by Dr Rob.
The way I see it, there are 2 main elements to any bit of science you may want to learn (or teach). The theory and the practical application. In other words, there is what actually happens in the real world, and the scientific explanation as to how and why it happens.
It may seem logical to start with the theory and then move to the practical. But in reality, it is much easier for most people to understand something if they can relate that theory to something they have already experienced.
Imagine trying to understand gravity if you’d never lived with it.
Real world examples give you something to wrap the theory around when you do learn it. If you have baked bread, thrown out mouldy fruit and brewed ginger beer (non-alcoholic is fine) then understanding the Kingdom of Fungi becomes so much easier.