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Classroom Clashes Over Science Education

cheezitmike writes "In a two-part series, the American Academy for the Advancement of Science examines two hot-button topics that create clashes in the classroom between science teachers and conservative-leaning students, parents, school boards, and state legislatures. Part 1 looks at the struggle of teachers to cover evolution in the face of religious push-back from students and legislatures. Part 2 deals with teaching climate change, and how teachers increasingly have to deal with political pressure from those who insist that there must be two sides to the discussion."

3 of 493 comments (clear)

  1. Re:why not teach the science consensus? by kenh · · Score: 0, Troll

    Exactly.

    In Science you are either right or wrong, your proof shouldn't rely on who or how many other scientists agree with you - you either have proven your theory or not.

    If you rely on concensus, you haven't proven it.

    --
    Ken
  2. Re:why not teach the science consensus? by suomynonAyletamitlU · · Score: 1, Troll

    Devil's advocate: Then you're teaching what the statisticians who supposedly polled, for example, climate scientists tell you to. Frankly I have absolutely no knowledge of their methods, nor do I know enough climate scientists to make a statistically significant rebuttal. Do they ask every graduate in every country? Do they do telephone surveys? How many people don't answer those surveys because surveys are retarded?

    I don't for a moment think that the religious arguments have any merit, but at the same time, I hear a lot of people touting "Scientists believe X." Which scientists where? I'd really appreciate knowing the margin of error on that statistics, which people specifically were polled, and especially, which weren't. I don't know the bias of any of these statements, and as far as I can recall, I've never, ever seen it mentioned. Considering that that is extremely important in social statistics, it seems lacking.

  3. Re:Shouldn't be so difficult by smashin234 · · Score: 1, Troll

    OK, here are your peer-reviewed science papers.

    http://www.populartechnology.net/2009/10/peer-reviewed-papers-supporting.html

    What is wrong with teachers using that science for their classrooms?