Museum of Natural History makes teaching Evolution and Fossils easier

The Smithsonian museums are a gift for learners.   This weekend we went for the nth time to the Museum of Natural History.  There is so much to learn and cover every time you go there.  So, this time we focussed on the animals from the Celozoic era.   Fossils allow you to go back to another era and visualize that animal among different flora and fauna of that time.  The similarities between animals from another era and the present does not cease to fascinate us!   I read somewhere that there is nothing as dead as a fossil.  But scientists and many of us are intrigued by a Trilobyte fossil that is 480 million years old!  Next visit we will focus on another era and we will get ready to be WOWed again!!

Trip to Busch Gardens and a lesson on Physics!

We had a wonderful time at Busch Gardens past weekend. My kids enjoy the rides and as they are now a little older want to try out the roller coasters. Great teaching moment to talk to kids about the laws of physics. What makes the roller coasters move so fast? How do they gain so much energy? Talk about momentum and why roller coasters move in loops. How do cable cars move? Of course refrain from giving a long lecture on the laws of physics but show them simple examples and kids will grasp the information right away.

4th of July is more than fireworks and barbeques!

Most children do not know that the fourth of July is America's independence day. They remember it as a day to watch fireworks, attend parades and barbeques. We as parents and teachers need to emphasize the importance of this day. Make this a great opportunity to learn about the Declaration of Independence, learn the national anthem, talk about the nation's founders and how America won the war against Britain. If you are close to a museum like the Smithsonian or close to Williamsburg/Yorktown in Virginia, do take your children there. You will surprised how much knowledge we as parents can also gain from these trips.

Learning about History and Civics starts early!

History and Civics are very important subjects and deserve to be studied as early as possible. Many argue the need to study history and give it less importance than science and math. I think history teaches us about leadership, trials and triumphs, failures and successes, cultures and customs, of people all over the world. History lessons can be applied to the present and future. Reading about Harriet Tubman's perseverance to save as many slaves as possible, about Gandhi's non-violence movement, about Queen Hatshepsut's reign as a "king" of Egypt, about Mother Teresa's relentless efforts to help the poor, about Pele's rise to becoming a great soccer player, about Abraham Lincoln's love for reading, allows a child to use history as a guiding tool in his own life. I am able to teach my children and students strong values using history.

History can be taught in a story-like manner. Children love to listen if the story is exciting. When I first talked to my kids about the Boston Tea Party, they cleverly compared this to an earlier history lesson I had with them--Gandhiji and his famous march to Dandi in order to make salt. I was able to talk about several topics while we had discussed the Dandi March. We talked about civil disobedience, the meaning of taxes, the meaning of a democracy and the power of the people, about great leaders and so on.
I remember learning about the Boston Tea Party much later in school. By then, learning unfortunately was only to get good grades on the test!