“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)
As homeschoolers, we have the opportunity to teach beyond what the public sector deems satisfactory for our children. The richness of education that we are able to give our children will hopefully inspire and guide them along their journey to become good workmen in their adult lives. The verse above should encourage us and our children to push forward with discovering new things and studying how things work. What’s more is that we can study to the point that we become knowledgeable in many fields. As our children get older, they will soon lean toward the career path that encompasses their strengths and passions. At this point, we want them to pour themselves into it to learn as much as possible.
When the time comes to look for a job and their skills are put to the test, the Bible says they “needeth not to be ashamed” because they have been diligent in their learning and followed through so that they can be the best worker for their place of work. For a boss, a skilled and knowledgeable worker is a blessing.
What’s important to remember in this verse is that we study to show ourselves “approved unto God” first. Colossians 3:17 says,
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (KJV)
We cannot focus on pleasing man. When we do it for God, we honor Him when we do well at our jobs, even in the schoolwork!
Always remember to give thanks as you go along your learning journey.
Did You Know?
STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.
Science is all around us in the world we live in. Technology is constantly becoming a vital tool in many aspects of our lives. Engineering is inventing and building things that improve our lives. Arts inspire and encourage our creativity, and mathematics can be found in every job and in the day-to-day activities we do.
As a result of these subjects being vital to our society, STEAM education is more important than ever before. STEAM subjects prepare your children with necessary skills for many jobs. Equipping them with a variety of these subjects will ensure that they are well-rounded and knowledgeable in concepts that will help in many industries, leaving the door open for a lot of opportunities when they finish school.
Science
Science is the study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural through observation and experiments. The best part about learning science is doing the experiments! One of the most popular experiments with kids is the chemical reactions experiment using baking soda and vinegar. There are so many variations for you to try, but here’s one as an example.
Chemical Reactions Experiment
Things You Need
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Dish soap
- Jar or tall glass
- Food colouring (optional)
- Glitter (optional)
- Tray to catch spillage
Directions
- Pour the vinegar into the jar or glass.
- Stir in the dish soap.
- Add 2-3 drops of food colouring.
- Add glitter and give a quick stir.
- Pour in the baking soda. (Make sure your jar or glass is in a tray to catch the overflow.)
There are no amounts listed because this is your time to experiment! Start with a little of each ingredient to start and see what reaction you get.
Don’t forget to record your observations.
- What happened when the baking soda was added?
- What were the chemical reactions?
- How much of each ingredient did you use to get the best reaction?
Technology
Did you know that technology does not mean just screens? Technology involves solving problems in an industry or in engineering. It also includes the methods or machines developed to do something. Make a list of technological items that were created to make or do something better. How many can you come up with? Have you thought of an invention or improvement to something that needs to be developed? Write down your ideas.
Engineering
Engineering is the science of design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures. One simple example of this is to use building blocks. LEGO® is almost a staple in every child’s home so pull them out and get building! Challenge yourself to make different things or improve upon something you’ve already built.
Here’s a LEGO® idea for you to try.
Art
Arts involve the methods and skills to create visual works, like painting, sculpting, and drawing. Some options for these are using paints, Play-Doh, and other drawing tools like markers or crayons.
Art challenge: Design a creation on paper (It could be an animal, person, or thing.) then pull out the Play-Doh and make a 3D model of your design. What will you create?
Math
Math is the study of numbers and how they are related to each other and how they translate into the world around us. Math is as important as language, and it is used by everyone from telling time to playing games to cooking to building things and so much more!
One type of Math is geometry. Make a picture using shapes!
All you need is some construction paper, pencil, scissors, and glue. What can you create with the basic shapes! For more of a challenge, find some other unique shapes to use for your masterpiece.
Download this PDF for some stencils to use!
The key components of science are observation, exploration and discovery. Keeping these opportunities as part of their daily learning will help to boost STEAM skills every year and hopefully ignite the future scientists of the world.
This article has been written by homeschooling staff writers of The Canadian Schoolhouse (TCS). Enjoy more of our content from TCS contributors and staff writers by visiting our themes page that has a new theme topic added every month!
"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).