The Most Dangerous Game (Is Often the Best)

This week the first and second grades have started their unit on energy, force, and motion. Here they learn about the forces that make our universe work. They've seen me demonstrate fire in the classroom and they will also see me use electricity to make things work. While doing one of these experiments I was taken aback at the excitement that was caused in the classroom when I lit a small candle and set some newspaper afire. It reminded me of an important parenting lesson I had a year back.

Last year the school had false fire alarm. We did not plan a fire drill and the teachers suspected that a child had pulled the alarm while playing with it. Still in yet, we followed protocol and quietly escorted the children per the emergency evacuation plan.

Some hours after we were back inside, my five-year-old son's teacher, Mrs. Montgomery, told me that Zahi, my son, was incredibly anxious and frightened that the school was still on fire. He was afraid that the fire was trapped in the walls and that, any moment, it would come out and consume him. He could not work or focus in class.

I pulled my son out of class and took him into the kitchen.
“You are a Homo Sapien,” I told him. “You are not allowed to be afraid or fire.”

I got a metal pan and some scrap paper. I gave my son a cup of water and lit a small fire in the pan.

His eyes began to widen with panic. He didn't know what to do.

“Well,” I said, “Put the fire out. Use the water.”

I watched my son pour the water on the fire dousing the flame and his anxiety.

He was never scared of fire again. At the same time, I never caught him lighting fires in the bathroom or playing with the stove.

That day, I realized that, as a parent, I had done wonderful job of teaching my children to be safe around fire. But I'd done a horrible job of teaching them to handle fire. Handling and manipulating fire is the birthright of our species.

On a more practical level, my son's fear of fire would have prevented him from doing what was needed to save himself from a fire.

Our protection of our children has gone a bit overboard. We've gone from teaching our children mastery of fear to just teaching them fear, and stunting their development as productive adults. How would my son, scared of fire, ever function in a chemistry class with a Bunsen burner? What good would he be as an electrical engineer if he does not know what properties of electricity make it so dangerous to stick a fork in a socket.

Let us not forget that the most effective teaching tool that we have is exploration. I learned more about electricity by opening up old appliances than in all of my years in elementary school. How much do you know about electricity? Have you ever taken something apart just to see what was inside?

In the Parent Resource Center, I've included a link to a TED lecture called 5 Dangerous Things for Your Kids. While I can't endorse everything the lecturer says, I strongly support his premise and I will be purchasing my sons some pocket knives. Pray for us.

Presto-Chango

This week we are learning about changes in matter.

There are two types of changes in matter:  Physical (reversible) and Chemical (irreversible).

A Physical change is a change that only changes the shape of the object.  Ideally the change is reversible.

Ripping a piece of paper,  melting ice, chopping up a log; these are all physical changes.

Chemical (irreversible) changes are changes that change matter from one thing to another thing. These changes are irreversible.

Burning paper, cooking eggs, and burning a log. These are chemical changes.

We have also come up with questions for our own personal science experiments. We are taking a weekly step by step approach to designing our own experiment. This will give us the training to help our children learn how to synthesis our own experiments. Although going to the library/ internet is the widely practiced method of getting our science projects it’s also the least honest. Our student’s projects should be a reflection of their own curiosity and work, not something copied from some kid in Vermont.

I’m also aware that finding a good science project can be difficult and frustrating. So let’s reset our expectations. I’m not looking for scientific complexity. Not from 2^nd graders. But I am looking for your child’s ability answer a question scientifically.

It’s okay for the question to be banal or mundane. It’s okay if the question to have an obvious answer. But it is not okay to copy some other kids experiment, put your name on it, and for the student to come away with no idea as to what happened.

Here are some examples of some great questions that I received this week:

Which will freeze faster:  water or juice?

What makes Bubble gum sticky?

How can you walk on water?

Can you bring a dead flower back to life by using water?

What happens if you put finger nail polish remover on a leaf?

If, as a parent, you are still unsure about the Scientific Method, please read my “Scientific Whats-it?” blog entry.

Ugly Duckling Science

We are studying Matter this month. We are learning that a physical property is when we use our 5 senses to observe matter. During a reading of the Ugly Duckling, the question cam up, "Can you keep water from freezing if you paddle it?"

So we got two bowls of water and a motorized paddle. We put the paddle in one of the bowls and put them both in the freezer. During science we checked to see if the water with the paddle in it had frozen. The water with the paddle did freeze. So we concluded that you can't stop water from freezing by paddling it.

This is just an example of how science is everywhere.

Special Note! 
Admission to the Museum of Science and Industry is free for the month of October. Read the plaques to them and show them what they should be experiencing at each exhibit. Button mashing just isn't good science.

Exhibits of note:
You: The Experience is an awesome interactive exhibit about the human body. Check out the Giant Heart.

They also have famous skyscrapers made out of Legos. For those of you who don't know, Legos are the preferred toy for future/ current engineers everywhere. That makes them a better investment than a Nintendo DSi any day.

Hola/ Adios

This week, in Spanish, we are leaning to greet each other. We are playing, Teatro De Español (Spanish Theater). In this game, the teacher comes up with an absurd scenario for two actors. One has good fortune (Bien), the other bad (Mal). Then, based on the presented scenario, the children have this conversation:

S1: Hola. 

S2: Hola.

S1: Como estas?

S2: Bien. Como estas?

S1: Mal.

S2: Adios.

S1: Adios.   

This is our students first full conversation in Spanish.

Try playing along . They will enjoy it. The secret ot to make the good fortune and bad fortune REALLY silly.

i.e.: You have just found out that new Spanish Teacher is Superman and he's going to teach you to fly! Okay, take a moment to find your motivation. Now... SCENE!

Hola...

The Scientific Whats-it?!

Last month the 1-3 grammar classes studied the Scientific Method. This sounds like a lofty concept but, in reality, we've all been using the scientific method since we were infants. 


Example:
(Question) Is this pot really hot? (Hypothesis) I believe my mother is overprotective and a bit paranoid so I do NOT believe this pot is really hot. (Experiment) I touch the pot with my hand. (Collect Data) OUCH! Mommy! (Conclusion) The pot is very hot and I should not touch it anymore.


In class we have used the scientific method to answer several questions.


Can animals survive when frozen in ice?
Are girls stronger than boys?
Are boys smarter than girls?
Is fire made of matter?
Why do bodies float in water?


I am only teaching the children to identify these steps in a formal process. I encourage you let them try an experiment around the house. This is not as time-consuming or costly as you might think. Here is a link that will show normal this is. http://biotech.biology.arizona.edu/Scientific_Method/method_light.html

As a teacher and a parent, I tend to see the television as tool rather than a foe. Guided television watching can be more powerful than any school lesson or textbook. Pressing the pause button on your DVR and discussing what you just saw takes television watching from a passive to a interactive experience. I know because this is the method I use in the classroom as well in my home and my students/children become completely involved in the subject matter.

The Parent Resource Center on the right has a link to two of the shows I like to watch with my children. One is called Nova Science Now, hosted by Neil DeGrasse Tyson. He's an African-American astrophysist and a great role-model in a world that is short on African-American scientists in media.

The second is for a show called Mythbusters. It's a great show that confronts urban myths and wives tales with the scientific method to see if they are true. One of my favorite episodes asks; What is the best way to fight off a shark? Again, these are excellent and fun ways to introduce the scientific method in an approachable way.

Don't forget, Science Fair is coming up in April!

-- Mr. Raines

What Can I Do With My Child At Home?

Spanish is a very important language in America. C.S.C students are positioned to gain a fluency in Spanish that is unique. Most schools do not start any serious vocabulary building until the 6th grade. At Cambridge we start in pre-school using the same method that Spanish-speaking children all over the world use. We introduce them to words in Spanish by speaking to them in Spanish and making neurological connections between words and meaning, with no English standing in between. This method is so different from what is taught in most schools that we have not been able to find curriculum that meets our teaching style. So we design our own.

In the primary and early grammar grades there is very little written instruction that goes on. But flash cards make the learning process tactile and fun. Under the "Resources for Home" section, you will find links to flash cards that you can use at home to reinforce what is being used at home.

Playing games with your child while stuck in traffic or before bed are perfect ways to re-enforce skills learned at school.

This is the blog for the Mr. Raines' Cambridge Art, Science, and Spanish Classes. The blog's name is taken from the famous Spanish artist, Salvador Dali.
Here you will find updates on:

• What your children are and will be doing in class.
• Resources that will help you child at home.
• Special reminders
• Extracurricular programs that may be of interest to our students.

Please check here frequently as the blog will be updated weekly.