, but an activity: a verb rather than a noun. Faith did a beautiful job asking questions, doing some research, and trying out some variations. And her students will catch her imagination and curiosity. Why is this particular paper clip giving a different response? Does it matter that it’s raining? Some of the most encouraging notebook conclusions from my students include ideas like, “In this lab, I learned that sometimes we learn more when an experiment doesn’t work.” or “Today I discovered that variables can include even little things that I didn’t realize were variables and to really understand the Thing, I have to understand all those variables and how they affect the Thing.”
It is this aspect of science that teaches us who we are and makes us ‘like little children.’ At the same time, it invites us to discover more of who the Creator is. And so armed with this knowledge, that is love, we cannot but deepen our concern for others and discern more carefully and wisely about how to use scientific information in the future.
What stories can you share about implementing Science with your students? Share them in the comments of this Fabulous Friday post!
Notes
1. Foundations: Want to learn more about Charlotte Mason’s approach to Science? Our Relational Methods course has a section dedicated to this subject and the foundational principles behind Mason's approach to science. If you haven't dived into the course yet head to the “Before you start” section of your Dashboard to get started!
2. CMI Virtual Ticket Announcement: Unable to join us in Kentucky this summer, but don’t want to miss out? Virtual Tickets will be available on May 1st. For $49, you’ll get access to all five of the keynote sessions, a selection of breakout sessions, a virtual swag bag, a special giveaway for virtual attendees, and more. Groups are welcome to host their own Joy of Making party and watch together! Sign up here to be notified when tickets are available.
*If you needed one more reason to register for The Joy of Making, this is it! All in-person conference attendees will also receive the Virtual Conference Ticket, granting them access to conference recordings.
3. Office Hours: Check out the Office Hours from last week when we had a discussion with ladies from three different Alveary co-ops.
4. Alveary Co-ops: Our new guidelines make it easy to use Alveary lesson plans in any co-op, even with families who aren’t Alveary members. Check out this How-To Guide to help you think through the process of starting a group and turning your vision into reality.
5. Office Hours: Join us on Wednesday, April 10, at 3:30 p.m. EDT for a session on supply lists with Danielle Merrit-Sunseri, Erin Day, Kim Keel, and Melissa Ferguson. Please post your questions about supply lists in this Hive Event by noon on Tuesday, April 9.
6. CMI Staff: Best wishes to Dr. Cindy Swicegood, Alveary Administrative Assistant, as she leaves our team to concentrate on piano performance and instruction. Cindy has been on our team since the early years of Alveary and has answered hundreds of emails from members in that time. Cindy plans to stay in touch and will still be joining us at the CMI conference in July.
7. CORE: Registration for the CORE summer cohort is opening on April 15th. This class is likely to sell out, so don’t delay in registering.
8. Our Work Books: On April 1st, Our Work Books were released for Grades 1-8. These books come in several versions. Our PDF and editable Canva templates are included in your 2024-2025 membership. You can also purchase coil-bound or perfect-bound copies from Lulu. Information and links for all versions can be found on your member dashboard in the resources section of the programs (See “Order books”).
