A common mistake in the modern cultural imagination is to draw a stark divide between the subjects that fit under the heading “humanities” and those that fit under the heading “STEM”. Many regrettable consequences follow from this error. When we separate the humanities and the sciences, we not only run the risk of neglecting the humanities proper, but we also forget that science is an inherently human endeavor.
By Adam Lang It’s a sad fact of teaching that students often don’t retain as much of the knowledge they learn as their teachers would like. Especially if that material is not built upon or reviewed, it can sometimes lead the despairing teacher to ask the question “Why bother?” Most people, when asked what they remember from high school biology, can tell me that “the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell” and that’s about it. So when I began teaching life sciences at Augustine School (Natural History of West Tennessee and Biology), I was thoughtful in asking what I …
By Lindsey Carson If you were to do a Google search for articles on fairy tales and the modern child, many would argue that these stories are too scary for our little ones. The sentiment is understandable: remember the wolf eating grandmother and then a little girl? Or a giant threatening to grind human bones to make bread, and even a witch who wants to kill four siblings to retain her power? As scary as these stories might seem, I want to invite you to consider this quote from G.K. Chesterton: “Fairy tales… are not responsible for producing in children …
By Alyssa Marshall Who taught you that music can be beautiful? I cannot remember learning that. No one taught me to listen to music or to let it take me to other places in my mind and heart. If music played, I was drawn to listen. When I was six years old and my mother put Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite on the stereo, no one prompted me to dance around the house dramatically. No one explained the musical dynamics to me; no one had to tell me, “This part sounds sad, and this part is more joyful.” As I danced, I …