Science Lessons in a Charlotte Mason Homeschool
Ever wonder how the Charlotte Mason method teaches science? In this post, we hope to look at some of what she says and see how we can apply it to our CM homeschool!
Components of science lessons in a CM homeschool:
1. Nature study / outdoor time
A Basis of Facts.––Of the teaching of Natural Philosophy, I will only remind the reader of what was said in an earlier chapter––that there is no part of a child’s education more important than that he should lay, by his own observation, a wide basis of facts towards scientific knowledge in the future. He must live hours daily in the open air, and, as far as possible, in the country; must look and touch and listen; must be quick to note, consciously, every peculiarity of habit or structure, in beast, bird, or insect; the manner of growth and fructification of every plant. He must be accustomed to ask why––Why does the wind blow? Why does the river flow? Why is a leaf-bud sticky? (Home Education, pg 264)
Here we can see that nature study is considered the foundation of all scientific learning. Through plenty of outdoor time, we encourage observation and asking questions. And then, when those questions come, do we prattle off facts for him to memorize? Nope, Miss Mason teaches us as parents to encourage curious questions and exploration, as stated below:
And do not hurry to answer his questions for him; let him think his difficulties out so far as his small experience will carry him. Above all, when you come to the rescue, let it not be in the ‘cut and dried’ formula of some miserable little text-book; let him have all the insight available and you will find that on many scientific questions the child may be brought at once to the level of modern thought. Do not embarrass him with too much scientific nomenclature. If he discover for himself (helped, perhaps, by a leading question or two), by comparing an oyster and his cat, that some animals have backbones and some have not, it is less important that he should learn the terms vertebrate and invertebrate than that he should class the animals he meets with according to this difference. (Home Education, page 265-266)
2. Science / natural history stories
Eyes and No-eyes.––The method of this sort of instruction is shown in Evenings at Home, where ‘Eyes and No-eyes’ go for a walk. No-eyes come home bored; he has seen nothing, been interested in nothing: while Eyes is all agog to discuss a hundred things that have interested him. As I have already tried to point out, to get this sort of instruction for himself is simply the nature of a child: the business of the parent is to afford him abundant and varied opportunities, and to direct his observations, so that, knowing little of the principles of scientific classification, he is, unconsciously, furnishing himself with the materials for such classification. It is needless to repeat what has already been said on this subject; but, indeed, the future of the man or woman depends very largely on the store of real knowledge gathered, and the habits of intelligent observation acquired, by the child. “Think you,” says Mr. Herbert Spencer, “that the rounded rock marked with parallel scratches calls up as much poetry in an ignorant mind as in the mind of the geologist, who knows that over this rock a glacier slid a million of years ago? The truth is, that those who have never entered on scientific pursuits are blind to most of the poetry by which they are surrounded. Whoever has not in youth collected plants and insects, knows not half the halo of interest which lanes and hedgerows can assume.” (Home Education, pages 265-266)
Next, in addition to actual time out in nature, we also read natural history stories. These are stories about different things in nature—animals, plants, sea creatures—to expose our children to them and encourage question-asking.
From the passage above, we’re reminded that being curious is actually natural to the child, but it’s the parent’s responsibility to “afford him abundant and varied opportunities, and to direct his observations.” So in a sense, these nature stories serve as something that feeds the child’s curiosity and allows him to observe even more the next time he goes outdoors.
3. Science living books
Principles.––In this connection I should like to recommend The Sciences, by Mr. Holden. America comes to the fore with a schoolbook after my own heart. The Sciences is a forbidding title, but since the era of Joyce’s Scientific Dialogues I have met with nothing on the same lines which makes so fit an approach to the sensible and intelligent mind of a child. This is what we may call a ‘first-hand’ book. The knowledge has of course all been acquired; but then it has been assimilated, and Mr. Holden writes freely out of his own knowledge both of his subject-matter and of his readers. The book has been thrown into the form of conversations between children––simple conversations without padding. About three hundred topics are treated of: Sand-dunes, Back-ice, Herculaneum, Dredging, Hurricanes, Echoes, the Prism, the Diving-bell, the Milky Way, and, shall I say, everything else? But the amazing skill of the author is shown in the fact that there is nothing scrappy and nothing hurried in the treatment of any topic, but each falls naturally and easily under the head of some principle which it elucidates. (Home Education, page 266-267)
Third, we also use science living books—our alternative to dry boring textbooks. Science living books are, as are all other living books, written by a person who is an expert and is passionate about the subject matter. In this passage, Miss Mason is recommending a book that she describes as “into the form of conversations between children––simple conversations without padding,” but which also covers “about three hundred topics.”
4. Hands-on experiments
Many simple experiments are included, which the author insists shall be performed by the children themselves. I venture to quote from the singularly wise preface, a vade mecum for teachers:––
“The object of the present volume is to present chapters to be read in school or at home that shall materially widen the outlook of American schoolchildren in the domain of science, and of the applications of science to the arts and to daily life. It is in no sense a text-book, although the fundamental principles underlying the sciences treated are here laid down. Its main object is to help the child to understand the material world about him. (Home Education, page 267)
Let’s not forget the value of hands-on experiments in the area of science. Miss Mason herself mentions the simple experiments included in that one example of a science book she gave, and note these points: “and of the applications of science to the arts and to daily life,” and “Its main object is to help the child to understand the material world about him.” So one important goal for our science lessons and experiments is to help the child understand the world around him.
Science Lessons Awaken the Imagination
To be Comprehended by Children.––”All natural phenomena are orderly; they are governed by law; they are not magical. They are comprehended by someone; why not by the child himself? It is not possible to explain every detail of a locomotive to a young pupil, but it is perfectly practicable to explain its principles so that this machine, like others, becomes a mere special case of certain well-understood general laws. The general plan of the book is to awaken the imagination; to convey useful knowledge; to open the doors towards wisdom. Its special aim is to stimulate observation and to excite a living and lasting interest in the world that lies about us. (Home Education, page 267)
We love the above passage as it sums up the main goal of science lessons in a CM homeschool: “to awaken the imagination; to convey useful knowledge; to open the doors towards wisdom, to stimulate observation and to excite a living and lasting interest in the world that lies about us.” If we hold onto those principles as we prepare science books and lessons for our children, we’ll be doing quite well!
