This past September, we started our homeschool journey. While there were many reasons why we started homeschooling, our main reason was to immerse our oldest son in all things science. He has expressed how frustrated he was at school because he wanted to spend hours learning about science and performing experiments, but wasn’t able to due the the school’s lack of time. They only had science class once a week, and that most definitely wasn’t enough for our inquisitive boy. So, we brought him home and started our own science homeschooling program.
Surprisingly, Netflix ended up being a big part of our homemade curriculum, and Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey was the foundation. Host Neil deGrasse Tyson takes you on an amazing journey with each episode, answering questions we’ve all asked, while teaching us new aspects of science that we never though of.
This immediately intrigued my boy. When we first started, we watched the episodes with notebooks in hand. I told him to write down any subjects, words, or theories he would like to explore after we watched the episode. I, in turn, did the same. Each episode provided a week’s worth, or more, of learning material for us.
From lots of googling, to quick experiments, and even more researching, we found ourselves deep in learning…from a TV show! We’ve gone through all of the episodes of Cosmos on Netflix, and are going back through them again for even more learning material. Up next, seminars that pertain to my son’s favorite scientific topics. I can’t thank Cosmos enough for the inspiration, especially since I’m an English major who never got into science. Unless you could Sci-Fi shows and movies. Those count, right? Don’t answer that.
Have you ever used Netflix to help your kids learn more about a specific subject?
I’m a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam. All opinions and scientific journeys are my own.