I was reading the eBook by the James Randi Foundation, "Magic in the Classroom: Using Extraordinary Claims to Teach Critical Thinking." The book casually mentions a homeschooling group called "Homeschool Connections." While taking a momentary tangent to read up on that group, I find they have a free eBook of their own which would probably be useful to some of you. The book, sounding like a oft-repeated student mantra, is entitled, "Why Should I Learn This?"
Fair warning, the Homeschooling Connections group is a Catholic group. Skimming the eBook promises Catholic references will be made. However, if you happen to be Catholic, maybe it will work for you. And, if you aren't Catholic, you can probably rework the themes of the articles *in your own words* keeping the salient points.
In the current age of the Internet, information is easily accessible. Unfortunately, misinformation is just as easily accessed. The trouble then comes to discerning quality information from sources of untruths. If one may be permitted to be a little imaginative as opposed to realistic, it is as if the Prince of Lies has come to the information age and is undeterred.
The Bible is a powerful long book that people would do well to study for a variety of reasons. Despite this, people often process only so far and then stop, otherwise known as "good enough stopping." Sadly, people choose to stop too soon, sometimes. For example, the Bible says in Exodus 22:18 that you should "Suffer not a witch to live." Subsequently, I have heard religious minded people refuse to allow their children to watch "Harry Potter" because it glorifies witchcraft. Somewhat ironically, the type of magic R.K. Rowling decided to make the least reliable is divination. It is, in fact, divination that the Bible warns people to avoid.
Enter a man by the name of James Randi. Spiritualists, mediums, diviners, astrologers, psychics, faith-healers, etc.. all of these are James Randi's chosen for for the simple reason that they are charlatans defrauding James Randi knows enough about how these quacks work to have chosen the path of deception and personal enrichment. He has, however, chosen a higher path in service to truths as he can see them. He has built a foundation devoted to debunking those who would exploit others. While one might not appreciate all consequents his skepticism has let him to accept, his work to oppose the connivers of the world deserves appreciation.
As his goal is to educate, at least in terms of skeptical thinking, and the internet is full of boondogglery we homeschooling parents might take it as important to educate our kids on the topic of how to keep themselves from being exploited by those pandering falsehoods to achieve their own aims. To this end, on this date, the James Randi Educational Foundation has produced and is freely distributing an eBook entitled "Magic in the Classroom: Using Extraordinary Claims to Teach Critical Thinking."
This eBook serves up 154 pages of critical thinking education. What follows here is an excerpt of their Introduction:
Introduction
It’s New Year’s Day 2015, and I have just completed teaching a freshman seminar
about “alternative medicine.” For their final project, my students invented new alternative
treatments and produced websites that used the persuasive selling strategies that we see on
established alt med sites all the time. They invented a wide variety of products, services,
health regimens, diets, and modalities. And then they did what charlatans do--flogged
their wares mercilessly (though always with the prominent caveat to the effect that their
websites and other pitches were satirical).
It turns out they are scarily good mimics. After acquiring the appropriate certification
at Thunderwood College (http://thunderwoodcollege.com/) (a diploma generating site established
by Skeptoid (http://skeptoid.com/)’s Brian Dunning), they set to work establishing
inspirational backstories, generating unqualified praise for themselves, and greenwashing
absolutely everything. I made sure that nobody actually made any claims about specific
diseases--I did not want another fake cancer cure to slip out onto the web--and the students
soon became very adroit at generating meaningful-sounding health patter. My favorite
example was a group whose product “enhanced the healing properties of water.” Another
group promised that they would “stimulate your body’s natural healing processes” by
beating you up and taking your money. (The glowing testimonials in their infomercial, delivered
by satisfied customers who happened to be sporting black eyes and missing teeth,
were hilarious.)
In order to pull this mimicry off, of course, the students not only had to analyze
websites’ content, design, audiences’ expectations, persuasive tactics, and use of media,
and but also had to adopt them for their own websites. I dare say that I have either inoculated
these students to the most pernicious and dangerous types of alternative medicine or
have unleashed an alternative medicine juggernaut that will bring the country to its knees.
Either way, I’d rather students encounter these extraordinary claims in a classroom, where
critical thinking is encouraged, than out on the mean streets.
That’s what this book is about.
As I begin reading the book, it seems reasonable to believe that the book will live up to its promise. This is to be expected as the reputation of the James Randi Education Foundation is excellent. Also, it should be pointed out, that the book is distributed free for the noble purpose of educating young minds in the process of critical thinking. A faith healer might also produce a free booklet, but in this case they are hoping that you will attend one of their lectures and pay money for cures that don't cure anything.
Despite this, one of the logical fallacies to which the human mind remains vulnerable unless trained would be the genetic fallacy. This is a fallacy which says that a given bit of information must be false because of the source of the information. For example, if an alcoholic father were to warn a son about the dangers of alcoholism, that warning may not be unwise simply because the father is incapable of following it. Contrariwise, it is an equal catastrophe in the making to treat everything a source says as true.. as any number of people drawn into an exploited by various cults could attest.
My assessment of this eBook thus far would be as an excellence source of learning for one predisposed, as I am, to a reasonable eclectic style of homeschooling. That is to say, who takes resources available as they appear.
"Fantastic Voyages: Learning Science Through Science Fiction Films"
347 pages, 42 science fiction movies referenced
Today, I located a resource which is, freely available, if you are possessed of the technical library skills required to access it. The textbook, "Fantastic Voyages: Learning Science Through Science Fiction Films" can be found and borrowed from through the Saint Louis County Library's website. You'd have to navigate to eMedia > eBooks > EBSCOHost. I appear to have set up a user id for EBSCOHost at some point and my web browser kindly remembered the password.
Reading the textbook on the EBSCOhost website was a bit cumbersome. I was able to download it and read the pdf offline because I had also signed up for Adobe Digital Editions which as I recall also involved some getting of account steps. (Should all that seem too perplexing, you can buy it on Amazon in paperback format for $40.)
"Do you relish science fiction films but do not have quite the same feeling about science? If so, this book was written with you in mind. We, the authors, are college professors who also happen to love science fiction films. Because of our scientific expertise, we can get even more enjoyment from screening science fiction films than the average viewer because we understand what is possible or what is truly “out of this world” in the universes portrayed on film." ~~ Fantastic Voyages: Learning Science Through Science Fiction Films
The Book itself is 347 pages referencing 42 different science fiction movies along the way. As the movies are mentioned in the book, they seem to be appropriately watched as a study break in conjunction with the textbook itself. Essentially, the book allows your child to watch 42 movies and rationalize this as core science time as they read the text.
I have been reading the book and it seems appropriate for teenage children of 12-14 years of age or older. I have read the first 26 pages of the book and they seem to provide a familiar set of physics lessons from my junior high school experience. By referencing several movies which the student might be familiar with, it seems likely to be potentially more engaging to their imagination.
I have gone ahead and ordered a used paperback edition of the book, which I hope will be interesting as supplemental science material.
As a homeschooling parent, you have the opportunity to tailor your child's education towards those areas most needed. For example, food safety. Understandably, some homeschooling parents are science averse. This may be due to a religious persuasion that requires a literal reading of Genesis or some strange belief that Jenny McCarthy is a better expert on vaccinations than a pediatrician.
Despite this, I think we can find common ground in valuing food safety. Bacteria are real. They can proliferate and get people sick. I might not be able to explain evolution to one who doesn't want to see it. I might not be able to convince people of the value of vaccinations. However, we can agree that bacteria exist and are sometimes associated with sickness. In the case of food poisoning, we should pretty much find a level of understanding.
To that end, the Food and Drug Administration has produced a perhaps cheesy video that is most likely appropriate for middle school children. The cheese factor helps dumb it down to a level that a kid might understand, which is nice. In the video, "Dr. X and the Quest for Food Safety" we find a nice exploration of concepts necessary to impress upon a young mind the concept of safe food handling. This, unlike other science lessons regarding the rate at which a body falls under the influence of gravity (although this a worthy subject), pertains to a subject which can immediately impact a child's life.
(Video: 45 minutes science credit)
For starters, an interest in safe food handling does make one leery of eating at restaurants where one cannot watch the food preparation procedures. This is generally a healthy concern. Cooking your own food while paying attention to food safety rules is likely to keep a person healthy. Generally being untrusting of restaurants will encourage one to prepare their own food. Preparing one's own food generally is more financially affordable and enables one to watch more closely their diet.
At the same time, the video manages to impart some nice scientifically respectable information regarding disease transmission with respect to unsafe food handling procedures. This is solid science credit with a practical application to a child's life. Bonus points.
The FDA has even gone farther than this one video. They have even put together an 100 page pdf booklet entitled, "Science and Our Food Supply." Thus, after watching the 45 minute video, you have a nice detailed PDF booklet for further reading. Some children digest this faster than others, but all the time spent going over this booklet is good, solid, core science credit.
For more scientifically advanced middle schoolers, you have a 110 page pdf booklet similarly titled, "Science and Our Food Supply."
The takeaway from this exploration of the FDA's website should be that some of the government agencies exist to safeguard citizens like you and me. These agencies might sometimes be opposed by certain vested interests more concerned with their profits than your health. However, if one is willing to follow the science instead of succumb to the song and dance of vested capital interests, these agencies can do an excellent work to protect us.
Ideas come from unlikely places. You might find yourself humming a little melody and wrapping a few words around it. The spark of creativity and the process of creation can instill a sense of empowerment. Despite a world full of people, there remains room for ideas not yet considered.
Yet, without some discipline, a melody can fail to get recorded. If you don't fix it down upon paper in some form when an idea comes to you, your creation can sometimes roll away into the foggy recesses of your mind. For this reason, I like to encourage my daughter to record her thoughts and her stories. Pen and paper are better than the best memory and.. if for no other reason than nostalgia.. it might be nice to turn your mind back in time and re-read something you created years ago.
Every year, I also try to inspire interest in my daughter for participation in the science fair. Among the various types of science fair projects one can consider lies the engineeringproject. This is a lot like inventing something. What if your invention actually turns out to be reasonably useful? It can happen; great ideas can come from anywhere. Children, with a fresh outlook and fewer preconceived biases may just be able to look at a problem from a unique angle and those unique perspectives might result in a patentable product.
So how do that? Well, as a first step in this line of thinking I present to you a section of the United States Patents and Trademarks Office website: USPTO Kids.
The site is broken down into three levels for Kids, Teens, and Parents / Teachers. At the Parents level you can download an activity book for young children. Among other things, the Teen section contains a PDF related to bio-mimicry as an inspiration for inventions. In the Kids section, one of the PDFs demonstrates building a model rocket. The site has many areas for a child to explore as their interests motivate them.
While not everyone has the creativity to be an inventor, the field does not require any specific degree. Any child from any sphere of life with ambition, persistence, and a crafty mind could find themselves in possession of a bit of intellectual property drawing a little or a lot of income. The possibilities are open ended.
Reading is always core time, of course, but if you wanted reading and language arts time that you might be able to consider social studies, then this may be an option for you. I happen to enjoy reading public domain material on my Kindle. One such book is entitled, "Hindu Tales from the Sanskrit"[1] and it happens to dovetail quite well into home school lesson.
Perhaps, we could start with giving some respect to our friends and benefactors at Khan Academy. These are some people with both more competence and more industry than I possess. They happen to have a nice little introduction to the subject, "A beginner's guide to Hindu art and culture." This is free material and probably worth going over before reading the book as it gives a glimmer of insight into the culture behind the tales in the above mentioned book.
Returning to the book, "Hindu Tales from the Sanskrit," you have a series of fairy tales. However, the authors of the work very nicely added in their own study questions. If one has a slight exposure to Hindu culture, it is possible to understand the morality the fairy tales intended to convey.. particularly with the study questions to draw your attention to the most important points.
For example, 21. What would you have thought about this wonderful supply of food, if you had been one of the woodcutter's children? 22. Was it a good thing for those children to have all this food without working for it? If not, why was it not a good thing?
As an example of a snippet from the story,
The secret he kept from the wife to whom he used to tell everything soon began to spoil the happiness of the home. The children who had no longer anything to do quarrelled with each other.
By doing this, a child practices ...
Reading
Reading Comprehension
Ethics (Non-core time..)
Social Studies (Hindu)
Writing (The Essay Answers)
And, of course, experience with typing and using Google Documents if I am your teacher. :)
I hope others will find this suggestion profitable and entertaining.
Desmos is a free online graphing calculator that includes tutorials in how to use it. It seems like this might be interesting for a child who had a curious exploratory nature. They have 30 or so little lessons if you click to "open calculator" and then click on the three horizontal lines in the upper left hand corner. These lessons include "sliders" for certain variables so one can visualize how the line changes as one makes adjustments to the underlying formula.
Once a child has worked through the tutorials, they also have links from the home page (before "Open Calculator"). The "Staff Picks" links for math examples as well as art created through using equations, which should be intriguing.
