What about Math and Science?

Students educated in a classical school learn language, literature, and history well. The classical emphasis upon grammar, logic, rhetoric, and Latin ensures this. But what is the classical approach to math and science? How does one pursue excellence in these disciplines within the boundaries of the classical model? We find that classical school students are at no disadvantage here. In fact, classical education provides an exceptional foundation in these subjects.

Our goal in science and math education is threefold. First, we want students to explore deeply the physical world God made and to appreciate its awesome beauty and complexity. Second, we want to give students the intellectual tools to understand complex mathematical and scientific concepts and to succeed in scientific or technical careers should they choose to pursue these. Third, we want students as Christians to reflect critically upon the place of science in our society. They should appreciate that science is a human discipline that developed over time, is subject to change, and is therefore not absolute. To accomplish these goals, we follow the same model that we apply in all courses of study.

Classical education today means both employing certain methods and selecting a particular type of content. This is as true for math and science as it is for language, literature, and history. Methodologically, we follow the order of the Trivium. With respect to content, we teach with an eye not only for what is foundational to the discipline, but also for that which is culturally and historically significant.

In the grammar years, classical educators focus on the building blocks of math and science. Through memorization, repetition, and drill, students learn the basic facts of arithmetic. In science, they enjoy hands on experiments, but not to the exclusion of a solid familiarity with the important vocabulary and concepts of biology, chemistry, astronomy, physics, and geology. All these are set in context through the reading of histories and scientific biographies.

In the logic years, students are challenged to understand the abstract relationships found in algebra and geometry. In science, likewise, they study the connections between different physical phenomena and the relationships between different scientific concepts and theories. At this stage, students are also ready to approach more intently the history and development of modern science and its cultural significance.

In the rhetoric years, students progress through algebra, trigonometry, and calculus. With this firm foundation in math, they are able to engage in a more serious exploration of physics, chemistry, and biology, complete with complex equations and interesting experiments. Study of math and science is enhanced in the rhetoric years by selective reading in the original works of the great western scientists and mathematicians.

The classical approach to math and science covers the basic elements that a student would receive in any good school. The classical approach is unique however, not only in its methods, but also in the content that it adds to the curriculum. Upon completion of the classical course of study, students in math and science should have the skills to think critically and to write and speak persuasively about the scientific disciplines and their place in modern culture. As Christians, they will know how to appropriate scientific concepts without falling prey to our culture's exaggerated veneration of science.