April 1, 2013

23 of 65

When Pluto Was a Planet

Science marches on. Some think our educational system may be falling behind, but often it is far out in front.

Here I am thinking of an incident that occurred when our son Michael was in 2nd Grade. He was attending Martensen Elementary School in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. The Jefferson County School District, of which Martensen was part, was one of the best in the country. One evening Michael approached me and asked, “Mercury’s larger than Pluto, isn’t it?” I told him, “Yes. I’m pretty sure it is.” He had been interested in astronomy for several years, so I felt safe in agreeing with him.

He showed me the textbook his class was using to study the solar system, which stated that Mercury was the smallest planet. I saw an opportunity to provide a real learning experience, so the next evening I took him to the library Continue reading →