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.
That is what I am trying to do, show him that you cannot just buy into things hook line and sinker.
I am soooooo sory that you had to endure brokaw to accomplish that....I hope I can find a bit less painful solution.
Actually, he became an engineer and was always delighted during university that his professors had to be honest. LOL!
In fact I enjoyed doing it! It was almost like a game.
I should point out that in explaining the lies, I was able to tell him about history, social studies, government, psychology, religion, math, etc.
For several years, he just listened. Then, he began to point out possible lies, and over time he got better and better at it.
Eventually, he was spotting lies I missed which always thrilled him (and me too!)
I miss those days, although when we get together or talk on the phone we still play.
That's a YES, if it happens to be one of those massive sprawling government school building served by fleets of toxic spewing buses and who's interior environment has proven to cause learning disabilities among otherwise bright and curious children.
The 'yes or no' questions are fallacious since they aren't yes or no questions. This is poor training for third-graders, and, unfortunately, the training will stick for most all the way through adulthood.
Thankfully not. People and most of those animals are not at all compatible neighbors.
The bio diversity inside my house is even more lopsided in favor of humans.
BWAA HAHAHAHAHA hilarious...and its a keeper for my discussion with the teacher LMAO thanks, I needed that!
I highly doubt that. You'd be surprised what you could find living in your house if you look close enough.
Do you really think that the dust mites in the carpet, spiders in the basement and potato bugs in the garage would outnumber the number of organism's in a couple of thousand square feet of Appalachian wilderness?
You might be Green, but you must have never been camping up in those mountains.
I must have misread your post. The diversity outside in any setting would be much higher than in a home. I thought you were saying that humans outnumbered other species within your home.
Well the school is among the largest in this rural community but being that I live in one of the largest districts ( farm ground) in the state I would say I should stick to just building size rather than factor in the large district's area.
I have taken your point into advisment and it makes some good sense. It will defenitely be part of the argument I make.
It is best to "know thine enemy", not sleep with them.
This is really the first time I have had a conflict with them of this magnatude.
As long as you're vigilant you may be successful. And who knows, with this crop of Rush Babies coming along maybe the kids themselves will begin to challenge these liberal teachers enough so that the teachers will hesitate to express their personal liberal biases in the classroom. But I'm not optimistic about that.
I thought I would send an update out about this topic. I went to the school and had a talk with them. I found them to be quite agreeable with the position I took to them.
It was refreshing to to be met with agreement rather than the opposition I was expecting and the outcome was a change in the test from the word "harm" to the word "change" to match the beaver example.
I was made aware that this is the last year these particular science textbooks will be in use. This made me feel like I was not the only parent to voice concern about
issues such as this one.
I would like to thank Freepers for offering their views on this subject and helping me decide which direction to go regarding this issue. It appears that the good guys won this time. Thanks folks.
You have a right to be upset. That's indoctrination not education.
1960
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of this price. What is his profit?
1970 (New Math)
A logger exchanges a set of L lumber for a set of M money. The cardinality of set M is $100, and each element is worth $100. Make 100 dots representing the elements of set M. The set of C of the costs of production contains 20 fewer points than set M.
Represent the set C as a subset of M, and answer the following question: What is the cardinality of the set P of profits?
1980
A logger sells a truckload of wood for $100. His cost of production is $80, and his profit is $20. Your assignment is to underline the number 20.
1990
By cutting down beautiful forest trees, a logger makes $20. What do you think of this way of making a living?
Topic for Class Participation: How do the forest birds and squirrels feel?
Exactly, that snipit sums up how I felt about this deal from the moment I read it. I am just thankful that my concerns were addressed in a positive way....at least this time.
I sure do not seek a war with the school over this stuff but that is their choice to make. I think this example was pretty clear cut and dry asto what it is.
The only question I asked that I do not have an answer for is wether this was paper was right out of a workbook or if a teacher came up with it on their own. Should be interesting to see if that question gets an answer or not.
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