My 6th Graders Rock.

News:

I'm teaching a group of kids high school/college level cellular biology. To be more specific: DNA replication (and they better spell deoxyribonucleic acid correctly!), transcription, translation, cloning, mutations, genetically enhanced foods, Watson/Crick/Franklin etc etc etc.

I was told by someone close to me "There's no way you can make that fun."

HELL YES I CAN!

We made DNA out of pipe cleaners and beads. We have a DNA cheer. We have a chromosome dance. We made amino acid necklaces (by using transcription and translation, of course). We discuss the possibility of being your own sister and mother (cloning, of course).....

Next week, we're going to discuss genetics, do some punnet squares, and do some genetic engineering of our own and "create" some chimeras out of clay.

SO THERE!

One of my girls told me a couple days ago that this year was the FIRST YEAR SHE'S HAD SCIENCE OR HISTORY.

AHHHH!!!!

What an incredible disservice! My kids LOVE science. My kids LOVE history. They're both so damn fascinating-- the content.... they NEED the content! Sigh.


Yesterday I said "How many of you thought history would be or WAS boring previously to this year?"
All my kids raised their hands.
"How many of you like history?" All of my kids raised their hands.

Aww yeah.

How many 6th graders do you know who love talking about Josef Mengele and WWII battles and the Hindenburg?

Berlin Wall? Check. Cold War? Treaty of Versailles? Conscription? Reconaissance? Harry Truman? FDR? Greer Incident? Kristallnacht? Night of Long Knives? Auschwitz's Block 11?

They've got it all, baby.

I love my job.