Transcript Teaching Science Classically - The Consortium for Classical and

Teaching Science
Classically
Bob Hickey
Shepherd of the Springs Lutheran Church
The Road to Actualistic Science
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After driving culture for centuries, Theology was set aside by Descartes’
new emphasis on reason
Differences between secular and theological (Biblical Worldview) positions
are profound
– Secular natural history explores time prior to human civilization while Biblical
natural history addresses details that cover the entirety of time
– Secular view demands absolute physical continuity while Biblical view
acknowledges physical discontinuity in the direct immediate acts of God
• Naturalism – basic postulate of science: supernatural excluded from scientific
explanation
• Actualism – present scientific processes are the only options for past explanation
(uniformity of process)
• Materialism – physical matter/energy is the fundamental reality and everything is a
manifestation or result of matter/energy – the physical universe “is all there is, was, or
ever will be” (Sagan, 1980)
• Uniformity of law – laws of science are the same over time and space
• Uniformity of rate – gradualism (Lyell) – long periods of gradual geologic change
• Uniformity of conditions – dynamic steady-state conditions through time
• Uniformitarianism – natural continuity of physical, chemical, and geological causes and
effects
• Evolutionism – the theory of life changing directionally and irreversibly during descent
• Neocastastrophism – natural continuity of physical and chemical causes and effects.
Discontinuity of geological causes and effects
• Biblical view – continuity found in the will of God
The Road to Actualistic Science (cont.)
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In application, actualism/materialism/uniformity is more than a method – it is
part of a worldview opposed to Christianity
Luther and Calvin insisted that truth was guaranteed by revelation. The
NEW Philosophers from Descartes abandoned this
– The Creator reveals truth, man in God’s image sees truth, providence = causality,
the immutable God = continuity
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Historically, the doctrines of creation and providence provided a framework
for axioms essential to science
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Uniformity
Comprehensibility of nature
Linear time
Man as transcendent observer
Divine providence sees God as not only the creator of the universe, but also its
governor (the universe does not and cannot function independently of God)
– Newton recognized that explanation rested on truth guaranteed by Christianity
Cultural trends elevated science and philosophy over theology by the end of the 18th
century
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Newton’s mechanistic methods degraded to materialism
Enlightenment humanists achieved their goal – a schism between science and faith
Rather than a frontal assault on the Bible, humanist scientists first created
an imaginary period of time outside Bible history
The Road to Actualistic Science (cont.)
Biblical history was discarded
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An old earth was solidified as the norm for naturalists
Newton’s scientific method was extended to natural history
Physicochemical uniformity was transferred to geological causes
This provided the context for secularists to slide to metaphysical naturalism
Downplaying the theology opened the door for the Bible to be dismissed
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The Bible went from science’s foundation to the focus of its criticism
If Genesis is not historically accurate, what portions of the Bible are accurate?
Over time, God’s providence became “laws of nature”
Soon, both man and natural law were decoupled from God
Biblical teachings became subordinate to the materialistic framework
Nature went from the domain of God’s creation to a playground for man’s scientific genius
• Secularists first co-opted science and then used science to co-opt culture
– If nature and its “laws” were absolute, there was no need for the “God Hypothesis”
– Science was increasingly defined by its alleged ability to replace God
– Scientists lost their theological grounding by creating a mythology that pictured science as a
secular force freeing mankind from religion
– Science now ignored God because He does not exist, from a means of glorifying God to the
basis for denying Him
– Scientists now invent their own “gods” to account for phenomena that they do not understand
– Materialism now defines science – a blind chance mechanism
– Any idea or concept that includes God is automatically rejected as unscientific
The Biblical Response
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The key understanding is that the fundamental axiom of science is not actualism or
uniformity but the basic idea for continuity through time
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Discontinuity invalidates absolute uniformity by calling into question scientific predictability
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Christianity must change the rules back once again
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Orthodox Christianity always placed that continuity in the being of God, secularism in matter/energy
Materialists emphasize uniformity and natural laws as providing predictable cause and effect
Unveil the errors of uniformity
Offer a compelling alternative to finding truth in natural history rescuing science from its secular bonds
The secular worldview diverts us from the real issue
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We must address the issue in the context of a metaphysical basis for both natural history and science
Reverse the error of conflating the method of science with a philosophy of history
Secularists pretend theology is invalid while masking their theology with science
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Uniformity rests on causal continuity through time (physicochemical uniformity is inherent to
matter)
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Material uniformity must resort to special pleading to account for initial conditions
The origin of a finite universe is non-actualistic
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Assertion that Genesis is wrong is no less religious that affirming its truth!
Enlightenment thinkers suppressed the traditional view of reality based on creation and providence
Deep time shoved that discontinuity far into the past
Entropy dictates a hard limit of absolute efficiency at some point in the past
This leaves only two options: the universe is finite or the rules changed at some point
Either choice destroys absolute uniformity – it fails
God’s being is causal continuity and His providence is physicochemical uniformity!
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Science requires causal continuity and secularism requires that it be in nature
Continuity and uniformity are not absolute in nature
The Biblical Response (cont.)
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The Biblical Worldview solves the problem and provides a coherent and consistent
framework for understanding nature: past and present
The Biblical Worldview teaches that God’s interactions with the world fall under two distinct
categories: creation and providence
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They are united in His eternal infallible will but they are distinct
Creation was distinct from natural processes
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God is no less responsible for the history of the world than for its origin
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By revelation, we understand that He chooses to maintain the natural order in predictable regularities using
secondary causes
God is God so nothing precludes His direct immediate causing of anything at any time or place
Providence negates methodological naturalism just as creation negates metaphysical naturalism
Orthodox providence provides the solid Christian basis for science
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Science cannot explain the miraculous works of God because they are outside the regularities of providence
(domain of science)
God created everything
Cause is unified in God’s will and there are no gaps in God’s will – the ultimate causal force behind everything
It does not exercise its own power except in so far as it is directed by God
Governing Heaven and Earth, He so regulates all things so that nothing takes place without His will
God is the sustainer, this was the perspective held by early scientists (so, teach it that way)
Once providence was removed from men’s minds, it was easier to do the same with creation
» Men forgot science was built on axioms justified only by Biblical theology: science is rooted in the theology
of creation and providence
Providence is the antidote to naturalism of all types
The Biblical Worldview
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Biblical Worldview science teaching needs to be oriented toward discovering truth
about the past
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Since Christianity relies on revelation and revelation is comprised largely of historical
narrative, that narrative is important to our understanding of natural history
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Christianity explains continuity and discontinuity in the natural world by placing the ultimate causal
continuity in God
Providence is the antidote to secular assertions that science is inherently naturalistic
Continuity of cause and effect resides in God!
There is no inherent contradiction between natural and supernatural because God is the
cause of both
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They reveal different aspects of divine providence and God’s character
God supersedes the regular workings of His providence in:
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His past work of creation
His past modification of Earth by the Flood
The Incarnation
His miracles spread throughout history
The coming re-creation at the end time
Biblical history focuses on truth and meaning
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Restoration of the theological framework of divine providence is needed to open the door to natural
history
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Secularists reject the Bible and stumble in the dark
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God has acted in space and time
Therefore, His actions cannot be ignored
They are unable to make much of the past
So, they construct imaginative scenarios that cannot stand empirical scrutiny
The actual description of events is present in Genesis
Some post-modern secular scientists deny confidence in absolute truth
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They assert that truth originates from human experience (Humanistic mindset)
This is another way of denying that God is powerful and intelligent enough to communicate truth to us
The Biblical Worldview (cont.)
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The secularists throw out objective truth for a truth substitute that liberates and allows them to escape
accountability to God’s absolute truth and authority
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Postmodern bias is so prevalent today that a reputable science journal promoted this nonsense as
serious science-based truth analysis
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They label absolute truth and objective reality as tyranny
Real truth is a terrible ruler, a dictator that deprives us of liberty
Denying the fact of objective reality is often considered to be scholarly
Why do post-moderns close the Bible?
» God’s truth imposes accountability
» Absolute truth cannot be manipulated by what you want it to be
This is a form of human-glorifying idolatry, creating a substitute for God
Real truth liberates, God’s Word sets us free
Natural processes follow consistent physical laws that are the visible expression of God’s
regular providence outside the supraphysical discontinuities described in scripture: creation,
the Flood, and the end of the world
– In an objective search for truth, Genesis would have a seat at the table
• It offers advantages to natural history
– Openness to empirical data – let the rocks tell their story without an outmoded view of science
forcing interpretation
– Ties up loose ends – natural history must be subordinate to theology if truth is the object
– Focuses on a goal of truth – secular history continues to undercut Biblical authority by using a
focus on method to distract from the real conflict
– Provides a support system – Christianity provides a system of ethics and belief structure that
promote honesty, objectivity, tolerance, and inquisitiveness
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The ultimate issue is where we can find causal continuity
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Biblical Worldview theology
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Eliminates the secular pitfall
Provides a self-consistent basis for truth in science and history setting boundaries with revelation
The Biblical Worldview (cont.)
– Biblical Worldview: Creation and Providence
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God is absolute, free to create
God’s perspective defines truth: man, made in God’s image, is distinct from nature
Unity of truth is guaranteed by God
Man is given dominion over the rest of creation: God provides for man through creation
Man is prone to error by nature: truth deserves the greatest care and effort (scientific
objectivity and precision)
• God is rational and efficient: creation should reflect that in quantifiable precision
• Man is given dominion: he must comprehend Creation in order to oversee it
– To recapture science in the minds of our children, we need to teach science in
the context of:
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God’s created universe and His intelligent design as seen everywhere
The Flood and catastrophes
The young universe; clear creation-centered approach
God’s regulatory providence
Origins from a Biblical worldview
Which model explains the observed and discovered data better – good science explains
the data whether the explanation is popular or contradicts opinions of those whose
hearts are set against God
Classical Approach to Science
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Grammar Stage – the science of discovery
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This is the years in which the building blocks for all other science learning are laid
This is not the time to force rational scientific analysis and explanations on a child’s mind
It is the time for learning of facts, not self-expression or self-discovery
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Observation is critical along with collecting and identifying
Logic Stage – the science of correct reasoning
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Getting descriptions of plants, animals, human body, etc.
Discovering science through use of narration and summarization
Acquiring as many words and managing as many scientific concepts as possible
The time when the student begins to pay attention to CAUSE and EFFECT
The WHY of scientific ideas and concepts becomes important
The way facts fit together in a logical framework becomes interesting
Abstract thought and critical thinking appear
The logical framework of science is the scientific method of reasoning and practicing it
develops critical thinking skills
Students search for and critically examine scientific arguments and analyze their own
Students learn that their own knowledge and experiences are not sufficient and that they
need much more information
Students want to know why a scientific argument is TRUE or FALSE
Students apply the rules of logic to information they learned earlier
Rhetoric Stage – the science of correct expression
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Express scientific ideas and conclusions in a clear, forceful, and elegant way
Engage in a deep focused study of science with only one subject yearly
Classical Approach to Science (cont.)
– Students find the means of scientific persuasion
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Articulate answers to important questions of science
Persuade others with scientific facts
Defend scientific hypotheses and theories against rebuttal
Apply what is known to what is not known
Learn to present the arguments well
– Scientific ideas earlier analyzed are now synthesized with resulting
insights
• Classical Science Through the Trivium
– All knowledge, and specifically science learning, is interrelated
– The approach takes history as the unifying conceptual framework
– Science, like history, is studied in a three-part four-year pattern
corresponding to the periods of scientific discovery in history
• Biology, classification and the human body was known to the ancients (5000
BC – 400 AD): grades 1, 5, 9
• Earth Sciences and Astronomy flowered during the early Renaissance (400
AD – 1600 AD): grades 2, 6, 10
• Chemistry came into its own in the early modern period (1600 AD – 1850
AD): grades 3, 7, 11
• Physics and Computer Science are modern subjects (1850-present): grades
4, 8, 12
• This pattern brings coherence to history, literature, and science
• Education widens and deepens as the student advances through the Trivium
Classical Approach to Science (cont.)
– Science is taught in the context of all knowledge
• It dwells on one area of science long enough to allow the student to exercise his mind in
a scholarly way
– Make connections
– Trace developments
– Discover lines of reasoning and patterns
– Discussions and critiques are essential for students to recognize and internalize
scientific thinking techniques
• Students compete strongly but according to well accepted rules of correct reasoning
– It imparts the tools for the art of self-learning in the sciences
• The tools of the scientific method of reasoning are fundamental
• Inquiry centers around presentation of data by the teacher through reading, discussion,
guided questioning (tell me more, what did we observe, etc.) and experimentation
activities that are challenging and exciting
• Freedom of inquiry requires that one be free to search where their inquiry leads without
fear of retribution
• Data is, then, acted upon by the student with the tools of the scientific method:
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Observation
Classification and synthesis
Interpreting (from investigation of the data)
Inferring (making assumptions about the data)
Making definitions (clear and precise)
Prediction (from the data)
Formulating questions and hypotheses
Experimenting (make judgments by testing the hypotheses)
Measuring (using standards)
Formulating models (conclusions from the results – changeable with new data)
Communicating (oral, written, drawings, charts, graphs, etc.)
Classical Approach to Science (cont.)
• This method taught through hands-on activities provides the framework for learning
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It creates the platform for critical thought and open-mindedness
It teaches skills to make critical observations with data
It develops logical scientific thought patterns, decision-making ability, and critical thinking
It teaches:
» Respect for logic
» A desire to search for data and meaning
» A longing for knowledge and understanding
» Consideration of consequences
» Consideration of premises
» Demand for verification
» The questioning of all things
– Science should be a search for truth, as this method fosters
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What we should expect in a Christian Classical science environment
– That courses develop the necessary skills in critical thinking and scientific inquiry
• Enabling skills: perceiving (observing, contrasting), conceiving (grouping, classifying,
categorizing), ordering, sequencing, prioritizing
• Processing skills: analyzing (relevant, irrelevant, unreliable), questioning and inferring
(meaning, cause-and-effect, predictions, generalizations, points-of-view)
• Operational skills: logical reasoning and evaluation
– That courses are developed with activity-oriented experiences challenging the
student on higher learning skill levels (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, etc.)
• This resides largely in open-ended real-world activities
• The freedom to explore leads to further motivation and discovery, and develops inquiry
skills
Classical Approach to Science (cont.)
– That science education incorporates math, reading, writing, history, literature
• Each course should be in context with the total learning process
• Teachers avoid the concept that science is somehow separate
– That courses are centered on the attributes of God and the Biblical Worldview
• The clear and tested historicity of Scripture is accepted eliminating the frustrations
around the first causes of origins
• Creation is an integral part of learning
• The Creator is given the credit for the order and design observed in the physical and life
sciences
• The highest of all thinking is based on the Creator who created all and gave man the
mind and task to investigate His creation
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Science teachers, especially, mold the minds of their students
– Teachers construct the knowledge and understanding of the world around them
– Teachers influence their belief system and can affect a student for a lifetime
– The gift of teaching is from God (1Cor. 12:28) and involves great responsibility
• The teacher must first believe in God’s absolute authority, be a diligent student of the
Word (2Tim. 2:15), and be “apt to teach” (2Tim. 2:24-25)
• Christian science teachers must comprehend that they have greater accountability for
the correctness of what they teach from the Biblical Worldview perspective
• Wrong teaching can lead a student down the wrong path in their relationship with God
• Teach the truths of the Bible, how to evaluate the evidence, and how to distinguish fact
from hypothesis
• Lead the student to realize that the evidence supports creation much more than
evolution
Classical Approach to Science (cont.)
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The Two-Model Approach to teaching origins science: Creation versus Evolution
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The approach bases emphasis on the interpretation of newly discovered scientific data
The approach is significant when students are exposed to ALL data related to origins
Students must be trained in objective inquiry
It must be recognized and taught that non-testable dogma is a religion of its own
The tests to determine if a model fits the context of valid scientific methodology are:
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For over the past 100 years, Darwin’s ideas have become “not-to-be challenged”
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There are growing amounts of challenging data and scientists who feel free to challenge
Many are questioning interpretations as they review emerging data
Teachers must allow the student the option for this challenge
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Can it explain what has been observed
Can it predict what has not been observed
Can it be modified as new data emerge
Can it be subjected to a test of falsification
Present them with a better scientific view based upon inquiry
Students must observe data and make decisions without fear of reprisal via the logical thought process
opposed to the dogmatic approach which is shown to be wrong
In a controlled experiment, students taught the Two-Model Approach made significant gains
in achievement
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On testing, they did better at learning
Those in the middle to upper IQ range showed significant preference for the creation model
They were more highly motivated, developed better critical thinking habits, were more open-minded,
and they were more willing to change their view with the arrival of new pertinent data
The Nuts-and Bolts of Teaching Science Classically
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Traditionally in the Classical Curriculum, science was reserved for study in
the quadrivium
– Science as a discipline requires a full toolbox of learning and study skills
– Science depends upon:
• The ability to identify and accumulate facts (grammar)
• The ability to organize, analyze, and synthesize these facts (logic)
• The ability to interpret and hypothesize about the facts (rhetoric)
– Communicate the interpretations, hypotheses, and theories to others
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Lay the Foundations in classical science education
– The Grammar Stage concentrates on the accumulation of facts
– Classical education requires a student to collect, memorize, and categorize
information
• Young people are sponges that need to be filled
• Supply the information to allow the child to overflow with creativity – pictures, stories,
and facts
– The mental pegs on which later information can be hung
– The early elementary years are ideal for soaking up knowledge
• Intensive study of facts equips the student for fluent and articulate expression later
• So, the key to the first stage is content – accumulating masses of information
– Children crave scientific names, properties, ideas, concepts, descriptions, characters, images
– Children enjoy lists, rattling off information (that they may not understand until later)
Teaching Science – The Parrot Years
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The four years of science are divided into subjects roughly corresponding to
the periods of history
– First graders, studying the ancients, learn about those things the ancients could
see: animal life, insects, human life, and plants
• Make collections and begin to group plants and animals, rocks, feathers, flowers,
leaves, insects, etc.
• Take nature walks and trips
• Do experimental projects (grow plants and pollywogs) and observe, examine, and
describe
• Identify things and practice this
• Familiarize students with the vocabulary of what they experience and associate facts
• Learn about some of the men of science in the era being studied
• Read, give a brief description of facts and history (lecture) , and prompt narration from
the students (summarization)
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Can you tell me things you learned about ?
What is the most interesting thing ?
Children illustrate the narration with pictures or drawings, photocopies, and cutouts
Narration pages should be kept in a science notebook documenting their observations
Make posters and do other observation and/or experiment activities
• Use trips, journals, matching games, collections and posters to help the student identify
the natural world around them
• Plan a topic per week and plan to meet for science one to two times a week
(approximately 60 minutes each time – longer for walks and trips)
• Use encyclopedic sources like the First Animal Encyclopedia, and Nature Guides, and
supplement as desired with additional readings
Teaching Science – The Parrot Years (cont.)
– Second graders, going along with the Medieval/Early Renaissance period, collect
facts about the earth and sky
• Teach students to understand more complex concepts like the vastness of space
• Continue to observe, identify, examine, investigate and learn
• Experiment more and continue to advance in classification (stars, planets, etc.) and
description
• Learn about some of the great men of Earth Science and Astronomy of this era
• Pick and choose topics that excite your students – do not plan to cover everything
– Plan a half year for each topic category: earth and sky
– Introduce the study of the Earth Sciences and Astronomy (it is not to be an exhaustive study)
• For basic texts, utilize encyclopedic material like the Usborn Internet-Linked First
Encyclopedia of (Our World or Space), nature guides, and supplement with additional
readings
• Plan on doing science two days per week for 60-90 minutes each session
• Read the appropriate pages aloud to the students
– Encourage the students to read portions of the text aloud as able
– Prompt narration after the readings with questions like suggested for the First Graders
– As children are ready, have them write some of their narration and also document with
drawings, pictures, cutouts, photos
– Then do additional readings and utilize library visits
– Narrations go into the science notebook
Teaching Science – The Parrot Years (cont.)
• Follow up each reading with an activity, experiment, and/or project, including several
star-gazing nights
– For each activity, have an experiment page for the science notebook
» Record any vocabulary and the definitions as encountered
» Record the demonstrations using a form of the scientific method: ask a question (what is
the demonstration trying to show?); guess what might happen; do the demonstration
(what we used and steps done); record what happened (the results); what we learned (if
the results matched the guess or showed what the demonstration wanted to show); draw
conclusions and/or make applications of what was learned
– Third graders: aligned with the period spanning 1600 AD-1850 AD when the first
great chemists lived, work on basic chemistry – atoms, elements, molecules, and
how they interact
• The first part of the chemistry lesson teaches principles of chemistry through
experimentation two days per week
– Using a science encyclopedia (like the Usborne Internet-linked First Encyclopedia of Science) is
recommended
– Use a chemistry experiment book (Adventures with Atoms and Molecules, The McBane and
Rybolt books)
– Supplement with other reading
– Utilize a science notebook and record each experiment on a page using a form of the scientific
method as in Second Grade
– Aim to do two experiments per week, one per science period (90-120 minutes): this gives some
time to spend on complicated experiments
• The second part of the chemistry lesson teaches definitions
– As a student activity, look up all introduced terms in a science encyclopedia
– Create definition pages for the science notebook with drawings/diagrams/pictures that make the
term clear
– Read through the introductions together with the pupils and help students look up definitions
Teaching Science – The Parrot Years (cont.)
– Encourage students to go back and draw diagrams as later experiments fill in
terms earlier introduced
– The students practice (with multiple sources) how to look up and record scientific
information
– The teacher can also identify books on individual chemistry topics (like the atom)
to augment the basic materials
– Fourth graders: studying the modern historical times (1850 AD present), learn basic concepts of physics and elements of computer
science
• Physics at this stage is the study of the physical world and how it works
– The concepts of physics include
» Sound
» Magnetism
» Electricity
» Energy
» Motion
• Fourth grade physics, like Third Grade chemistry, is experiment-focused
– A good physics handbook is Physics Experiments for Children
» It contains experiments divided into: matter, water, mechanical energy and
machines, heat, sound, light, and magnetism and electricity
– Use a science encyclopedia like the one recommended for Third Grade (First
Science Encyclopedia or The Science Encyclopedia)
– Keep a science notebook for physics divided into:
» Experiments
» Finding out more
Teaching Science – The Parrot Years (cont.)
– Perform two experiments per week, one per science period (90-120 minutes)
» Fill out an experiment page as in Third Grade
» Then, using an appropriate science encyclopedia, read more
» After reading, each student should write a three or four sentence narration explaining
some of the concepts covered and their ramifications
• Most elementary students need a gentle introduction to physics
– Students are still working to master the basic skills of reading, writing
– Physics involves the most abstract scientific concepts
– There are physics books for a more challenging physics course, if desired, with more complex
experiments and more detailed explanations
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The order of science subjects as suggested above moves from the most
concrete to the most abstract
– It provides links between science study and the times when scientists lived
– Three science programs have been developed compatible with the classical
approach
• God’s Design for Science (Answers in Genesis – all four years)
• Real Science-4-Kids for chemistry and biology
• Great Science Adventures based on cut-and-paste
– Text materials for all four grades can be supplied from A Beka Book sources
– Each of the four fundamental sciences is studied for a year rather than jumping
from one subject to another randomly and without reason
Teaching Science – The Argumentative Years
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Around fourth grade, the student’s mind begins to generalize, to question, to
analyze – develops the capacity for abstract thought
In the second stage of the Trivium, the student begins to connect all the
learned facts and discover relationships among them
Now, it is time for critical thinking taught through validating arguments
– Critical thinking means that the student stops absorbing facts uncritically and
starts to ask “why?”
– The student who masters higher ordered thinking and problem solving
techniques does not just memorize a formula
• The student memorizes the formula and figures out how and why it works
• The student extrapolates from it to apply a concept to other situations
– But critical thinking skills and fact gathering are not mutually exclusive
• You cannot teach a student to follow a recipe without providing the butter
• The new focus on how’s, why’s, and wherefores does not mean facts are no longer
needed
– The student evaluates, traces connections, fits facts into a logical framework and
analyzes the arguments of self and others
• Information is still absorbed
• Instead of passively accepting information, the student will interact with it, deciding:
– Its value
– Its purpose
– Its place in the scheme of scientific knowledge
Teaching Science – The Argumentative Years (cont.)
• The student should no longer be struggling with the basic skills
– The student must read fluently and well
– The student will write more extensively as he evaluates, analyzes, and draws scientific
conclusions
• The student has already been exposed to the basics
– The student has the framework to think critically
– The student was taught the bits of information – the parts – and assembling them into a whole
– The mind has matured and developed beyond the need for spoon-feeding
– Education now moves to a whole-to-parts method of teaching
• Take information, a concept, or a phenomenon and analyze it
• Questions become: what differences do you see, what is the function, describe the
subject
• Logic trains the mind to approach a subject by looking for patterns and relationships
– Why don’t I believe this argument?
– What other points of view exist on this subject?
– These kinds of questions now make sense (where they did not in the Parrot Years)
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Teaching in the logic phase
– The student will dig deeper and do more independent discovery
• The teacher will concentrate on dialog with the student
– The teacher provides a conversation that guides the student toward the correct scientific
conclusion while finding their own way
– Disagreement is allowed as long as the facts support the points
– Expect the student to not just repeat what was read but rework the material to reflect their own
thoughts
– This results in learning the subject
Teaching Science – The Argumentative Years (cont.)
• The teacher uses instruction to encourage the students to formulate their own questions
and pursue the answers
– In addition to textbooks, more and more original sources will be used from a
variety of sources to encourage more interest
• The student will be doing more independent work than in the grammar stage
• The teacher needs to maintain close supervision
– Assignments must be checked regularly – at least weekly
– Insist that the students keep up
Logic Science – Making Deductions
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The student begins to make connections
– Among the science disciplines
– Between science and history – discoveries and dates of scientists
– Between the scientific method and the rules of logic – testing knowledge through
experiments
– Beyond the surficial discoveries made in the earlier grades
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Teacher’s goals
– Middle-grade students still cannot be stuffed with an exhaustive amount of
knowledge in the sciences
– The goal is to teach the student to think critically about doing science
• The student learns how scientists in each field use experimentation to confirm their
hypotheses/theories
• Through experimentation the student will practice using the scientific method
• Experiment-focused study will help the students to learn the basics of each scientific
field
• The student studies science by doing experiments, recording results, and then reading
and writing more about the discoveries
• The student will also create important diagrams with labels (the cell, the atom, solar
system, etc.)
• The goal is to lead the student in understanding and using the scientific method across
the sciences to teach “how” to do science
Logic Science – Making Deductions (cont.)
• Use resources to introduce secular viewpoints in each science subject area
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Use God’s Word as the guideposts
Use plenty of discussion
Discover answers with the application of logic
Begin to dive into the creation/evolution debate
Be the devil’s advocate with logic and show what holds up under the microscope of true
scientific inquiry
– Textual material
• To do this, the science program needs to offer plenty of interesting and well-integrated
experiments
• The teacher needs to give the student the chance for deeper investigation
• Stay on each area of science for one full year
• Text material needs to be augmented with special supplemental readings, science kits,
and projects focused on discovery and experimentation
• Science encyclopedias are needed for reference
– For fifth and sixth grades, the Usborne Internet-linked Science Encyclopedia is still a good
resource
– The Dorling Kindersley Visual Encyclopedia is a good source for reports
– The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia is a more advanced reference work for sixth grade and up
– The Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Science: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology Facts is an
advanced work approaching high school level
• The biology/earth science-astronomy-meteorology/chemistry/physics sequence
conveniently links science and history
Logic Science – Making Deductions (cont.)
– Teaching schedule
• Science should be done two days a week for 90 to 120 minutes per session
– The first science period of the week should be spent performing experiments, recording results,
and making sketches/diagrams
– The second session should be spent preparing a report and recording new important data, new
vocabulary, discoveries, and research using the encyclopedias and special resources
– Other time should be set aside for working on special projects (science fair, etc.)
– Science notebook
• The science notebook is again used to pull the science study together in one place
– Experiments
» The student will do experiments using the scientific method to test and confirm newfound knowledge
» Experiments should be recorded in the specific scientific method pattern: state the
question (what am I attempting to answer); form an hypothesis (what could the answer
be); the steps of the experiment (how will the answer be tested); what are the results –
the data; what was learned (did the results match the answer or show what was desired);
draw conclusions and/or make applications
– Sketches
» Develop models or diagrams (cell, molecule, etc.)
» Label completely and clearly
– Reports
» Reports grow progressively more complicated (describe and summarize): fifth grade –
two to three paragraphs; sixth grade – a page; seventh/eighth grades – up to two pages
Logic Science – Making Deductions (cont.)
– Data/dates
» Record any special information discovered (interesting and/or unexpected)
» When dates of important scientific discoveries or events and the birth and death of
scientists are encountered, they should be recorded
» Any dates that fall within the period of history being studied should be entered on the
history timeline
» Record notes taken from class discussions, explanations (processes), Bible verses,
definitions, answers to questions posed
– Extra activities
» Periodically plan extra activities and field trips (museums, exhibits, field work, etc.)
» Coordinate each such activity with the specific study area
» Document the activity, discoveries, knowledge learned, results
– Fifth grade – Biology
• God’s Design for Science (Answers in Genesis), including experiments, is good text
material
• The teacher can begin experimentation using Kneidel’s Creepy Crawlies and the
Scientific Method: Over 100 Hands-on Science Experiments
– Leads the student through the steps of the scientific method
– Gives instructions to the students as they are just beginning to think critically about science
• Once comfortable with the scientific method, the teacher can choose from many
science kits, A Beka Book materials, or customize as seen fit
– More from the intermediate level to the advanced level
• Memory work suggestions
– The basic phyla of the animal kingdom
– Plant kingdom, including lists of important structures
» Parts of a flower
» Types of leaves
» Types of roots, etc.
Logic Science – Making Deductions (cont.)
– Human body
» Body systems (skin, muscular, digestive, circulatory, nervous, etc.)
» Major bones
» Blood
» Teeth, etc.
– Sixth grade - Astronomy and Earth Sciences
• The year can be split about in half between the two science categories
• As with fifth grade, the student will learn more about research and writing by completing
brief weekly compositions
• The teacher can pick and choose from a number of experiment kits or customize as
desired
– Text Approach: God’s Design for Science, including experiments
– Text supplement: A Beka Book materials
• Memory work suggestions
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The planets of the solar system
Elements of earth’s crust
Parts of the earth
The continents
Types of clouds
Kepler’s laws of motion
Star types
• Do not forget to do several star-gazing night events
– Use a star wheel
– Use the Stargazer’s Guide to the Galaxy and Spotter’s Guide: The Night Sky
• Visit available geologic sites (like caverns, mountains, etc.) to collect and classify rocks
Logic Science – Making Deductions (cont.)
– Seventh grade - Chemistry
• A suggested chemistry kit is Thames & Kosmos CHEM 2000
– Comes with a 251-experiment manual
– Covers the major topics of chemistry
• This can be supplemented with experiments from Mastering the Periodic Table:
Exercises on the Elements
• A Periodic Table of Elements is recommended
• A text book-centered approach has several options
– Two options for the middle school chemistry curriculum:
» God’s Design for Science – includes experiments
» Real Science-4-Kids - includes experimentation
– Text supplements: A Beka Book materials
• Memory work is still important
– Atom makeup
– Certain common molecules’ makeup (like water)
– Nucleus structure
• Do not forget field trips to places where chemistry is at work (water treatment plant,
power plant, etc.)
– Eighth grade - Physics
• Teach physics at the physical science level: force, motion, sound, light, and magnetism
– Begin with intermediate level experiments and move to advanced
– You can use a textbook-centered approach
» Real Science-4-Kids, including experimentation
» God’s Design for Science, including experiments
Logic Science – Making Deductions (cont.)
• Do not forget memory work
– Centered around physics facts collected as the student studies
» The three gas laws
» The laws of thermodynamics
» Newton’s laws of motion
» The colors of the spectrum
» Key definitions
• Do not forget physical science projects, exhibits, and local museums
– After four years of scientific factual discovery and four years of logic science, the
student will have grasped the basic concepts of the sciences and principles of
experimentation
• How to assemble facts and draw conclusions from experimentation
• How to research conclusions
• How to summarize and communicate scientific information
– For Creation Science concepts, supplemental materials and curricula will be
required to augment the standard science materials
• God’s Design for Life, from Answers in Genesis, is designed for teaching the life
sciences through the Grammar and Logic stages from a Biblical Worldview perspective
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God’s Design for Life (Biology)
God’s Design for Heaven and Earth (Astronomy and the Earth Sciences)
God’s Design for Chemistry
God’s Design for the Physical World (Physics)
This Biblical responsibility is especially acute in science education
Logic Science – Making Deductions (cont.)
• Science Education Essentials, developed by the Institute for Creation Research
– Five creation-based teaching supplements for use with normal science curricula
» Teach how science supports the truth of the Bible (creation, flood and other aspects of
earth and its history)
» Origin of life (Biology and Creation)
» Human heredity (Biology)
» Genetic diversity (Biology)
» Geologic processes (Earth Science, the Flood, and Astronomy)
» Structure of matter (Physics)
» K-12 classroom activities and teacher’s manual
• Supplements can be derived from the Classical Christian Homeschooling Classical
Curriculum to fit within formal Classical Model above or from A Beka Book materials
– Non-aligned Trivium science unit materials creation/flood Biblically-based
• Supplements can also be derived from the Noea Science Curriculum for grades 1-6
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Balance between the classical method and the Charlotte Mason approach
Based on repeated 3-year cycle instead of the 4-year cycle
God-centered approach
The curriculum believes in the hands-on experimental approach emphasizing narration and
summarization, vocabulary, observation, and the scientific method
• There are a number of books (see Bibliography) and DVD supplements available from a
number of Creation organizations
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Creation Research Society (www.creationresearch.org)
Institute for Creation Research (www.icr.org)
Answers in Genesis (www.answersingenesis.org)
Creation Ministries International (www.creation.com)
Local creation organizations
Teaching Science – Speaking Your Mind
•
The student will use knowledge and the skill of the logical argument to write
and speak about science – the Rhetoric Stage
– Rhetoric is the art of expression
– The student learns to express scientific arguments with fluency, elegance, and
persuasiveness
• Expression is clear and convincing
• Success in speech and writing becomes a matter of skill and practice – not an accident
– The student expresses himself by continually writing and speaking about science
• The skills of rhetoric are exercised in the science (and other) classes
• Each year, there will be writing projects (including one major project)
– At this stage, there is a focus on the Great Books, the Great Conversations of
Science, and the Great Debates of Science
• This is rhetoric in action
• Great books provide historical perspective on the accepted concepts of science of our
age
• They prevent the student from swallowing the rhetoric of modern secular scientists
undigested (Ross, Dawkins, Gould, Darwin, Hawking, etc.)
• It is time for the student to enter into the Great Debates of Science (evolution/creation,
uniformity, age of the universe, intelligent design, etc.)
Teaching Science – Speaking Your Mind (cont.)
•
Principles and Laws – Rhetoric Science
– Science subjects are rigorous and demanding
• Time allocated should be 5 hours per week (1 hour one day and two hours 2 days per
week)
• The student will study the principles and laws of each of the sciences in the 4-year
rotation
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The student receives a sound grasp of the fundamental scientific ideas
The student will read and write about science as well as perform experiments
The student will explore original science resources rather than workbooks alone
The student will do science self-consciously – not just learn about science but ask what the
implications of each discovery are (what does this theory say about my existence)
– Science is taught in the context of the study of ideas
– The student is not learning merely abstract principle but seeing how they fit into the Great
Conversation
– Rhetoric science study breaks into the following parts
• The study of principles
– This is standard science
– With text and experiment books, the student learns the concepts and laws of each scientific
field
» Biology (9th grade)
» Astronomy and Earth Sciences ( 10th grade)
» Chemistry (11th grade)
» Physics (12th grade)
– This is done by reading, writing, and experimentation
Teaching Science – Speaking Your Mind (cont.)
• Source readings
– The student reads from primary scientific sources – the work of contemporary scientists in their
day
– The student writes a brief book report/analysis of each text
– The readings are meant to give historical perspective to the study of science and to assist the
student in joining into its Great Debates
• Joining the Great Conversation
– Each year the student writes a paper tracing the history and development of scientific
knowledge, discovery, technology, or a scientific theory
» Allow 4-6 weeks for the paper
» The paper also discusses any ethical issues raised
» The paper is written in the Spring: 4-6 pages (9th grade); 5-8 pages (10th grade); 6-10
pages (11th grade); 8-12 pages (12th grade)
– The paper centers around the field of science being studied that year
– This paper is placed in the papers section of the science notebook
• Reading source material and writing a science paper (one day each week - seven
weeks per quarter in-class time devoted to this activity)
– There should be one reading and paper per quarter year, promoting critical thought and making
science human
– These papers are placed in the source readings section of the science notebook
– The 1-hour science period each week could/should be used for this
Teaching Science – Speaking Your Mind (cont.)
• Two days each week for two hours per session is devoted to the study of principles of
science
– The student reads from the science text and supplements with research from other resources
on-hand
– The student writes a brief composition summarizing the information – more detailed than in the
logic stage
» Compositions draw information from the primary science texts
» Also, information is drawn from other general reference works and teacher information
» Composition should be 1.5 to 2 pages in length
– The student makes pertinent sketches or diagrams
– The student performs experiments and records results in the scientific method form
– The teacher fills in any other required pertinent information or problem solving and the student
takes notes
– All of this work is filed in the science notebook under Principles
– The Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Science and/or other reference sources should be onhand for the student
– It is suggested that the first two-hour period of each week be reserved for teacher information,
student text reading, research of the topic, and note taking
– In the second period of the week, the student should perform the experiments, recording results
in the scientific method form, and write the composition, referring to notes taken, experiment
results, and conclusions
» All of this material goes into the principles section of the science notebook
Teaching Science – Speaking Your Mind (cont.)
• Science texts for the Rhetoric Stage
– A Beka Book high school science texts and other materials
» Biology: God’s Living Creation, second edition or later (companion experiment book)
(includes exercises)
» Chemistry: Precision & Design, second edition or later (companion experiment book)
(includes exercises)
» Physics: The Foundational Science, (companion experiment book) (includes exercises)
– Dr. Jay Wiley high school series
» Exploring Creation with Biology (includes labs/exercises)
» Exploring Creation with Chemistry (includes labs/exercises)
» Exploring Creation with Physics (includes labs/exercises)
» Advanced science courses are also available: The Human Body: Fearfully and
Wonderfully Made (Human Anatomy & Cell Biology); Advanced Chemistry in Creation
(AP Chemistry); Advanced Physics in Creation (AP Physics); Origins Science Debate
– Dr. Jay Wiley’s Self-Teaching Guides (designed for college prep)
» Biology: A Self-Teaching Guide
» Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide
» Chemistry: Concepts and Problems – a Self-Teaching Guide
» Basic Physics: A Self-Teaching Guide
» Saxon Physics Home Study Kit (more technical and math oriented, AP credit)
Teaching Science – Speaking Your Mind (cont.)
– Any text series should be supplemented with any of a number of experiment guides
– Supplemental resources (original texts) should be used as well at this level (see Bibliography)
– Earth Science text material is missing from all of the above series
» A solid secular text is recommended to be used, with supplemental creation Biblical
Worldview resources for countering the secular views expressed, where necessary (see
Bibliography for supplements)
» Utilize: Earth Science, 12th edition or greater, Tarbuk and Lutgens, 2009, Prentice Hall for
Geology, Astronomy, Meteorology, and Oceanography. Tarbuk and Lutgens are the
standard authors for college introductory Geology. This requires that the teacher has at
least some working knowledge of, or background in, Creation Science/Biblical Worldview
(see Bibliography) to catch the “old earth” nuances and counter the outright
uniformity/actualistic teachings.
References for Teaching Science Classically
Anderson, Kevin, Ph.D., Thor’s Hammer, Creation Research Society Quarterly, Vol. 49, No. 4, Spring
2013
Bauer, Susan Wise and Jessie Wise, The Well-Trained Mind, Third Edition, W.W. Norton & Company,
New York, 2009
Bliss, Richard, Ph.D., 2013, A Comparison of Students Studying the Origin of Life from a Two-Model
Approach vs. Those Studying from a Single-Model Approach, www.icr.org/article/comparisonstudents-origin-life-two-vs-one-those-study/, accessed 4/11/13
Bliss, Richard, Ph.D., 2013, A Path for Excellence in K-6 Science, www.icr.org/article/path-forexcellence-K-6-science/, accessed 4/11/13
Bliss, Richard, Ph.D., 2013, A Two-Model Approach to Origins: A Curriculum Imperative,
www.icr.org/article/two-model-approach-origins-curriculum-imperative/, accessed 4/11/13
Bliss, Richard, Ph.D., 2013, Good Science: A K-6 Plan for Excellence, www.icr.org/article/goodscience-K-6-plan-for-excellence/, accessed 4/11/13
Bliss, Richard, Ph.D., 2013, Science Education Its Methods and Purpose, www.icr.org/article/scienceeducation-its-methods-purpose/, accessed 4/11/13
Bliss, Richard, Ph.D., 2013, Scientific Integrity, www.icr.org/article/scientific-integrity/, accessed
4/11/13
Forlow, Rhonda, Ed.D., 2013, Science Resources for the Homeschool, www.icr.org/article/scienceresources-for-homeschool/, accessed 4/11/13
Johnson, James J. S., J.D., Th.D., Real Freedom Only Comes from Real Truth, Acts & Facts, Vol. 42,
No. 4, Institute for Creation Research, April 2013
Marci, Classical Science, 11 June 2012,
www.thehomeschoolscientist.com/science-classical-education/, accessed 4/12/13
Miller, Christine, Science in the Dialectic Stage, Classical Christian Homeschooling,
www.classical_homeschooling.org/dialectic/science.html, accessed 4/26/13
Miller, Christine, Science in the Grammar Stage, Classical Christian Homeschooling,
www.classical_homeschooling.org/grammar/science.html, accessed 4/26/13
References for Teaching Science Classically
Morris, John D., Ph.D., 2013, Who Could Argue with Teaching Good Science, www.icr.org/article/whocould-argue-with-teachng-good-science/, accessed 4/11/13
Nason, Patricia L., Ph.D., 2013, Communicating the Essentials: Developing Science Education
Curricula for Today’s Christian Teacher, www.icr.org/article/communicating-essentials-developing/,
accessed 4/11/13
Reed, John K, Emmett L. Williams, Battlegrounds of Natural History: Actualism, Creation Research
Society Journal, Vol. 49, Number 2, Fall 2012
Sagan, C. 1980. Memorable quotes from “Cosmos.” www.imdb.com/title/tt0081846/quotes, accessed
2/9/13
Sayers, Dorothy, The Lost Tools of Learning, www.gbt.org/text/sayers.html, accessed 4/12/13
Taylor, Paul F., A Well-Designed Series – Teaching God’s Design, AnswersMagazine.com, July-Sept.
2007, pp. 58-59, accessed 4/12/13
Classical Education Movement, Wikipedia,
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/classical_education_movement#, accessed 4/12/13
Understanding the Noeo Science Curriculum, www.noeoscience.com/curriculum_design.html,
accessed 4/12/13