This is a really neat experiment. We studied cells at the beginning of the year and discussed the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties of the plasma membrane. I think this will be a fun way to reinforce this and other concepts we have studied.
I found this post on Facebook and I was really excited to try this with my son. However, I was a little disappointed in the posts that were added, for example: “I have done this it is super cool. I have no idea what we learned but so cool” What is the point in doing this if you don’t know why. This was one of my biggest complaints about how the public schools taught science. They would do fun experiments with the kids to try and get them excited about science, but the kids could not tell why they saw what they saw. ugh!!! Why not just take them to a magic show instead?
The main reason that I decided to take my son out of the public school was simply because he wasn’t happy. I have never been very impressed with the education that he was receiving there, but I made sure that I worked with him at home. He has always loved to learn and this was time together that we both enjoyed. We studied spelling on trips to the grocery store and had many science discussions while eating a burger. I watched my overachieving son go from loving the idea of school to hating it. He was making A’s and coming home crying. When I talked to his teacher she bragged on his intelligence and smiled at him. I was told by my son that she was never like that during school hours. My sweet little boy who seemed to love everyone couldn’t stand this person. I have to admit, she was probably the worst teacher he had, but none of them impressed me. In addition, I don’t think that I have ever been comfortable with dropping my child off for 7 hours of the day and trusting a complete stranger with him. Homeschooling seemed like a really good fit for us. I have since been learning more and more about what is going on in the public school and it is scary. I have always believed that happiness was extremely important and I have been thinking very deeply about what that means in regard to education. The public schools have pushed the idea that their goal was to prepare students for college and career readiness. Now, I have always said that you can be a whole lot happier if you are able to pay your bills. Is that really the sole purpose of education? I believe that it is a byproduct of education, not the purpose. Truth, knowledge, beauty and most importantly happiness are essential aims of education.
“Knowledge is power. Rather, knowledge is happiness. To have knowledge, deep broad knowledge, is to know truth from false and lofty things from low. To know the thoughts and deeds that have marked men’s progress, is to feel the heartthrob of humanity through the centuries; and if one does not feel in these pulsations a heavenward striving, one must indeed be deaf to the harmonies of life.”
—Helen Keller
Free-Range Freeschoolers 