#7DayPositivityChallenge Day 6: The Power Of Knowledge

Knowledge is not a passion from without the mind, but an active exertion of the inward strength, vigor and power of the mind, displaying itself from within. ~Ralph Cudworth
Source

I was asking my student who just finished his exam today, if he likes knowledge. He said he doesn't because it is only for him to cope with exam. I asked him, what about how he learn some things through fun and experience, like how to build a solar panel powered train for his science fair or how to purchase his first online buy. He asked me back, those are considered as knowledge? Of course they are!

So, today we had a more relaxing class to put his knowledge to test through some fun by the famous bbc.co.uk website as they have games for learning English and other subjects.

_{created using Canva}

Yes, I'm thankful for KNOWLEDGE on my Day 6 of the #7daypositivitychallenge!

Knowledge comes in any forms. It is not limited to just education, but any information, including relational skills, technology skills like learning to use the Facebook or Steemit. For example, if a person used to not know how to do online banking before, and he learns it one day, that is knowledge to me. To me, it simply means gaining something that previously isn't a skill or information we possess yet.

Knowledge also can be passed on in various ways, such as through teaching, self-learnt from all the sources available and through experiences. On top of that, knowledge can be enhanced and be built on. That would indicate advancement and improvement.

Today, I purposely look at what I know and what I don't. There are definitely skills and scopes of knowledge I am very foreign with. However, with the technology advancement we have today, Google and YouTube have become great resources for knowledge. As much as it can be controversial for some, I am grateful for the Internet and the vast knowledge it has made possible to reach me.

I am greatly appreciative for all the knowledge learnt through Steemit and the various communities such as @teammalaysia, @steemitbloggers, @steemitmamas, @asapers, @greetersguild and @steemiteducation. All of you have shared incredible posts, with topics that I have never come across before. There have always been great tips, recipes, knowledge of every branch on this platform. The knowledge about this platform itself are also generously shared, like how to do the markdown styling, how to upload pictures, how to know our upvote worth, how to power up, how to sell or buy votes, how to get notifications from @Ginabot etc. Thank you for all the knowledge obtained through your kind sharings and posts, some through interaction via Discord as well.

Recently I am struggling with really torturous sandflies' bite which itches like mad during the night especially. I remember the all wise @khimgoh shared her knowledge of tea tree oil that can sooth the flare of the skin and relieve the itches. I'm so grateful because it did save my sanity, when I wake up to the crazy itchy feeling in the night.

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Encouraging My Son in His Pursuit of Knowledge

My soon-to-be 3-year-old son is not schooled yet, hence I thought I want to capitalize on his interests and teach accordingly.

I would like to share a simple experiment I did with my son today, after he had shown great interest in a Hi-5 segment on a homemade volcano. He has been telling me about the volcano bubbling up. I asked him if he want to see a "volcano" at home today and he said, yes! Hence, this is our adaptation from this Hi-5 video. All rights reserved to them.

This science experiment only requires very few ingredients, to which all are safe for children, because they are food ingredients:

• vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
• bicarbonate soda/baking soda
• red food colouring

_{Ingredients easily found at home}

As usual, the little boy would ask, What's this, mummy?, pointing to every ingredient and repeated after me like he learnt something though it may take few repetitive times to help him remember.

Here are the simple steps to create a volcano at home:

1. Pour some vinegar into a bowl or container. Add some drops of red food coloring to it, depending on how red you want it to be. Swirl the mixture to get a thorough mix.
2. Next, pour in 4 spoonfuls of baking soda into a taller container or bottle, acting as the "volcano". You may bury this container or bottle in a pile of sand or mud, to mimic a real volcano.
3. Finally, pour the vinegar mixture into the "volcano" and see it bubble up!!!

I thought my boy would want to try pouring by himself, but he decided to stand back and watched instead. When the "lava" bubbled up, he was excitedly saying, volcano! That expression is priceless!

Here are some pictures of the process that I managed to take:

_{The anticipating face}

_{Sorry for the small GIF. I have tried so many times to upload it and so far, only this size got through successfully.}

What happened was an acid-base chemical reaction, where vinegar is the acetic acid (weak acid), baking soda or the bicarbonate soda is the base. It leads to the formation of sodium acetate and carbonic acid. The carbonic acid then decomposed into the water and release carbon dioxide in the form of gas. The result will look as if something "exploded", which was the fizzy effects. In carbonated soft drinks, this is where the fizz comes from, from the carbon dioxide. If a bottle or container with a narrower neck is used, the explosion will look more intense.

Try it out if you have young children at home too. I think simple experiments like this do spark off their interests to have the joy of learning. We can create an environment safe for knowledge-seeking!

I am thankful that with more knowledge available nowadays, it shows we humans have made great progress too. Hence, I am thankful for knowledge today!

Now, about this challenge I am in...

1. Write a post about something you have to be positive about today - this could be anything from being thankful for your current situation, someone being nice to you, being thankful for your friends and family, or even being thankful for the opportunity you have been given here on Steemit - just keep it positive :)
2. Do this for 7 days in a row if you get nominated
3. Mention three people who should do this on each day.
4. Tag it with #7daypositivitychallenge and include these rules at the bottom of your post
   (Tip: You need to put the # in front of 7daypositivitychallenge or it will not let you use the tag.)
5. Include a picture of something positive (related to your story if possible).

So say the rules, I have to tag 3 persons each day! However, it is up to you if you want to respond to the challenge. It is quite a nice way to motivate us to write for seven days in a row, though.

Today, I'm tagging @saracampero, @cobmaximus and @insideoutlet!

Check out this challenge by @conradt! :)

Thank you for reading my 6th gratitude post. 1 more day to go!! What are you grateful for today? :)

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