Awkward Science

As mentioned, we're learning about DNA and heredity, which also leads into a discussion of mitosis and meiosis.

Mitosis is no problem, but meiosis is another story. Because the purpose of meiosis is to create sex cells. That's right, I said it, sex cells. You try teaching about that in front of a group of 11 year olds. Especially when that leads to even funnier words like sperm.

Generally, students fall into one of three categories:

1) The ones who try to be as mature as possible, so they say all the words (including s-e-x and s-p-e-r-m) with a straight face, not thinking anything of it. This gets looks of pure shock from students around them made of half admiration, half jealousy, as though a double-dog-dare had just been deftly performed.

2) The ones who want to participate enough that they insist on giving answers but are too embarrassed to say the words, so they find very creative and articulate ways of getting around it, in such a way that makes me think they spent the entire evening prior thinking about exactly how to phrase it. "The purpose of meiosis is to make cells that go on to create life." Brilliant.

3) The ones who can't stop giggling regardless, the same ones who usually end up whispering it over and over again to their friends.