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Free Science e-Newsletter,
February 2006 |
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Steve Walden, Senior Editor |
 Welcome
to the inaugural issue of the Free Science e-Newsletter
from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine! We’re excited to
be able to give you the best of today’s leading scientists
for homeschooling families. Jeannie Fulbright has written
several textbooks for homeschooling families. Jay Ryan,
who will appear next month, has contributed for years to
Sky and Telescope Magazine, and although his feet are in
Cleveland, his head is definitely in the stars. Don DeYoung
is our resident expert on Genesis, and his organization,
Answers in Genesis, is a cornerstone of creation research.
In
science, Genesis is crucial to gaining understanding.
The two competing theories for the origin of life have
vastly different explanations and, therefore, significantly
different and profound ramifications.
Evolution
is accepted at face value as the only explanation for
life in the majority of scientific communities. In this
realm, man is the result of chaos and chance. As such,
he owes creation nothing.
Conversely,
Genesis opens up the universe as divinely-breathed order;
and man, as the offspring of God, is its shepherd and
ruler. He owes creation much as its husbandman and caretaker.
Genesis
shapes how our children will view the world and, subsequently,
their calling and future. If man and material is all there
is, as evolution proposes, life loses its purpose and
direction. On the other hand, if God has created our universe,
we have no choice but to seek out the purpose and design
He has made, if only to give glory to the One who has
made it.
Seeking
knowledge is admirable when compared to wasting in ignorance,
but seeking knowledge to give glory and worship to its
Originator—that’s wisdom. That is the heart
of science in Christian homeschooling.
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Is It Okay to Spend a Year on One Science Topic?
By Jeannie Fulbright |
| Though many educators promote the spiral approach to education
wherein a child is exposed over and over again to minute amounts
of a variety of science topics, we believe there is a far
better way.
The theory goes that we just want to expose the child to
science at this age. Each year he is given a tad bit more
information than was given the year before, thus spiraling
upward. However, this approach supposes that young minds
are incapable of understanding deeper science, and education
is thus dumbed down. Sadly, this exposure method has proved
unsuccessful in the public and private schools, as NCES
(National Center for Education Statistics) statistics show
American eighth graders—all having been trained under
this method—are consistently less than 50% proficient
in science. This data reveals this approach to be an inadequate
methodology in education.
If we continually present children with scant and insufficient
science, they will fail to develop a love for the subject.
If the learning is skimpy, the subject seems monotonous.
The child is simply scratching the surface of the amazing
and fascinating information available in science. And, sadly,
students taught in this way are led to believe they “know
all about” a subject, when in reality the subject
is so much richer than they were allowed to know or explore.
That is why we recommend that kids, even young kids, are
given an in-depth, above their perceived grade level, exploration
into each science topic. You, the educator, have the opportunity
to abandon methods that don’t work so that your students
can learn in the ways that have been proven effective.
The immersion approach is the way everyone, even young
kids, learns best. That is why we major in one field in
college and take many classes in that field alone. If you
immerse your children in one field of science for an entire
year, they will develop a love for both that subject and
a love for learning in general. When a child really knows
a subject, he becomes an expert on it. He has a genuine
knowledge and understanding that most high school children
haven’t been able to comprehend.
However, if children rush through several fields of science
in one year, they will feel unknowledgeable and insecure
about the information. And, in fact, they are unknowledgeable.
But imagine the benefit to your child when he is able to
authentically converse with the botanist at the botanical
gardens, intelligently discussing the dynamics and idiosyncrasies
that are seen in the plants. This will delight both your
student and others with conversation that is actually interesting
and intelligent, occurring because you discarded the method
of teaching to the test and studied a subject to a degree
that your child knew the inner workings of that subject.
A child taught in this manner learns to love knowledge and
develops confidence.
Additionally, a child who is focused on one subject through
an entire year is challenged in ways that will develop his
or her ability to think critically and retain complex information.
This will actually benefit the child and give him an advantage
on achievement tests. He will be able to make more intelligent
inferences about the right answer on science questions,
as God has created an orderly world that works very similarly
throughout all matters of science. A child who has not been
given the deeper, more profound information will not understand
how the scientific world operates and cannot even guess
the correct answer on standardized tests.
Yes, it is wise to spend an entire year on one field of
science. And I believe you will find that you, your children,
and their test results will profit greatly from this method.
Science will become a favorite subject as the student finally
attains to a greater understanding of God's world and how
it works. And when he learns about another field, he will
be able to make comparisons and contrasts, thinking critically
about the subject because of his strong foundation.
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Jeannie Fulbright
homeschools her four children, ages 5 to 12, with her
husband in Georgia. She is the author of Apologia's Elementary
Science Courses: Exploring Creation with Astronomy; Exploring
Creation with Botany; Exploring with Zoology I—The Flying Creatures
of the Fifth Day; and Exploring Creation
with Zoology II—The
Aquatic Creatures of the Fifth Day. For information on these
science courses and homeschooling tips, visit www.JeannieFulbright.com.
To hear the latest happenings, visit her blog at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/JeannieFulbright. |
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By Jeannie Fulbright |
Here's a science experiment that's mighty tasty! Let's grow edible
crystals! You will need:
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1 cup water |
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4 cups sugar |
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a parent with a pan and stove |
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a big bowl, ceramic or Pyrex |
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cotton string |
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a big spoon |
Have a parent bring one cup of water to a boil and immediately
add two cups of sugar. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved.
Then, add more until no more sugar will dissolve. That should
be about four cups.
When it begins to boil again, take it off the stove and pour
into a wide bowl. The more space the bowl has, the faster it will
cool and form crystals. Be very careful as this will be very hot.
Toss a few teaspoons of sugar into the bowl for good measure.
Now, tie a clean string or piece of cotton yarn around a long
cooking spoon and place the spoon across the top of the bowl,
dangling the string into the mixture. Cover the container with
a dish towel to keep the mixture pure.
Soon, crystals will begin to form around the string and the edges
of the bowl. When the mixture is cooled, study these crystals
with a magnifying glass or, if you have one, a microscope. Do
you notice that they are all the same shape? No matter how many
times you do this experiment, sugar crystals will always come
out shaped exactly like these. They may grow larger, but they
will always retain their signature sugar crystal shape.
Salt has its own shape as well, as does borax, alum, and any
other substance that forms crystals. For fun, you can grow crystals
from these different substances and study them, recording what
each shape is that they form. Another fun idea is to add food
coloring and grow sugar crystals on small coffee stirring sticks
to eat!
Have fun! |
By Don B. DeYoung |
 By
day or night, our moon silently glides overhead. This is the same
moon that Adam and Eve looked upon, as well as Galileo and Isaac
Newton. Our nearest neighbor in space is “just” 239,000
miles distant, or 1.3 seconds of light travel. Perhaps you have
noticed that we always see the same side of the moon. This is
because the moon turns on its axis and orbits the Earth with identical
periods of time, about 29½ days. As a result, the moon
has a hidden backside that we never see from Earth.
The moon is about four times smaller than the Earth. A size comparison
would be a baseball compared with a basketball. Imagine taking
a trip to the moon where the pull of gravity is one-sixth as strong
as it is on Earth. A 150-pound person will be reduced to just
25 pounds with no dieting needed. There is no water, air, sound,
clouds, wind, or weather. The moon also has no light of its own,
but instead reflects the sun. This precious night light for the
earth gives several evidences for biblical creation, including
the moon’s origin, age, and design.
Origin
How did the moon come to be circling the earth? Many astronomy
careers and billions of dollars have been spent attempting to
solve the mystery of lunar origin. Over the decades, several origin
theories have come and gone. These include fission or separation
of the moon from the earth, capture from space, and lunar formation
from a contracting gas cloud. Currently in favor is an ancient
collision with the earth by a large mass or “planetoid,”
the resulting debris then collecting to form the moon. But where
did the collision object originate? And how did the debris gather
together? And how did the moon end up with a near-circular orbit?
Answers to these questions are lacking.
All natural origin theories appear to be fleeting. Each is sooner
or later replaced by the next suggestion. Perhaps an alternate,
“final theory” is needed: the moon was supernaturally
placed in the sky on the fourth day of the Creation Week. This
was the view of Isaac Newton and many other pioneer astronomers.
True science is the search for truth, and the study of origins
appears to lead directly to creation.
Age
Just how old is the moon? The standard view is 4.6 billion years
for the earth, moon, and most other components of the solar system.
This assumption of deep time can be challenged from at least two
directions.
First, the moon is slowly moving outward from the earth due to
the tidal interaction. The current recession is only 1.5 inches
per year but was greater in the past. Extrapolation back in time
places the moon in the near vicinity of the earth about one billion
years ago, just a fraction of its assumed age. Such a close approach
to the earth simply is not possible. The moon would disintegrate
and the earth’s oceans would vaporize from extreme frictional
heat. The conclusion is that the moon cannot be multi-billions
of years old.
A second age factor concerns changes on the surface of the moon.
It is commonly assumed that the moon’s craters and other
features date from millions or billions of years ago. The moon
is not quite this static, however. For example, in the year AD
1178, stargazers watched a large space rock strike the moon. The
result today is a Crater Bruno, 13 miles across. A smaller lunar
impact was observed in the fall of 2005. Instead of an unchanging
museum from the distant past, creationists see the moon as a young,
dynamic satellite of Earth.
Design
Our moon is not the result of random chance or accident. Instead
it gives evidence of the Creator’s design and plan. We all
enjoy the pleasant evening light the moon provides for the Earth.
This reflected sunlight is important to agriculture and the biorhythms
of plants, animals, and people. The moon is also a dependable
clock, calendar, and compass in its cycle of motion. Without the
moon our annual seasons would become erratic. The moon stabilizes
the tilt of the Earth’s axis, which in turn provides our
seasonal change. The lunar gravity tides maintain the health of
the world’s oceans. With no moon or tides, the oceans would
stagnate and die. Life on Earth soon would likewise perish. Our
very lives are dependent on the moon.
The supernatural origin of the moon as describe in Genesis 1:16
makes good sense, even in this scientific age. No natural origin
theory is adequate, convincing, or comparable to the majesty of
the creation events. Regarding age, several indicators point to
a youthful moon. Also, there are several obvious purposes for
the moon. It appears to be placed in the sky for our wellbeing.
The moon is not only our nearest neighbor in space. It is also
a beautiful, silent witness for biblical creation.
 Don
DeYoung is Chairman of the Physical Science Department, Grace
College, in Winona Lake, Indiana. Dr. DeYoung is also on the summer
faculty of the Institute for Creation Research, San Diego, California.
He is a graduate of Michigan Tech University (BS, MS, Physics),
Iowa State University (PhD, Physics), and Grace Seminary (M Div.).
He has written fifteen books on Bible-science topics, including
object lessons for children. Dr. DeYoung is currently president
of the Creation Research Society with 1,700 members worldwide.
Dr. DeYoung and his wife, Sally, have three married daughters.
In their local church Don is an elder and Sunday School teacher.
Don’s books Science and the Bible, volumes 1, 2, and 3,
as well as Our Created Moon, are available from bookstores and
CreationResearch.org.
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Paul and Gena Suarez, publishers of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine,
just released a brand-new e-book, Secrets of Successful Homeschooling,
to show you that “Yes! You CAN homeschool!” Whether
you are a new parent thinking ahead to your family’s educational
years, a homeschooler in the trenches, or a veteran who has “been
there, done that,” this e-book holds something for everyone.
“You will cry, laugh, and feel inspired at the different
stories ... I think that this book will springboard a new homeschooler
to venture out into the unknown and inspire veteran moms to hang
in there and keep going.” —Karen Flores, homeschool
mom of two boys
Affordable and instantly downloadable, this e-book would be perfect
to help you start out the new year inspired, motivated, and encouraged
in your homeschooling journey.
To purchase your copy of Secrets to Successful Homeschooling,
visit
www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/subscribe/secrets.php
Looking for a way to earn extra money?
Sign up for our affiliate program and you can earn 66% of each
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Disclaimer and Warning:
Activities, projects and experiments presented or contained in
this newsletter (“Activities”) are intended for educational
and entertainment purposes only. Some Activities may involve health
risks or other hazards, including a risk of serious injury. Responsible
adults should investigate and evaluate all potential health risks
and other hazards prior to engaging in Activities alone or with
minor children. Please exercise caution and take appropriate safety
measures to avoid or lessen the risk of injury to people or property.
Activities are not appropriate for children and teens of all ages.
Children and teenagers should attempt Activities only under direct,
appropriate parental supervision. The Old Schoolhouse Magazine,
LLC accepts no responsibility or liability, express or implied,
for injury, loss or damage of any kind resulting from the use
or misuse of Activities or other information contained in this
newsletter. |
| Thank you for reading the TOS Free Science e-Newsletter
this month. We’ll have more exciting science articles for
you next month, including whether kangaroos hopped all the way from
Noah’s ark to Australia.
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If you have any comments, email me at FreeScience@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com
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