Why I'm not scared of the dark
It's Halloween.
I’m running out of the house.
The house alarm is screaming. My heart is racing. My ears are pounding.
Instinctively, two reflexes kicked in:
- We all jumped out of our skins.
- We all slapped our hands over our ears.
It was painfully loud. I mean 130dB is "hurt-loud."
Thankfully, this wan’t the start of a horror movie. The fuse had tripped. Either that or a ghost was trying to steal our chocolates! Busted!
Since it was Halloween I began talking about what scares us.
My daughter's response was "the dark is creepy".
Daylight doesn't leave us with that feeling. So why does darkness change everything? What are we really afraid of?
Turns out, when we lose our sight in the dark, all our other senses are heightened. Even the smallest sounds feel amplified making us feel jumpy.
But imagine that there's a hubbub chattering away around you, hundreds of creatures having their conversations about what they’re having for dinner.
Would the dark be so scary then?
Maybe it’s just a matter of perspective. I stayed with the Halloween theme as bats came to mind.
Bats call out in order to see in the dark. They send out echolocation signals. Not only do they call them out, they scream them out! At 130dB! That’s as loud as the house alarm!
If you’ve ever seen a bat swooping around silently at dusk, imagine that they're as loud as jet engine next to you. Screaming so loud you’d have your hands over your ears (if human ears could hear at that frequency).
Now, imagine your next science class covering this exact concept. Sound. The ear. Frequencies. Bats and echolocation.
Do your kids know how sound travels through the air and becomes something their brain can interpret?
Could they work out how far something is away from them if they sent out an echolocation signal?
Can they explain how different frequencies are used—like ultrasound for detecting injuries?
This is where you can help their learning take a leap.
‘Did you know bats are as loud as a house alarm?’ is a great start. You could even set it off for a moment to demonstrate just the craziness of it!
But, if you’re looking to make these concepts stick and boost their confidence, I’ve put together practice questions, model answers, and video explanations for students from Year 6 through to GCSE.
Click here to check it out:
So, if the dark creeps you out in any way with its silence, there’s actually a full-on rock concert happening out there. We just can’t hear it.
Chat soon,
Nici
P.S.
As a teacher of 8 years, I know that connecting real-life experiences with school topics can make learning stick. When kids get support at home through conversations, meaningful practice, and clear guidance, they’re set up for real success.
I’ve created the materials with that in mind—so they can boost assessment results, learn through quality resources, and take on science with confidence.
Check it out and see how it might help your child this term.
