This week, the 7th grade Life Science class under the instruction of Mrs. Brenner, began studying embryology and reproduction. Students will explore this information through the lens of what God says in the Bible about His creation.
“At SCCS, we investigate all matters from a biblical perspective. Whether it be novels or wars, mathematical relationships or artistic expression, we strive to see how God’s character and goodness is revealed, how human nature is manifested, how grace is extended, how the gospel applies and how Christ-followers respond,” shared Mrs. Brenner. “In this particular study, we see that the design and function of the reproductive system reflects God’s purpose for man and woman to complement, serve and support each other. We see that God designed this process to protect two delicate cells and allow them to combine genetic material to form a zygote which can then grow and develop in a safe and nourishing environment. We consider that we are a special creation made in God’s image, and that the process of sexual intercourse not only produces offspring, but also serves as a profound expression of sacrificial love and commitment that two people reserve exclusively for one another.”
Over the course of this topic, 7th grade boys and girls will be separated for further privacy and opportunity for questions to be explored.
“During our study, students may have questions about the organs of the reproductive system or about the functions of each part,” continued Mrs. Brenner. “The questions are always important and honest, and the discussions are much more comfortable to have in separated groups. As I teach one group, the other will participate in a self-guided study where students read passages from Genesis, Ephesians, 1 Corinthians, Proverbs and 2 Timothy and move through a series of questions in which they investigate what the Bible says about differences between men and women, physical and otherwise. They consider why God created us differently, and how the structure and function of our reproductive systems reveal the character of our Creator.”
This content fits within the Life Science class and what they have been studying all year. With a focus on all life, the study of human life culminates and supports the curriculum projection.
“In Life Science, we study the breadth of life, from archaea and bacteria to plants, animals, fungi, protists and humans,” shared Mrs. Brenner. “Even though we count ourselves among God’s creation, we are distinct from all other living things in our status (made in His image) and charge (rule over all creatures). As we study the reproductive system and embryology, we see that God creates each one of us distinctly, exactly to His own specifications, and guides our development from a single cell into trillions of specialized cells.”
Although this topic can be uncomfortable, it important to teach junior high students and all students, as appropriate, what God says about sex and reproduction.
“First, it’s important to understand that we are created to participate in sexual intercourse. It is a profound expression that represents a singular level of commitment and sacrificial love, and it is how we reproduce,” continued Mrs. Brenner. “Understanding the true purpose for what we are built to do allows us to do it appropriately, in a way that fulfills its purpose and glorifies God. Second, the world bombards us with a tsunami of perverted messages about the purpose and significance of sexual activity. In everything, God calls us to be good stewards, and this includes using our bodies in sexual expression. Speaking and modeling truth in this area is imperative, along with prayer, as students decide how to govern themselves.”
And Mrs. Brenner teaches this, and other subjects, with finesse. On what she enjoys about teaching 7th grade, Mrs. Brenner replied, “Seventh graders are everything you can imagine. Bombastic, reserved, messy, fastidious, carefree, stressed… I have all of this, every day, in my 7th grade classes. There is never a dull moment, and it is a privilege to see students understand that God made them exactly the way they are for His purposes, that His purposes are good, and that He equips and challenges and comforts at exactly the right times, in exactly the right ways.”