Since publishing Something They Will Not Forget, I have heard numerous stories from across the country of teachers instituting curriculum-based catechisms in their classrooms. Most of the teachers I have heard from are humanities teachers; however, from time to time, a math or science teacher asks for help putting together a catechism. While I can suggest a few passages from Scripture and classic literature that I would use if I were a math or science teacher, I simply have not read enough to construct a seven-minute-long biology or geometry recitation. What is more, a catechism ought to be a reflection of the class curriculum, and without much knowledge of the math and science texts which classical teachers are presently using, I simply cannot help much.
Last weekend at the CiRCE National Conference, I was again asked by several math and science teachers for suggestions on catechism material. It seemed best to me to poll readers in this column and ask if any math and science teachers had catechisms they were willing to share.
If you are willing to share a math or science catechism—which I would later publish in this column, with or without your name (whatever you prefer)—you can contact me through GibbsClassical.com. The goal would be to help other math and science teachers who want to begin catechisms in their classroom but need help getting started.
I welcome catechisms that are different from the sort I set forth in Something They Will Not Forget. The idea is young enough that insisting on one way over another is unreasonable. I have already found several teachers who have written catechisms which involve responsive readings, some of which are from old prayer books, others of which are born from their texts. The idea of incorporating responsive readings (as opposed to merely Q&A) into classroom catechisms never occurred to me while authoring Something They Will Not Forget, but I think it is an excellent idea.
All that to say, if you have a math or science catechism which doesn’t sound exactly like the catechisms I have offered, please, I am still all ears. I hope to hear from you.
