Everything I need to know, I learned in my 5th grade science project

Did you ever have to do a science project in grade school? I know I did. I had to take some time to think back but I sure remember. I was never much of a science lover as a kid. Sure I completed my assignments, studied for the tests and created my project for the science fair but it was only to fulfill the requirement. Get down to it and get it done. That was the thinking. I never considered that something I did in fifth grade science could apply to the real world. After all I wasn't going to be a scientist, a science teacher or Bill Nye, the science guy. I just wanted to be Scott, the kid who finished fifth grade science and got a good grade.

In our school the science project was done by each grade in the fall. The best ones in the school were chosen to compete in the county science fair. So I scoured the World Book Encyclopedia for the perfect project. Just so you know, my idea of perfect was something that looked fairly complex but was actually easy to build. I picked a fairly easy project not because I was lazy but because I wasn't very handy. I chose this one with several batteries, connecting wire and a few light bulbs. I figured electricity seemed pretty complicated and the batteries didn't pack enough voltage to zap me too badly.

The concept was to take three large E cell batteries and individually connect them to a small light socket that had a small bulb in it. Then you would take three more of the batteries but this time they were wired together and then connected to the socket. The amazing result was that the three connected together made the light shine more brightly than the three that were connected to the socket separately.

Well, I did get an A on the project but not enough love for the science fair, which was ok because it took place on a weekend and I had a basketball game. I was focused on getting an A rather than on learning. As I looked back on it I realized there was a much greater message in the experiment that I could have applied to life. In fact, I could have applied it that same weekend of the science fair while I was playing on my basketball team.

This experiment with electricity is actually a great way to understand how teams work. The sum is greater than the whole of its parts. If everyone gives their best effort and works together to achieve the team goal of winning then the result will be much greater than if each member gave his best effort at individual results like points scored.

Noone taught us that there were univeral laws that applied not just to science and physics but to life. As an example, the law of inertia states that a body in motion will continue in motion until an equal or opposite force is applied to slow or stop it. This same principle applies to the stock market, the economy, over eating, addictive behavior, etc. It seems like it would be such a great concept to teach kids. Seems like it would be a great concept to teach to adults. We get so focused on the completion of the task or reaching our destination that we miss some of the great lessons we can only discover on the journey.