Asking and Answering Questions

If you are a teacher or a parent, there's undoubtedly been a time when a child asked you a very basic question about the world and you found you weren't sure you could answer correctly. Isn't it amazing how they do that?

"Mom, why is there all this sand at the beach and not at home?"

"Ms. Baxter, how come it's darker in the winter than in the summer?"

I've been asked questions like these many times in both roles and it can be disconcerting. You feel as if you should be able to answer simple questions asked by child but you don't know the answer yourself. At least you don't know it well enough to explain it. And, like many people in this situation, you cop out. Oh, admit it, you know what I mean. How many times have you replied by saying -

"What does Mommy say?" or

"What do you think?"

These aren't really answers at all. Oh, I don't mind answering a question with a question - in fact, it can be a great pedagogical approach - except that you know you're not going to follow up here. You're just trying to deflect the question, not to prompt further inquiry. And what have you learned by doing this? Nothing. Nada.

There's no reason it has to be that way. For the sake of this blog, I am hoping that as a professional teacher or a dedicated parent you would like to have some understanding of these subjects. I am assuming that you'd rather learn than not know and would rather teach than deflect. If that's the case, then great! Let's learn together for ourselves, for our children and for the fun of it.

In future posts I will be providing, not the answers to interesting questions, but the means to explore and deduce the answers to those questions. The 'means' I refer to might take the form of simulations, animations and videos that I have found around the web. Although I have quite a bit of experience in science education, my goal is to explore these resources together with you. I am always trying to find out more about fundamental science concepts and think about ways to explain these concepts better. I hope to find a community of like-minded people. Let me know if you are out there.