Nurturing the Love of Science in Children

From my earliest memories, I’ve had an enthusiastic interest in science. Beginning in kindergarten, I was fascinated by insects. My dad built a small, screened wood-framed box that I used for keeping lightning bugs, butterflies, grasshoppers, and crickets (I still use it today!).

Each Christmas through sixth grade brought gifts that opened new worlds for me—a children’s microscope, telescope, and chemistry set.

Adventures in the Backyard Laboratory

When I started second grade, my family moved near a large field and woodland. In the springtime, I collected crayfish, frogs, and snakes. I spent my summers chasing insects but soon developed an interest in geology. I explored the area and discovered amazing fossils and pieces of flint—including an arrowhead.

I’ve always felt compelled to explore and learn about the natural world. I’m the same now as I was then—I can’t take a simple walk outdoors without stopping to investigate something interesting.

Discovering the World of Homeschooling

Years later, my wife told me about a homeschooling conference in nearby Middleburg Heights, Ohio. Neither of us knew anything about homeschooling. She was excited to go, and I sort of tagged along.

We sat through several presentations by Father Robert Levis, Dr. Ray Guarendi, and other outstanding speakers well-known in the Catholic homeschooling world.

During his talk, Fr. Levis remarked, “The only hope for our country is homeschooled students,” and he was adamant about it. That conference opened a whole new dimension in our lives—one we hadn’t even known existed—and our lives were never the same.

While browsing the Seton books and curricula at the conference, I asked the saleslady why there were so few Catholic science books. She smiled and said, “We don’t have any writers. Would you like to write one?”

She later put me in touch with Dr. Mary Kay Clark, and a few months later, I met her in Front Royal. Dr. Clark explained that Seton needed an Earth Science textbook, which I soon began writing. I completed that one—and went on to work on a few others.

The Blessings of Family and Faith

I believe we’re a closer family because of homeschooling. The secure home environment, free from negative distractions, allowed our daughters to focus deeply on their studies. And even though homeschooling is often described as socially isolating, our daughters have as many—or more—friends as I did at their age.

I like to think homeschooling instilled in our daughters a lifelong love of learning—something they’ll carry with them and, God willing, pass on to others. Yet the greatest blessing of Catholic homeschooling has been how seriously our daughters take their faith.

We don’t often think of our children as leaders or role models, but in many ways, they have been both to us. When our children do their best in school and live their faith sincerely, we learn from them, too. In a real sense, we grow in faith and become better people because of the examples our daughters set for us.

Teaching Science Through Literature

Another way I teach Science is through two novels I have written. They are adventurous crime stories, having Catholic underpinnings. Both novels cover a wide range of science topics, including archaeology, biology, climatology, ecology, Egyptology, entomology, forensics, and medicine.

The science in both stories is explained clearly and is easy to understand. Forensics might be the most fascinating among these topics because it allows readers to experience the thrill of using science and law enforcement to investigate crime, even though “crime doesn’t pay.” Editor’s note: You can find Ken Stein‘s Tiger Mosquitoes and Pharaoh’s Ticks here.

These are fast-paced stories, and they should be read with a seat belt on! A friend of our daughters told me that she couldn’t put the book down at bedtime and read it in bed with a flashlight. Other friends say that the stories remind them of the adventures of James Bond or Indiana Jones.

Expensive Equipment Not Necessary

Many people (and educators) have the sense that you need expensive technology and equipment to learn or teach science. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are many books in the library, as well as information on the Internet, that present simple, fun, and educational experiments.

I have several favorite experiments that I remember from as early as Fifth grade. One of these is copper plating. All you need is a 6-volt lantern battery, two wires, an empty jar, water, copper sulfate (bought at a hardware store), and a coin, such as a quarter.

You dissolve as much copper sulfate as possible in warm tap water and place the wire connected to the positive terminal in the water. For the next part, you can use an alligator clip or strip away the insulation and wrap the bare wire (negative terminal) around the coin tightly, so it doesn’t fall off. You place it in the solution and will end up with a copper-plated coin.

About Kenneth J. Stein

Kenneth J. Stein holds a M.S.from Ohio State University and a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. Retired from the U.S. Navy Reserve,Ken served as a medical planner and held the rank of Commander. He has conducted extensive research and scientific investigations in the Middle East and Africa. Besides his two novels, Ken has authored science textbooks for Seton Home Study School.