When it comes to a distinctly Classical Christian education there are some subjects to study which come naturally—the Humanities being one great example. But some students are convinced they shouldn’t have to study any science. I hope and pray to persuade you otherwise.
“Science,” is the word that brings to most minds the mixing of bottles of strange, unknown liquids; or walking outside with a clipboard observing animals to deduce habits and patterns. While those aspects of it do exist, there is much more. Consider this: when studying science, you are simply studying what God has made. This includes those things extremely small (atoms, molecules, electrons, etc.) and those extremely large (planets, galaxies, nebulae, etc.).
The word itself we get from the Latin word scientia, which means “knowledge, especially that of the physical world that is based on both demonstrable and reproducible data.” Science as a subject is a beautiful opportunity to explore the world God made and inspire awe through study. We don’t just study stuff, but instead, we see what God has created and how He has revealed particular aspects in time and space. This job is too big for just one man in one place, though, so science accumulates this knowledge using many scientists, in many times and places, all discovering how creation functions here in our world. Consider in that the wisdom of God!
What we find is everything God has made has a purpose in why it functions and behaves the way it does. In this, we take the dominion mandate seriously by studying the world He has created, which we are made to be stewards of.
Consider this: in my Physical Science course we can cover the entire range of things God created on Days 1 through 6. Granted, we don’t get to every corner of every topic, but the amount we do in such a short time is amazing. Perhaps you might be thinking, “What exactly is physical science?” Well, physical science is one of three branches of natural science, (the other two being life sciences and earth sciences). Physical science deals with studying non-living things. You might ask what would be classified as a physical science, well, we have three good examples (which I get the privilege of teaching both in my Physical Science class and Physics classes): physics, chemistry, and astronomy.
Under that big umbrella of physical science, a student is introduced to a wide breadth of scientific topics and areas. For instance, they get to learn about topics such as the atom, its history and development, chemical bonds (which includes a very important bond to all of life – hydrogen bonding), the 118-strong set of materials called the periodic table of elements, and forces in nature (gravity, friction). While learning about these amazing phenomena is great, there is a more important focus. That focus is seeing how God created these things, sustains them and in history reveals more about them through His means of scientists and inventions.
A student studying physical science will not just talk about things or write down numbers in charts. No, a student will delight as he or she studies what God has created. They will see what beauty God has made and how He made it to function in such a beautiful way – not only that but that everything from your individual atoms to massive stars and galaxies are upheld and sustained by Him. He is the reason your atoms (and the molecules that make up the chair you’re sitting in now) stay together and don’t fall apart. HE is literally holding YOU together which should give us great comfort. The one who holds you together will never grow weary for He is God Almighty!
I pray this has helped give you a snapshot of what “science” is, in particular physical science. I also teach mathematics (LOS’ Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, and Geometry) as well, and perhaps in the future, I will have the opportunity to write about those subjects.
God bless,
Mr. Whybrew