A Bit of Murder in Our Typical Unschooling Day
“Miss Scarlett did it in the conservatory with the dagger,” Gemma-Rose announces to her older sisters.
Miss Scarlett, the conservatory and the dagger: Those words belong to my childhood. Many years ago, I loved playing Cluedo with my own sisters. I hoped I’d be the first person to discover the identity of the murderer. Could I work out how the murder was committed and where?
It’s a lot of fun trying to solve a murder. At least it is when the murder is only make-believe. It’s not likely a Miss Scarlett is ever going to knock someone over the head with a silver candlestick in the drawing room of an old English house (after passing down the secret passage). We know it’s only a game so we’re free to enjoy ourselves.
But what if the murder is real? What if someone’s mother is poisoned or shot or brutally beaten? That’s disturbing. A real person dies. Should that person’s suffering become our entertainment? But what if that murder is an opportunity for science? What if forensics gives us the tools to apprehend, not a pretend Miss Scarlett, but a real murderer?
In this week’s podcast, I ponder these questions while sharing some science and maths resources.
I also talk about:
My first year as a podcaster: Why did I nearly delete my very first episode? And why is it important I don’t worry about the opinions of others?
A typical unschooling day: Do our days have rhythm? Or are they wildly unpredictable?
Two tips for joyful unschooling: (I offer them, but you are free to reject them!)
What we should do if our children reject our strewing
Show Notes
Blog posts
Perhaps I Shouldn’t Have Told You about Our Typical Unschooling Day
What to Do When Strewing is Rejected
Resources
Catching History’s Criminals: The Forensics Story: You might find episodes on Youtube (Might not be suitable for some children because the segment about DNA testing mentions murders involving rape. Also, the subject of murder in general may be disturbing to younger people.)
Catching History’s Criminals: articles on OpenLearn
The Illustrated Guide to Home Forensic Science Experiments
CSI: Algebra: free download (if you sign up for a free account)