Posted on 03/08/2006 7:04:56 AM PST by BlueStateDepression
Ok, so, I am looking at my son's 'study guide' from his 3rd grade 'science' class and I was really rubbed the wrong the way by some of its contents. I decided to ask my fellow FReepers for your take on this 'study guide' and what it contains.
Maybe I am making something out of nothing or maybe I have cause to be struck the way I am by the body of this thing, I hope you folks can help me decide.
1. Yes or No - People harm the environment when they build large buildings.
2. Yes or No - People harm the environment when they plant trees.
3. Yes or No - People harm the environment when they drain wetlands.
4. Yes or No - People harm the environment when they build skyscrapers.
5. How do beavers change the environment?
6. People ____________ or sweat to help them survive in a desert environment.
7.Circle the animal that hibernates: Black bear, Kangaroo rat, Beave, Arctic tern.
8. __________ is an area of grasses and home of the Buffalo.
9. _________ is land soaked with water.
10. __________________ is deep sleep.
11. ____________ is an environment with little water.
12. _________________ means to move to a new area as the seasons change.
13. Think about what a rain forest is like. Draw a picture of the rain forest.
14. How does cutting down trees in the rain forest change the environment?
15. How do these animals deal with the environment? Goose ________________________________________ Kangaroo rat _________________________________ ground squirrel ______________________________
Now, this is written here as it is printed on the 'study guide. The kids 'answered' these questions together in class and will be tested on the answers at the end of this week.
Why do beavers CHANGE the environment when they cut down trees but humans HARM the environment when they do the very same thing? Four questions leading off with "people harm the environment" and the fifth questions says beavers 'CHANGE' it!
A question about large buildings and then another about skyscrapers......can you say indoctrination anyone?
I teach my children that all animals shape their environments to better suit their lives. A survival of the fittest kind of thing. Some animals build dens and some build skyscrapers!
This 'study guide' screams "PEOPLE BAD", construction is harmful, people are different (bad) than animals, blah blah blah.
I told my son to ask his teacher if the buildings the EPA occupies are bad for the environment. ;)~ I also told him that I disagree with some of the answers that he is being taught. I also told him why.
I think that where this guide says "harm", it Should say "change". Funny how it does when referring to beavers but not when describing humans.
LOL! Please let us know if your son does ask and what his NEA preacher teacher says.
After I said that to him, I was a bit worried that he might find himself in trouble when he asks that. I decided to let it go and see what happens after school today. Maybe I will get a call about him disrupting class with that comment or something. ;)
Your reaction seems very similar to what I thought about this deal.....preaching......and I don't much care for that being done to my kids.
That is abso-smurfly perfect, thanks alot. My kid will be reading that so we can discuss it.
This is somewhat (I stress the somewhat) justified as our 'changes' to the environment have occurred rapidly while beavers have been building dams for thousands of years (allowing time for other species to adapt to those changes).
2. Yes or No - People harm the environment when they plant trees.
3. Yes or No - People harm the environment when they drain wetlands.
4. Yes or No - People harm the environment when they build skyscrapers.
Building cities definitely harms the ecosystem--destroys habitat, increases pollution, and disturbs water drainage by diverting rainfall to runoff instead of returning to the water table. Planting trees may harm the ecosystem as well, though! Norway maples are an invasive species, for example.
Yes, beavers cut down trees and change the environment, but they change it from one type of habitat with diverse lifeforms to another type of environment with many other lifeforms. When we build cities the resulting habitat really only suits humans, rats, cockroaches, feral cats and dogs, and sometimes coyotes. Plus there are about 6.5 billion of us!
However, we can recognize these valid concerns without turning into rabid PETA tree-huggers. Perhaps you could have a meeting with the teacher and see why he is presenting this material and what he is trying to teach the children.
You're where I was at a few years ago.
My solution was to have my own version of summer school, covering subjects 'taught' over the last year as well as touching on things for the next year.
We stick to basics. Math, geography, history, English, etc. Things that have been sacrificed in the schoolroom for entertainment and indoctrination.
Most schools have their curriculums online, so you know what will be covered.
You can also request any and all materials from the school so you can examine them.
I've opted my girls out of numerous 'do-nothing' activities, and requested that the school give them alternate academic assignments.
If you think science is bad look at history textbooks. To say that they lie would be an understatement.
Above all, I've taught my girls that
1) A teachers word is not gospel, but you have to put what the teacher wants on the test
2) Printed material should be taken with a grain of salt unless corroborated by another source.
3) If they ever have any questions about what they've heard in school, let me know and we'll research for the truth together.
It's worked out pretty well. They get A's and B's in school and many teachers have told me in private that they are much more mature than most of their contemporaries.
This sounds like the 'mental mapping' classes being taught in schools that Rush was talking about yesterday.
OBE - Outcome Based Education
Get your kid home schooled or in a private school as quickly as possible.
Thanks for the encouragement. I am relatively new at dealing with school issues and it makes me feel good that I am not alone in thinking this is a bunch of bologna!
I take it that your point would be something along the lines of "harm" being relative? I think I could agree with that if that is your point.
I'm guessing you don't see your own internal irony.
Unless you don't consider, man, rats, cockroaches, etc. to be "diverse lifeforms."
SD
I agree all animals change their environment to the extent they can to provide them with a benefit. I just happen to think humans do it the best. That may be a bad thing for other lifeforms and we should take note to be mindful of our actions.
I would just like to point out that not building a fence to stop illegals crossing our border based on a bird's habitat is an abuse of this principal.
I think a meeting with the teacher sits atop the short list of actions to take.
Diversity refers to type as well as number. A habitat that supports only six species is woefully lacking in diversity.
You honestly think there are only 6 species living in any given city?
SD
While homeschooling is an option I have considered I must also take into account the idea of social interaction. I live in a small village where my kids classes are under 20 kids per class.
I have chosen to show my kids not to run from a bully. This applies to teachers and public schools as well.
I suppose I would call it a fair and balanced kind of thing. They say things to him and I say things to him. They show him things and I show him things. I do not want to do the very indoctrination to my kids that I oppose others doing to them.
I seek to teach them how to ferret out the crap and decide on the truth based on the facts. I do not think removing them from the school environment would be beneficial when the overall picture is considered.
I understand but, the problem with the public schools is that the kids don't get a traditional education. It's more of a liberal indoctrination and a complete waste of time.
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