Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

You could allways get one of these, but i recomend filling the balloons with He and not H, numbers 2 then 1 on the periodic table i think ;)

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

hmm - not sure.

This 'soft' science almost sounds like a return to 'home economics', which actually had some use, in my opinion.

The whole school curriculum issue has been a political football for too long. Ultimately schools are aware they are being measured & compared & seek ways to 'perform' within that narrow framework.

If this signifies a decision that because 'pure' science is considered too difficult, 'performance' will improve via a softer option, then I think it is wrong.

If it is an genuine attempt to spark interest in the science underlying food & genetics etc, then it could be a good idea...

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

I think that's about as likely as a pot-bellied pig with wings.

It's quite simple, when you think about it. Stupid kids = can't cope with proper sciences. Stupid kids = most likely to eat themselves.. er.. stupid. :dozey:

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

Well, they could use some nutrition tips then ;)

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

- a lot of truth in correlating diet with behaviour/performance in school.

perhaps we just had good teachers, but science for me was mostly really interesting - loads of stuff going pop, bang, glow, fizz - but we were taught nothing about nutrition, and were shown how to make a teapot stand, but not how to cook ;)

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

Thats the one! :tu: :D
If they stop teaching the periodic table then you can kiss the future of chemical R&D goodbye in this country....

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

The point is, it's a nice 'n easy cop out. :td:

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

Strange kid. :erm:
And so you should- but I did Chem for three years at uni and even then, never learnt the periodic table. You learn the trends and get the blasted table in the exams anyway.

Easy.
- An object will be at rest or move with constant velocity unless an external resultant is applied to it
- The force applied to an object is equal to the rate of change of momentum of the object in unit time
ie F = d/dt (mv)
- For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

Yes that was interesting- more so after GCSE!
If having some form of "applied science" shows kids that science is relevant and fun, then it might just get them interested in the "core" and then increase the interest in physical sciences and remove some of the aura from it. That can only be a good thing but as I said, it should be AS WELL AS not INSTEAD OF the core.

I can only think this is because of the shortage of science students so there's a resultant shortage of those wanting to train for PGCEs etc, leading to teacher shortages and covering with people with less science qualifications making the subject easier to teach thus lowering the standards: the whole cycle then perpetuates.

Go Nottm and have a look at how fat the general public, on their diet of Maccy Ds and ready meals, are. Then tell me that healthy eating should be common sense again.
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Not really. You can use instinct and you always get the table where you need it.

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

My concern here is where it says "The benefits of genetic engineering" as if it's a propaganda tool... :disturbd:
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The point is that students should get a grounding in *all* areas of knowledge. You might never use it in the future, but just because someone says they want to be a fireman or a doctor or whatver when they grow up doesn't mean that they won't ever need that information or change their minds and career path later on.

An object will keep moving in one direction if no other forces are applied to it.

The acceleration of an object is determined by the force applied to it.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Edit: ADDENDUM - Damn, beaten to it by nffc! :grind: ;)

Monkeys may be able to do it, but monkeys don't have Mickey D's!!

Just another bloody politician...!

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

We'll see...nothing is set in concrete in education anyway.. :)














Mind it would be more to the point if the students had a session on what happens to a Minister for Education if they are immersed in concrete as a part of one of the modules.

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

I think its a good idea, The topics they are being introduced to are more relevant to this time and more useful. Who on earth needs to know about the periodic table in real life

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

I think that is why it's called science, its part of real life, if it wasnt it would be called science fiction ;)

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

Well someone needs to know it,otherwise where are our future chemists to come from?

We will need some folk to know and use hard science I'm afraid.I just hope that they don't throw out the baby with the bathwater with these proposals.

Succesive stupid governments always kneejerking about education because they won't take it out of the political arena. The end result looks like an cake produced by a succession of committee's that's never seen a cake. :rolleyes:

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

Mine are better as well, including the analog of Newton's original form of law 2. Of course, the real originals were written in Latin.

Interesting that "classical" mechanics still holds, except in extreme (quantum) cases.

Re: Dumbing down science syllabus
 

Oh, I totally agree. Everybody needs to know how to work out what their 'leccy bill will be, so it all comes in handy.

This is why there's a need for doing all three sciences at GCSE. The problem with some schools is that they opt to allow students to only do a third of each science, which means that their grounding is so grounded it's useless.

True - but, we still waste all this time on citizenship and other related targets setting. If Personal Social and Health Education can't teach people that oranges and apples are healthy and greasy fries aren't, no amount of attempting to explain how the human metabolism works will! :rolleyes:



Again, true...

I always wonder... schools teach history, geography and religious education. Yet, they don't teach current affairs.

Now, being the grammar school boy that I am, politics is all very funny to us all (well, some of us - I normally pretend I'm paying attention whilst I'm actually looking at some blonde's a*se, but I'm straying off here.. :dozey: ). But I wonder, at the crappy ****-pot comprehensives that exist (linger like a dog's fart, in some cases; and I don't mean all comprehensives, I've been to a couple of very good ones), how many pupils know who or what the cabinet are? What the latest humanitarian disaster is? How the economy will shape up when they have parents' with no reasonable source of income in their old age? :disturbd: