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State of School Science A Review of the Teaching of Mathematics, Science and Social Studies in American Schools, and Recommendations for Improvements. (1979) / Chapter Skim
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The Current Need
Pages 38-40

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From page 38...
... Beginning with the Physical Sciences Study Committee of 1956, the effort spread to the life sciences, chemistry, mathematics, and the social sciences, principally for the secondary school years but also including new programs and materials for the elementary grades. By the mid1960 's, improvements in the preparation of entering freshmen compelled upgrading of the science curricula in the colleges.
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From page 39...
... One must be able to recognize relevant evidence, make quantitative assessments of rate and scale, and think in rational accordance with objective reality. Some methods of teaching science can contribute to the development of this kind of critical, rational approach to problems; and a reasonably accurate but not detailed understanding of major scientific principles and of the methods and limitations of scientific work -- what we here call scientific literacy -- can help one to understand and cope with many types of problems.
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From page 40...
... That such talent and time are available, providing there is assurance the effort can be effective, was demonstrated by the story of the science-curriculum reform movement of the 1950's and 1960's. It is also expected that the National Science Foundation will correspondingly restore elementary and secondary science education to its priorities, and will have funding available to respond to proposals, subject to the usual critical standards of peer review.
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Key Terms

  • american education
  • content improvement
  • course content
  • independent judgment
  • quantitative assessments

  • citizen ought
  • rigorous quantitative
  • liberating objective
  • scientific work
  • arms race

  • public issues
  • secondary school
  • teacher institutes
  • situation argues
  • effort spread

  • refresher courses
  • quantitative connections
  • american people
  • usual critical
  • cumulative cost

  • people share
  • scientific principles
  • secondary science
  • objective reality
  • compelled upgrading

  • living nature
  • call scientific
  • reliable consensus
  • external authority
  • frame questions


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