A Cross Blog Conversation: Getting Girls Excited About Math and Science
April 6, 2009 by Marya
I’ve been chatting with Heather from Blog She Wrote about encouraging girls in math and the sciences. Heather has quite an interesting background. I’ve never had any girl friends when I was growing up who were interested in science so it’s been fascinating to me to read about her background. I think I mentioned that my brother was a scientist and I have some unpleasant memories of snakes and rats! As for dissections, well, I almost fainted when one of my dogs bled after having her nails clipped!
Heather shared that at one time she was really interested in heart surgery. One of my children had to have open heart surgery at the age of two months so we were all about cardiology for a few months and still are, once a year when we have to go back. But no matter how many diagrams I looked at or explanations I had to listen to, to this day I still can’t give a coherent explanation of the defects other than the names (AV Canal, PDA).
The subject of evolution and faith were huge sources of arguments in my home when we were growing up and were never really reconciled. Have you been able to reconcile matters of faith and biology?
As a new homeschooler, I was very drawn to the Charlotte Mason methodology of homeschooling. Miss Mason wrote extensively on the subject of nature studies for children. I have to admit, I have struggled greatly with this over the years. I grew up in the city where my only exposure to nature was the city parks. I do have fond memories of camp in the Catskills and Adirondacks but a naturalist, I’m not!
I am fortunate to live on the edge of a big conservation area and we see deer, owls, fox, hawks, wild turkey, raccoons, armadillos, snakes, rabbits and there is an occasional bobcat sighting. I’m still not one to try to draw any of it though I think my kids will remember how much their mom loved the Gulf sunsets or visiting the misty mountains. Looking at wildlife and admiring it with my children is about what I can manage right now. It also gives us a chance to talk about the diversity of creation and what an awesome designer God is.
Today’s kids really have to be encouraged to “just go outside”. What are a few practical ways that parents can foster a love of nature in their children?
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