The big, old oak tree by Toby Payne-Cook.
When I hear the word growth, I think of Mrs Gren. Mrs Gren was my first teacher and she is hard to forget! Seriously, Mrs Gren is hard to forget because she isn’t a teacher at all (well she might be, and if she is, I hope she teaches biology and I’d really like to meet her), she is a mnemonic:
M – movement
R – respiration
S – senses
G – growth
R – reproduction
E – excretion
N – nutrition
MRS GREN lists the seven life processes carried out by all living organisms. She differentiates between your pet lab rat and the cage it lives in; between me and the computer I’m writing on and your perfect lawn and the mower which maintains it.
In these times of COVID-19 it is worth pausing to consider whether a virus can be classified as a living organism. Microscopic bacteria and single celled protists such as Amoebae and Euglena definitely meet all seven criteria as they can asexually reproduce and replicate themselves via the cell division process of mitosis, but a virus cannot reproduce on its own – it is just a bundle of genetic material (DNA and RNA) inside a protein coat and contains very little of the complex biological machinery of living cells, so it needs to invade a living host cell to assist with its efficient and sometimes deadly self replication.
For deeper exploration of whether a virus is a living organism, or not, the link below takes you to an informative article in New Scientist online.
https://www.newscientist.com/question/are-viruses-alive/
I think we can all agree, without a shadow of a doubt that humans are living organisms. My favourite description of a human comes from the popular BBC sitcom, outnumbered: “Humans are just animals wearing clothes, pretending not to be animals.” There is a lot of hidden meaning in that flippant observation.
In September 2019 we launched a new Year 7 & 8 (KS3) curriculum unshackled by the droning old syllabi of the antiquated Independent “Common Entrance” examination at the school I teach in. In Science – with the (unfortunate) need to underpin foundations for future, content heavy, GCSE study – what we teach has not dramatically changed but the sequence of what we teach, how we teach it and how it is assessed has changed dramatically. For me, the most exciting change has been coming up with a termly theme, an umbrella for various linked KS3 science topics but also a medium for deeper and broader contextual exploration of science in modern society from a historical, cultural, philosophical and an ethical perspective.
So, this academic year, for the first time in Year 7, I taught a theme called “Humans and Machines” in Science, which was also the theme in DT, Computer Science and Art – or “STEAM.”
The first thing we did was explore definitions of what a human is (and I append 18 different, possible, 50 word definitions of my own at the end of this piece), inspired by that compelling outnumbered quote.
After that we used MRS GREN as our guide but in a different sequence. We largely skipped the S for Senses because I cover that at the start of Year 5 before launching into Sound, Light & Space.
M for Movement (skeleton & muscles & exercise etc) is a good place to start as it is so relatable; then respiration and excretion combined with the circulatory and respiratory systems and movement in and out of cells by diffusion.
Then onto nutrition (including food groups, diet and healthy living) due to its obvious links back to respiration and excretion and then forward to GROWTH. After growth we climaxed (excuse the pun) with some reproduction before exploring a little bit of genetics, DNA, inheritance & variation – linking back to senses right at the end in considering “what makes me, me?”
In the Growth subsection of the topic we started with the fertilised egg cell, the zygote, then the embryo, the fetus and the placenta. Then we considered the four stages of human life: Childhood, Adolescence, Adulthood and Old Age before more deeply exploring changes during adolescence and the difference between adolescence (transition from child to adult physically, emotionally and mentally) and puberty (purely the physical changes which occur as part of adolescence).
We also explored some ideas from David Brooks, the New York Times columnist, who categorises modern human life into six stages – below I insert a previous passage of writing about this (taken from “The Accidental Scientist”) which fuses together today’s theme of growth and tomorrow’s of purpose rather nicely:
With hindsight, I greatly envy those who are natural academics. Those who – from an early age – have their heads in a book, who read a great variety of both fiction and fact; those who happily spent most of their university life in the library, or engaged in debate with peers, tutors and lecturers; those who absolutely relish learning for learning’s sake; or education to become educated. Our school system, examination system and university system is designed for them. The whole one-dimensional treadmill, glorious if you are a focussed academic, is based on the linear supposition that we can all become Oxford dons, should we wish to. I am quite drawn back into this life, now that I am close to finding my true purpose in life: to research and identify alternative and more engaging paths through science education – perhaps even for education as a whole – for a greater proportion of the populous. But back in my early twenties, I was – as indeed are the majority of people – quite happy to piss all that opportunity up the wall.
On one hand this is incredibly wasteful, this squandering of schooling and university that many of us have done; while on the other hand it creates a shared sense of life experience: our gossip, our social connections, our communication skills, and our characters were all honed in whatever melting pot of madness we pursued between our formative early adult years of 16 and 24. David Brooks, the New York Times columnist and author of two wonderful books, ‘the Social Animal’ and ‘the Road to Character’, has spent quite a lot of time researching and trying to understand the importance of the unconscious mind throughout our learning, our life experience and the ultimate success we make of it – both from our perspective in our ‘resume or CV virtues’ and others perception of our success as human beings in our ‘eulogy’ virtues. They make insightful, enlightening and thought-provoking reading. In the Social Animal, he categorises modern life into six stages from the original four that our ancestors encountered. Our ancestors experienced childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. We (hope to) experience childhood, adolescence, odyssey, adulthood, active retirement and old age.
Childhood, adolescence, active retirement and old age speak for themselves. Odyssey and adulthood require some explaining. Adulthood can be defined by parenthood (the act of being responsible for dependents) and, or, financial independence – when we can stand on our own two feet in this complex world, without being financially dependent upon our parents or carers. Adulthood, by the above definition, doesn’t occur until our late twenties, our thirties or even our forties for some of us in the 21st century. So, by definition, Odyssey bridges the gap between adolescence and adulthood, which can be anything from a stretch of two years to a stretch of twenty years. Typically, Odyssey – the act of ‘growing up’, finding our purpose, and developing responsibility for others beyond our individual self – lasts from the age of 18 – 30.
While I have been financially independent since I was 24, married since 28, and a parent since I turned 30; I still feel like I’m on an odyssey through life – a constant voyage of discovery, a journey with a whole series of unpredictable paths ahead. I rather like this concept of odyssey as the fourth stage of life, and as a teacher I would certainly encourage the children I teach to spend a lot of time finding out who they are, developing self-awareness, finding out what they are good at, what their purpose in life is and what avenue, or avenues they want to pursue before locking onto a path that does not enrich or fulfil them. This is much harder to do than it sounds and for most of us adulthood is something that happens without any planning, any strategic thought and many of us end up feeling trapped by a path we didn’t choose. This book is all about my scientific odyssey: about how I found science by accident, how I ended up being quite good at it, how it has enriched, fulfilled and frustrated me in equal measure; and why I am now embarking upon a new odyssey: my odyssey of passing on the scientific baton; and of trying to find a better way of passing on that baton. As I document my scientific odyssey, I may find that how we pass the baton on; how we teach and what we teach is not really that important, as – probably – what really matters is that we all experience our own odyssey in our own way – beyond school and university, in spite of the academic sausage machine we are all so reluctantly forced through!
So much obvious physical growth occurs during adolescence which is mostly complete by 18, conveniently now the official school leaving age. This strongly infers we are adults at 18. As children and young teenagers, we like to think this is true. Yet we now know – through recent developments in neuroscience and cognitive psychology) that our brains, our mental adolescence is not complete until we are about 24. We tend to calm down a bit by our mid twenties, evaluate risk better (drive more carefully, stop gorging on mild narcotics and kerb our enthusiasm for all day, every day drinking) and fall out of love with crap, transient, pop bands and whims of fashion.
The association of adolescence with being a teenager has long pissed me off, as we are rarely fully adult until – at least – our mid twenties. Here, perhaps the ancient Babylonian counting system in base 12 (our current 24 becoming our twenty, and thus the true end to our “adolescent” teens) could be more truthful and helpful.
The link of post teens to adulthood, or leaving school to adulthood, I find deeply problematic.
But do we stop growing at 24? Do we heck! Most of us know very little about life at 24 because we haven’t experienced very much of it.
This is the problem with growth, most of it is invisible. I feel like a far deeper, richer, more learned, wiser human aged 47 than I did at 27. I am perhaps a lot more cynical and curmudegeonly than I was back then but I have grown intellectually, culturally, morally, experientially hugely throughout my adult life. This internal, personal growth feels so much more a part of me than the generic organ, musculoskeletal and educational growth I encountered throughout my childhood and schooling.
This leaves us with the analogy of a big, old, oak tree:
The early growth is obvious, with the tree getting bigger every year for several decades. But then it reaches its genetic and environmental optimum size and remains largely the same (on the outside) for potentially hundreds of years. Its internal wisdom grows while its exterior starts to crumble, bits fall off and perhaps some limbs start to wither and fail. But my what a journey that big, old oak tree has travelled.
It has experienced long periods of dormancy, just pending time, not learning, not doing but resting and replenishing for the rush of energy ahead. Then the next Spring arrives, creative energy explodes in the form of delicate, fresh, pale green leaves – those ideas become greener, more hardy, stronger and the tree is bustling with life, full of energy and wisdom, thrusting its power up into the light. The energy fades again, many storms are weathered, bits are broken but the core remains strong and then the process repeats itself year on year: each storm slightly different, each period of growth irregular and not the same.
When the tree finally dies, all its growth is left behind – the energy transferred to others. Its legacy, its wisdom, its energy passed on.
And if we analyse its growth we will see that it wasn’t linear. Some years it was slow, under nourished perhaps, or tired and disinterested. Other years it grew exponentially, accelerating with verve and vigour in all directions; a great swelling of tree wood wisdom, becoming stronger and more admired in the process.
And perhaps, most importantly, throughout all its intricate and sturdy growth, it remains deeply rooted to the soil; the roots grow deeper and more connections are made. Its roots make it stronger and help it to grow.
So remember your roots, your family, your loyalty. For they help you to grow.
Tomorrow growth will be channelled into purpose and my (educational) purpose is to create a bottom up educational system, particularly in science education from aged 7 – 14, to replace the clunky, divisive top down, exam orientated system of today.
We would do well to remember that it is the root which grows first when a plant germinates, and that the big, old oak tree has grown bottom up, up into the light. It has not grown down from the sky.
Appendix: 18 possible (scientific – ish) definitions of a human…
| 1) A human is made of mostly oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen atoms. Atoms join into simple molecules like water, glucose or amino acids. They form larger molecules like proteins, which can assemble into living cells. Cells form tissues that form organs, then organ systems that form the living human. (50) |
| 2) A human is a type of living organism. All living organisms carry out seven life processes: Movement, Respiration (the process of releasing energy from sugars), Sensitivity (responses to stimuli in the environment), Growth, Reproduction (making new life), Excretion (getting rid of waste) and Nutrition (food or photosynthesis). (47) |
| 3) A human is a complex living organism which takes in food and oxygen; gives out waste products such as carbon dioxide and urine. It is classified as a hominid, within the order of primates, class of mammals, the phylum chordata (vertebrates, or animals with a backbone) and the animal kingdom. (50) |
| 4) A human is a mammal; an advanced class of animals that evolved from birds and reptiles about 100 million years ago. Humans are descended from apes, their last common ape ancestor lived about 6 million years ago. Humans (homo sapiens) like you and me first appeared about 300,000 years ago. (50) |
| 5) Humans walk on two legs and have two arms (four limbs combined). They have an internal skeleton (endoskeleton) for support, protect internal organs and aid movement. Humans have body hair, two eyes, two ears, one mouth and some other bits depending on whether you are a boy or a girl! (50) |
| 6) Humans can be old, middle-aged or young. Young humans are called children. Young children are sometimes called toddlers; before becoming toddlers humans are called babies. Unborn babies are called a foetus. Before the foetus develops a human shape is it an embryo. The embryo develops from a fertilised egg cell. (50) |
| 7) Humans change a lot throughout their lives. David Brooks in a book called “The Road to Character” classifies modern humans into 6 stages: Childhood; Adolescence; Odyssey (finding yourself and working out who you are!); Adulthood (financial independence or having children); Active retirement and Old age. (46) |
| 8) Humans are highly intelligent beings. While cephalopods (e.g. octopus) pigs, dogs, dolphins, monkeys and apes can be described as intelligent beings, so far as we know, humans are the only species who realise they are alive; who can – as Descartes said – “I think, therefore I am.” They can think. (49) |
| 9) Humans are conscious beings. Since discovering the use of fire (and cooking) and the making of simple tools, their brains have expanded massively in comparison with other mammals. They have developed language, maths and invented music, art, stories, religions, nations, money and science to try and make sense of everything. (50) |
| 10) Humans have developed culture. Culture is history, art, literature, science, religion, customs and traditions. Culture is the foundation and continuation of civilisation. Culture gives humans a sense of belonging; shapes human interests, politics and economics. Cultures are rich and wonderful yet “everywhere man is in chains.” – Jean Jacques Rousseau 1762. (50) |
| 11) Humans are ingenious inventors. They have discovered fire, language, medicines and distant planets. They have created writing, art and music. They have invented tools, maths, wheels, farming, the printing press, steam engines, electricity, the chemical industry, motorised vehicles, computers, space travel and the internet. (44) |
| 12) A human is a learner. Babies can only scream, sleep, drink and poo! It takes a year to learn to walk; two years to talk; after that their brains are like sponges sucking up knowledge. There is no limit to how much a human can learn. If they want to. (50) |
| 13) I am human. I am virtually identical to you. I have some DNA in the nucleus of every one of my 300,000,000,000,000 cells. It stores my genetic code. 98% is the same as a chimpanzee. 99% of my genome is the same as yours. Just 1% makes us different. (50) |
| 14) You are a human. You are a product of your environment: of where you grow up, how rich you are, where you go to school, how you are spoken to, of your childhood experiences. Decisions you make, and others make for you, make you who you are. (47) |
| 15) A human is a machine, containing thousands of miles of pipes filled with liquid. They contain a pump. Each cell is a perfectly tuned microscopic chemical factory. Their muscles and bones work together as a biomechanic robot. Their brains contain neural networks more complex than a computer circuit board. (49) |
| 16) Humans are social animals with a natural instinct to connect with others: to develop friendships, fall in love; to form tribes. As civilisation developed their social instinct has driven them forward while overcoming it in armies, churches, classrooms, meeting rooms and sports fields has been key to their success. (50) |
| 17) A human is an animal wearing clothes, pretending not to be an animal. Through all the culture and technology humans have developed, many of them have forgotten they are part of nature, part of the rich tapestry of all life on this beautiful planet. (44) |
| 18) A human is a selfish, destructive creature that has fallen out of love with nature and fallen in love with its own self importance. A human wants more and more. It takes but rarely gives. It shows little gratitude, kindness or appreciation. It destroys the environment and ultimately, itself. (49) |
CREducATE 