Science is Always in Season, Thoughts About Critical Thinking and Science at Work and at Play

Posted by Donald Reinhardt Oct 10, 2009

The amount of science news can be overwhelming sometimes. A plethora of science reports gushes forth and, we think, this needs to slow down, or even stop – there's too much here to assimilate. This is especially true if you are a student, and have a science textbook in the physical sciences that is simply packed with lots of information.

Science Data, Facts, Keys to Teaching and Learning Science Well

Science overload happens with everyone — more often than we would like to admit. But there is another side to this thinking, and that perspective tells us to pay attention to what is really important, and ignore that which is just sensational, or trivial. Information in life is really more about key words and concepts versus spectacular headlines. Life should be more about verifiable information versus rumors, or trivial tidbits of worthless information.

As thinking humans we need to learn and remember what:

• is important to do,
• to really pay attention to, concentrate on, and, yes, even assimilate, absorb.
• will have long-term value for the long run — the rest of one's life

Think about that for a moment.

Some science facts and data, and other knowledge (history, mathematics, poetry, etc.), can serve for an entire lifetime. Other science and knowledge is not relevant, and is only of trivial interest, or maybe just passing, temporary interest. So, all should focus on what is important and try to analyze, dissect, review and then reassemble the information so that it can be understood and catalogued. Too much learning is forced, rote memorizing. Learning needs to be some of this memorizing – but, learning needs other measured steps as discussed following.

From a simple viewpoint everything you learn is somewhat like the food that is eaten. Food is what you bite, chew, swallow, digest and assimilate. Good, assimilated food becomes part of the body substance and the helps meet the energy needs of the organism.

Similarly, knowledge must be taken in, digested, assimilated and energized into the substance of the brain. Getting food (shopping, paying for, growing, processing, eating, digesting, assimilating) all require energy. Eating is work and learning is work. Doing both well is important.

Teaching Science Realities and Science Experiments and Demonstrations

I'd like to conclude with some final thoughts about a learning and teaching trip to Five Forks Trickum Middle School in Lawrenceville, Georgia. That adventure was as a teacher volunteer for an 8th grade class. We were learning about chemistry, and those who teach know that teachers always learn while teaching. We explored paper chromatography, diffusion, atoms, carbon dioxide, compounds, chemical bonding, pH, water and many other interesting topics of chemistry. After 4 days of teaching two sections of advanced math and science students, I thought back to when I was a student. I mused how much fun it was then, and is today, to learn and grow in science knowledge, and to study and learn throughout the life that we have. It is still fun decades later – that is amazing and wonderful in every way! Learning is for a lifetime — if you think about it, that is so true, so simple and so good!

I hoped, at the end of the teaching week, that maybe I had encouraged one or two students to step into some science shoes for a career. I do know that some students really thought about, and expressed interest in becoming CSI lab agents or investigators, when we explored the mysteries of the graffiti artists using coffee filter paper chromatography – now, that was fun for everyone.

See more on: plant pigment chromatography and paper chromatography.

What about you – where are you going, and what are you doing, and are you having fun learning?

All of that is possible — today, tomorrow and everyday — if we want that to happen.