Posted on 12/01/2005 11:27:55 AM PST by Spiff
I was just kidding because I'm always arguing with the self-proclaimed atheists on FR about evolution. I really don't care if an atheist teaches. I guess they need jobs, too. LOL
"Responsibility of the Born: All persons must be held responsible for their own pollution. "
Last I checked, opinions such as these are not scientific in the slightest.
I think that you are correct that this is not science, however it makes for good economic policy.
You bring up some facinating issues. I might hold off on doing anything until you see how class discussion is handled. Is the instructor interested in encouraging independent thinking, and free expression of varying opinions? Or is he trying to push his opinion on them.
Actually I found many of the questions thought provoking. Eighth grade is the last year of middle school then the kids are off to high school. By this time they should be critiquing their instructors and questioning things they are being taught. At 13 and 14 years old kids are questioning all kinds of things, including parental wisdom.
I think this could be a path to developing critical thinking and refining their own opinions. But I'd watch it carefully. It could be the teacher is full of bunk too.
If Christianity is being hammered so heavily, then pagan worship/catechism should not be permitted either.
How about this link?
"The third book reviewed and approved for use was "Global Science: Energy, Resources, Environment," 5th edition, by John W. Christensen, published by Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. Flanakin of the TPPF approvingly noted that the book was prepared with the help of the industry organization American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers. Also, according to the New York Times, the book was partly funded by the Mineral Information Institute, a nonprofit group whose board is almost entirely composed of top mining industry officials. In his statement to the board, Duggan said he felt it was the "finest and most readable textbook" he had ever reviewed."
"Adele Kimmel of TLPJ said that it "was not an accident" that the board "ultimately chose to adopt a book financed by the mining industry over one that emphasizes the importance of critical thinking."
Also this link is interesting.
"Of concern should be the low status, to the point of irrelevance, given to traditional values and religion in textbooks and curriculum resource materials. We can see this in the typical philosophical statements that undergird curricula. John W. Christensen's textbook Global Science is a good example of the type of STS material appearing more and more frequently in secondary schools. One of the things I like about Christensen's book is that the major organizing themes are explicitly stated. You do not have to "read between the lines" to discover his philosophical position, and so his book makes for a good example. Christensen's global science themes are:
1. Humans are partners with nature. 2. The world we live in is orderly and law abiding. 3. The earth and its resources are finite. 4. The goal of society should be to achieve the highest standard of living that is compatible with our environment.
The foundation of 9 years of homeschooling is what caused my daughter to bring in her notes on this and start asking questions. She knew something was wrong with it but hadn't yet developed the knowledge to argue against each offensive point. This is a high-school level textbook being used in the 8th grade. Even when I was in college, I doubt I could have come up with a defense against the offensive statements, especially against an outspoken atheist teacher who has a Doctorate.
Right, See Paris last month.
I ran a google on the quoute and the source and only came up with 5 links all from pagan pages.
Thank you. This is the type of input I'm looking for.
ROFL!! Good point.
Not to alarm you, but if you think it's difficult now, wait until they get into high school. You have to keep up with everything they are learning and give them your perspective. Tell them what is garbage and make them understand why they are being taught this stuff. (liberal agenda) But, be very careful not to turn your kids off by criticizing, too harshly, their teachers. Kids want to know "why"...and they need to be intellectually savvy about their arguments. I go through this day in and day out with one of my kids. He's careful how he approaches a disagreement with a teacher, but sticks to his guns. The result is, the teachers love him, despite his conservative ways, believe it or not. All of his friends are from big liberal families and for his birthday they bought him a life size cutout of George Bush! Of course they don't agree with him, but they have honestly learned to respect him. (It doesn't hurt that he's the star nose guard on the football team and he's only a sophomore! I had to get that "brag" in!lol) It's all in the approach. My other son takes what my husband and I have taught him, and keeps it all inside, but he knows the deal. He's shy and non-confrontational, so he never argues with a teacher. And my college age daughter has her ways of dealing with liberal professors. It's hard, I know. The only alternative, if you don't want to drive yourself nuts, is to take them out and go back to homeschooling. But I say, just keep on top of everything, and pick your battles carefully, and keep driving home to your kids what YOU believe. They get it, they'll be fine..good luck! It's a full time job!
Yikes! Paging Dr. Goebbels, paging Dr. Goebbels
(This is undoubtedly why a lump of molten aluminum is more useful than a frying pan.)
The actual Second Law of Thermodynamics has its own website.
Wikipedia also has some useful discussion: "The most concise statement of the second law of thermodynamics states that the total entropy of any isolated thermodynamic system tends to increase over time, approaching a maximum value."
If the author doesn't know this, he doesn't know science.
That's what I do with my kids
Mine attend catholic school .. and though I am happy with the school .. some of the information in the text books (which has to be approved by the state) I question how it is presented and let my girls know what I think
Like in my one daughter's social studies book where it compared our country's revolutionary war with England to the "Peaceful" Revolution it took Canada 265 years to achieve
Oh and then there is the "new math" (also required by the State) on quessing an estimated number
LOL. An unfair fight.
you're absolutely correct, look at all the bull$hit the libs create out of nothing...
I'm more than a decade out of my major but I know of no serious study that has altered the first law of thermodynamics. That matter can be changed to energy is the point, not the exception.
They're based in Golden, Colorado. Hmmm.
Chapter 1 offers a section called "The Principles and Values of Human Ecology," which replaces some downright objectionable material that appeared in the 1991 book. The 1991 Global Science had a list of "Fundamental Laws and Principles" that mixed scientific concepts -- such as the conservation of matter, the second law of thermodynamics, and so on -- with value statements such as "All humans are created with an equal right to live in dignity and peace..." In the 1996 book, the scientific concepts and the value statements have been segregated and have been placed under separate headings, so students will not be led to confuse science with political or spiritual doctrines. (I am amused to notice that some of the value statements that were used in the 1991 book have now been revised or deleted. Perhaps this shows that even "fundamental" values are far less durable than scientific findings.)
They certainly are not harmed by competing points of view if you are able to present your own views.
The laughably authoritarian tone is reassuring in a way. We all know what teenagers do with authority.
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