A Promise to Science

On the NPR Friday Science segment a couple of weeks ago, the divide between literature and science was discussed and I've been pondering it quite a bit. Why are the "language arts" given such an elevated status in comparison to every other subject in school? In elementary school, science is minimized at best. In middle school, science is only tested one year...what does this imply? In high school, science isn't even required all four years. And, in college, unless you're seeking a degree in one of the sciences, the number of required courses doesn't compare to the needed language arts/humanities/arts courses. So, given the importance of science in our day to day lives, why the downplay???

Here's an example given on the program: If someone says they have never read Shakespeare, ignorance is assumed. (Ignorance is their word, not mine.) If someone doesn't know the Second Law of Thermodynamics, people don't think much of it. So, what's that about? Which is more likely to affect your life in the next 24 hours?

Don't get me wrong....I'm 100% in support of the teaching of grammar, literature, writing, etc....but shouldn't we be putting equal emphasis on knowledge of the workings of the world around us? And you don't even want to get me started on math. (I may be biased on that one. :D)

In light of this, I've decided that we'll be doing even more science experiments than usual. If nothing else, stuff like this is just fun....












:D