kids and science
jstemwedel | February 10, 2006Elder offspring: Nocturnal animals are much cooler than diurnal ones.
Dr. Free-Ride: Why do you think nocturnal animals are cooler?
Elder offspring: (with a look of exasperation) Because they get to stay up at night!
Dr. Free-Ride: (to self) And sleep during the day ...
Elder offspring: And, bats -- which are my very favorite nocturnal animal -- use echolocation so they don't fly into things. They make these sounds (makes a high-pitched screechy sound) an' the sounds bounce off of objects, an' the bats listen to the sounds coming back to them, and then they know where the objects are so…
jstemwedel | February 3, 2006Yesterday was Groundhog's Day and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. The elder Free-Ride offspring expressed concerns about the conclusion that we're in for six more weeks of winter:
This is backwards! Seeing his shadow means it's sunny. Sunny means it's more like spring. I think seeing his shadow means spring should come sooner, not later.
That groundhog is in Pennsylvania. We're in California! Maybe we get spring sooner even if Pennsylvania gets six more weeks of winter. We would really need a groundhog in California to find out anything about what's going to happen with spring in…
jstemwedel | January 27, 2006Elder offspring (age 6.5): I can't wait for Friday! We get to do science in school!
Younger offspring (age 4.5): We do nature study every day.
Dr. Free-Ride: That's because you don't have standardized tests yet, or the science would get crowded out by all the other stuff on the test.
Elder offspring: We're learning about the life-cycles of different animals. And, we have two bearded dragons in our science classroom.
Younger offspring: We're learning about marine mammals, but Aidan C. and I call them "gaREEN mammals".
Dr. Free-Ride: Green mammals? You two are silly, aren't you. Hmm…
jstemwedel | January 20, 2006(Based on actual events.)
Younger offspring (age 4.5): (singing softly to self while arranging a line of nine grapes on breakfast plate) Nine planets, fine planets, in our solar system. Nine planets, fine planets, go ahead and list 'em ... *
Elder offspring (age 6.5): You know, in school we learned that they discovered a tenth planet. They used to call it planet X, but now they're callin' it Xena.
Younger offspring: (glowering at sibling and singing louder) NINE planets! FINE planets! In our sol-ar SYStem! NINE planets! FINE planets! Go ahead and LISTthem!
Dr. Free-Ride's better half…