The school year is upon us. By the end of this week, nearly every school in our region will be back in the classroom.
It’s just like any other year sending your kiddos off to school, except it’s unlike any other year because of all the precautions to deal with coronavirus.
COVID-19 doesn’t have to be the enemy, though. It can be an educational opportunity for kids of all ages:
• For math class: The classroom is 900 square feet, 30 feet by 30 feet. Calculate how many children can fit in the classroom while staying exactly 6 feet apart.
• For social studies: Discuss who gets to make decisions about a public health crisis, local officials, state representatives or the governor. Write to the appropriate level of government with your feedback on how well they’re doing.
• For a spelling test: Spell the word hydroxychloroquine.
• For literature class, discuss famous masked characters, such as Zorro, the Lone Ranger, Michael Myers and Darth Vader. Consider why only the ones with their mouths covered were considered bad guys.
• For physical education class, how quickly can you pull up your mask when you see the teacher is looking?
• For life skills, what’s the best cleaning agent for this scenario: You were walking back to your classroom, carrying your tray of food from the cafeteria. You trip and spill your mashed potatoes and gravy on the lockers. How do you clean it without scraping paint off the locker?
• For kindergarten, how many times will you have to pull your mask down to finish sipping your box of juice?
• For physical education class, how quickly can you run a mile while huffing and puffing through a cloth mask?
• For middle school science classes, count how many cloth masks your teacher must wear before she can no longer smell the odors generated by your changing bodies.
• For a spelling test: Spell nasopharyngeal swab.
• For all students, teachers and adults, consider how the current crisis is teaching you to adapt to change constantly. Consider how this is a key tenet of life, adapting to changes that are out of your control.
When you’re done with all that, give yourself an A, and get ready for more of the same tomorrow.
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