One thing I always try to do with my classes is apply what we’re doing or what I’m trying to teach to “real life.”
While not every single has an immediate or specific use in life, I think it helps to know the point of a lesson. I always appreciated it when I was a student.
[Disclaimer: Before anyone asks about reading literature, that’s an easy one. Not only does it expand vocabulary, it opens the creative side of the mind. Learning to do something for the sheer joy and pleasure is plenty practical.
I ran across this great item on the website Mental Floss, which is a regular follow for a trivia nerd such as me. This piece takes the Periodic Table of Elements and shows how we humans interact with it every day. I would have loved this, especially back when I was having to memorize the table for science class in high school.
I will add I think coffee should be considered an element and have its own special place.
Here’s the story and the chart: