Well, I have neglected science for so long – is there really any point with starting now? Have you ever heard or said that soundtrack?

For season 8, we are taking these negative soundtracks, or beliefs, and turning the volume dial down. Then, we are turning the dial up on a new soundtrack – one that will help us share science with our kiddos.

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Episode 106 - I have neglected science for too long... {Science Soundtracks #5}

Episode Transcript

So, I have neglected science up until this point, which means there’s just no point in starting now, right? Well, my guess is you are listening to this podcast, so you already know the answer. Science is something we need to share, or rather we get to share science, and there’s no time like to present to start sharing it!

But I have gotten many questions over the years that begin with “my child is in such-and-such grade and we haven’t don’t any science yet.” I feel pretty confident in saying that if you have felt at some point in your homeschooling journal that you have neglected science for too long and there’s just no point in it, you are not alone in feeling this way. Science is often seen as boring or too hard, so it’s neglected or skipped altogether.

We have already addressed boring science and the fact that science is too hard. We have flipped those soundtracks, but maybe the nagging belief that you have neglected science for so long is still making you feel like there is no point in starting now.

Is this idea helping us share the wonders of science with our kiddos? Let’s put this soundtrack, through the 3-question litmus test.

If you remember, I shared Jon Acuff’s soundtrack litmus test back in the introduction to this season. If you haven’t listened to that yet, hit pause to go back and listen to episode 101. It explains a bit about soundtracks and how season 8 came to life, plus it will help this episode make a lot more sense.

That said, let’s put this soundtrack through the litmus test:

• Is the idea that we have neglected science for too long so there’s no point in starting now true? (I know, reality may be that you have been neglecting science, but it’s never too late to start. So this gets 0 points.)
• Is the idea that we have neglected science for too long so there’s no point in starting now helpful? (Nope, this idea doesn’t help us teach science at home – it’s a feeble attempt at letting us off the hook. Zero points again.)
• Is the idea that we have neglected science for too long so there’s no point in starting now kind? (I would say no. It’s not kind to give up on yourself. I believe in you and I won’t let you do that. So, we’ll add nothing for this one, either.

Tally up the score and the idea that we have neglected science for too long so there’s no point in starting now scores a 0 out of 3 points. Ladies and gentleman we have our first complete and utter failure of the litmus test. I know, it’s kind of suspicious that this is the first soundtrack that has zero points, especially since I am the one who graded all of them. But there is a reason why the big zippo happened here first. Because this soundtrack needs to fail completely. There shouldn’t be any of us out there saying there is no point in doing science – no matter what our track record is so far. Let’s agree that this week’s soundtrack fails our litmus test as it should. So as Mr. Acuff says in his book, Soundtracks, “That’s enough of doing it that way, let’s try something else.”

Let’s stop saying that we have neglected science for so long that there’s no point in us adding it in now. Instead, let’s flip that soundtrack to:

I have been sharing silent science and now it is time to put words to what we have seen.

And I really mean this, whether we realize it or not, we have been sharing science silently. You see, science is in the world all around us and when you add in that our kids are naturally curious and voracious observers of what is around them – you have silent science.

• When you go on a walk and named a flower, picked up a leaf, noticed a bird, or watched an animal, you were silently sharing a bit about biology.
• When you watched a sunrise or sunset, noticed a rock formation, looked at the stars, or dug in the dirt, you were silently sharing a bit about earth science.
• When you used dish soap, baked bread, tasted something sour, or cleaned up a stain, you were silently sharing a bit about chemistry.
• When you switched on the lights, pushed a car down a track, went for a bike ride, or watched a kite fly, you were silently sharing a bit about physics.

And now, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and put words to what you have seen. For example:

• For biology, you can share the parts of a flower and how they look on different blooms. You can learn about what leaves do for a plant and about photosynthesis. You can talk about birds and their anatomy and how this makes it possible for them to fly. You can study and observe animal behavior.
• For earth science, you can share about the day-night cycle and the rotation of the Earth. You can learn about the different types of rocks in your area with a rock collection. You can talk about the constellations and planets as you observe the night sky. And you can dig a hole in the dirt to see the layers and talk about what each means.
• For chemistry, you can share about how soap is a chemical that helps to clean dirt and oil off of a surface. You can learn about the chemistry of baking and how yeast acts. You can talk about acids that make food sour and about bases. You can study how chemicals react with each other when you use them to clean up.
• For physics, you can share about electricity and how power works in your home. You can learn about force and how it affects motion. You can talk about simple machines, like the wheel, after a bike ride. You can study buoyancy as you watch kites fly or ships float.

You can always get a good program to help you teach science or you can do your own investigations based on the silent science you have already been doing. So even though you may have neglected science in the past, there is no time like today to start putting words to what your kids have already observed.

So at the beginning of this episode, we put that old, tired neglected-science-no-point-in-starting soundtrack through the litmus test and it epically failed. Let’s try out our new soundtrack to see if it passes the test:

• Is the idea that it is time to put words to all that silent science you have been sharing true? (Yes, Now I know that you may not have set out to share science silently, it just happened naturally as you went about your daily lives. Even so we’ll give this one a full point.)
• Is the idea that it is time to put words to all that silent science you have been sharing helpful? (Yes, because it helps you to see that you are not starting at ground zero. The chances are very good that there is some basic knowledge in there which you can build upon. 1 more point.)
• Is the idea that it is time to put words to all that silent science you have been sharing kind? (Yeppers, it is kind because this new soundtrack gives an out plus a starting place. It doesn’t dismiss the reality that there is work ahead, but it also doesn’t allow you to give up either. Another full point.)

That’s a 3 out of 3 points for the idea that you have been sharing silent science and now it is time to put words to what you all have seen.

It’s not going to be easy, as you do have more ground to cover, but let’s turn the dial down on the idea that you have neglected science for too long so there’s no point in starting now and turn the dial up on the belief that it is time to put words to all that silent science you have been sharing.

Because when we change the soundtrack we have been listening to about teaching science it changes the way we approach teaching science, which changes the outcome of the success of science education in our home.

Thanks for listening and I hope you have a great week sharing science out loud!