How do you answer a teenager who asks what good is studying leaves in science class going to do him?

Answer 1

it's the whole scientific processes he is getting experience of i.e. working in lab conditions, using equipment, planning and recording experiements etc... plus, he might also become an environmentalist if he took enough interest in the subject.

Answer 2

To make his brain grow.

An expanded mind never returns to its original size.

Even is he doesn't care about it, that doesn't mean that it is OK to be ignorant about it. The process of learning about how things work in science class can help him understand how other things work in the world, like his car, his own body, or why weeds are taking over his lawn.

Another benefit would be that someday his own child might ask him about it, and he wouldn't want to look stupid in his kid's eyes... but that might be too far of a perspective for a teenager with his narrow-focused view of the world.

Answer 3

My son has similar questions and I have explained that the learning process may seem silly at his age with the repition and seemingless knowledge but in the future he will actually use that information. Knowledge which is POWER which will enable him to compete for better jobs and gain a higher income.

Answer 4

So when he goes camping and the call of nature comes he knows which leaves are safe to use.

Answer 5

"Chance favors the prepared mind." You can never predict what will be useful. I agree with the first post above that it is the process rather than the specifics that matter.

Aloha

Answer 6

Will make him nature friendly