Posted on 04/08/2008 4:20:46 PM PDT by SmithL
Talk about a civics lesson: A high-school senior has raised questions about political bias in a popular textbook on U.S. government, and legal scholars and top scientists say the teen's criticism is well-founded.
They say "American Government" by conservatives James Wilson and John Dilulio presents a skewed view of topics from global warming to separation of church and state. The publisher now says it will review the book, as will the College Board, which oversees college-level Advanced Placement courses used in high schools.
Student Matthew LaClair of Kearny, N.J., recently brought his concerns to the attention of the Center for Inquiry, an Amherst, N.Y., think tank that promotes science and which has issued a scathing report about the textbook.
"I just realized from my own knowledge that some of this stuff in the book is just plain wrong," said LaClair, who is using the book as part of an AP government class at Kearny High School.
The textbook is designed for a college audience, but also is widely used in AP American government courses, said Richard Blake, a spokesman for the publisher, Houghton Mifflin
...Hansen has sent Houghton Mifflin a letter stating that the book's discussion on global warming contained "a large number of clearly erroneous statements" that give students "the mistaken impression that the scientific evidence of global warming is doubtful and uncertain."
The edition of the textbook published in 2005, which is in high school classrooms now, states that "science doesn't know whether we are experiencing a dangerous level of global warming or how bad the greenhouse effect is, if it exists at all."
A newer edition published late last year was changed to say, "Science doesn't know how bad the greenhouse effect is."
The authors kept a phrase stating that global warming is "enmeshed in scientific uncertainty."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
“Science doesn’t know how bad the greenhouse effect is.”
This is a true statement. “Science” doesn’t “know” anything. “Science” is not a person, nor is it an information storage and retrieval system such as a book or a database. “Science” is a process by which human beings come to know things.
A more appropriate and meaningful way to phrase this would be “Scientists don’t know how bad the greenhouse effect is.” This would have the advantage of being meaningful as well as being true. In addition, it drives home the fact that “Science” is something that is engaged in by scientists, which are people - and as such are subject to prejudices and biases, especially when there are massive amounts of federal grants at stake.
Heretics! Burn Them!!!
“the mistaken impression that the scientific evidence of global warming is doubtful and uncertain.”
How dare they tell the students the truth! This is either a tragedy or a comedy, and I prefer to laugh.
A high schooler's knowledge vs published work by two authors? Exactly where did this knowledge originate? Has it been validated? Or does it disagree with dogma substituted for "knowledge"?
-Traveler
Sounds like the AP student is getting prepared to take Algore's place in a few years. Is that what this says?
How dare a book go against Al Gore?!?
MAJOR INTREP
The brain-washing of our yutes is having the desired effect. This student needs to refute the books statements with facts to the contrary. Being a moonbat won’t do it.
“When he sees something that is incorrect, he wants to fix it,” she said. “That's him. That's what he does.”
Hopefully next time he looks in a mirror, he sees his head needs repair and he takes a hammer to it. This kid is as dumb as a box of rocks. He also sounds like a little tattle tail. since he reported a teacher making a religious comment as well.
About the Center For Inquiry
The purpose of the Center for Inquiry is to promote and defend reason, science, and freedom of inquiry in all areas of human endeavor. The Center for Inquiry is a transnational nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that encourages evidence-based inquiry into science, pseudoscience, medicine and health, religion, ethics, secularism, and society. The Center for Inquiry is not affiliated with, nor does it promote, any political party or political ideology.
Through education, research, publishing, and social services, it seeks to present affirmative alternatives based on scientific naturalism. The Center is also interested in providing rational ethical alternatives to the reigning paranormal and religious systems of belief, and in developing communities where like-minded individuals can meet and share experiences.
Founder and President: Paul Kurtz...a secular humanist, committed to removing religion from America.
That is it right there. Mommie is a moonbat and has taught her son to accept anything that is pro-marxism. I wonder what Dad thinks? (Silly me)
Our nation's schools are the Marxist **most** important weapon. Yet...Conservatives sit like frogs in a pot of slowly warming water.
I am exasperated! It is almost too late. Freedom will be lost in the voting booth!
Solution:
1) Immediately remove your child from government schools and any Marxist private school.
2) Organize private scholarship foundations that would award private vouchers to students attending CONSERVATIVE private schools. These foundations could also sponsor conservative teachers willing to open mini-schools, micr-schools, one room school houses homeschool cooperatives, virtual schools, and dame schools.
The private voucher foundations could approve the curriculum, certify the schools and teachers, and administer testing. The brick and mortar, Prussian-style, prison-like model should be abandoned. This model of education is VERY expensive and it is cruel to treat children like prisoners.
If Harvard can have a $35 BILLION dollar endowment...If Obama can raise $500 MILLION in one year, surely conservatives, with today's excellent curriculum and technology should be able to inexpensively provide EVERY child in this nation a FREE, world-class, conservative education!
3) Organize with others to elect legislators who will SHUT DOWN the government school prison camps! Permanently!
4) In LESS that 12 short years, conservatives could be sending armies of students into Marxist universities well prepared to defend their faith and freedom. These students would graduate and take their places as moral and ethical leaders of the media, academia, the arts, theater, science, health, and industry. And,,,,most important as leaders of the FAMILY.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Mommie Debra is likely a single mom, and there is no dad. Mommie was also indoctrinated in government schools. Mommie with the help of Marxist and gay government teachers is raising a metrosexual weenie of a BOY ( who will never be a man!)
It's all part of the Marxist plan to destroy America and all freedom. Government schools are the Marxists **most** important weapon!
(Please read post #16.)
Al Gore's movie no doubt. Hell, it won an Academy Award... it must be true! < / s >
Well, last week a 5th grader corrected The Smithsonian.
That sounds too French to take him seriously.
I will accept the impartiality of this when we get a list of the "investigations" aobout schoolbooks being too liberal, pro-gay, pro-socialism, and pro-scare-of-the-month...
"Cela sonne trop français à prendre au sérieux."
That was about science, not about opinion.
A world of difference.
LOL!!!
I was only commenting on your comment of a student vs. published authors.
Read the entire article. This guy reminds of the pain in the arse thinks-he-knows-it-all type. There’s one in every class. Most students reactions to these guys - “Aw geez, not this s%%t again!”
THE KID IS A HAPLESS SHILL
In the case of global warming, I don't believe there is any clear cut consensus on the "facts", only who's "facts" you want to believe.
‘As a science professor I had once said; “Science is a game we play with God to find out what his rules are.”’
I do believe that’s one of the core beliefs of the order of St. Benedict. Science teacher at a Catholic school?
Yep.
-Traveler
Yep, it is cooling!
Meanwhile, factually accurate books by Howard Zinn sit in a dark corner, gathering dust.
This immediately made me think of “Lies My Teacher Told Me” by James Loewen, which deals with inaccuracy and omission in high school level history textbooks. One of his points is that textbook publishers water down historical controversies to prevent negative responses that could hurt their sales. I’d bet the heavily qualified language about global warming in the book has less to do with political bias on the part of its authors or publisher, and more to do with creating a wishy-washy textbook designed not to upset either side of the debate (but apparently failing to do so).
The Center for Inquiry was established in 1991 by philosopher and author Paul Kurtz. It brought together two organizations: the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal[1] (CSICOP) and the Council for Secular Humanism[2]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Inquiry
Question authority including the authority of the socialist who demands that you tear down the old authority’s established order.
And don't get me started on my textbooks for AP US and European history.
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