My child got an A+ on her paper on An Inconvenient Truth...

[ourbluenation]

By way of an update, my daughter, an 8th grader, was given a science assignment to watch a science-based tv show or movie and do a paper on it. There were no restrictions on what they could view and she chose An Inconvenient Truth. Most of her classmates chose March of the Penguins. Well her science teacher, if you can believe this, is a flat-worlder Inhofe wannabe wingnut, and at first said she could NOT do the assignment on the movie, and then said she could but she would get a reduced grade. I went to speak with the teacher and in the end she was given the ok to do it on the Gore film with no reduced grade (although I had to endure a lecture on why there's no such thing as human-caused global warming...it's all the fault of volcanos apparently).

Anyways, said daughter sent me a text at lunch...A +.

:)

[johnaries]

1. Woo-hoo! Good for you for sticking up for your daughter's rights

and good for your daughter for doing such a great job on the report!
:woohoo:

[ourbluenation]

3. and thx to everyone here...you guys were very supportive. She and I both appreciated it so much.

:)

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Congratulations to both of you!

I remember your concern about this. Kudos to you for standing up for your child, and to her, for a job well done. You must be very proud...:yourock:

[maggiegault]

4. Power To The People, RIGHT ON!

Good for your daughter, and good for both of you for fighting the good fight for ALL of us.

[jpak]

5. The *science* teacher actually blamed volcanoes???

WTF

Next time, ask her to diagram the global carbon cycle and explain the Suess Effect for you.

unbelievable

(and yay for your daughter's A+)

[ourbluenation]

20. volcanoblaming is common flatworlder speak. a talking point, from the naysers.

I wish all of you could have been there...our collective heads would have exploded.

[hlthe2b]

22. Volcanos do have a role, but that is beside the point...

No one ever said there were not naturally occurring sources of CO2 that lead to warming.


BTW, maybe the story has worked itself out and all is well, but I think that I would feel very uncomfortable having this Neanderthal teaching my child...:shrug:

[jpak]

28. Sorry, volcanoes don't have a role in the recent climate change or the rise in CO2

Global volcanic CO2 emissions to the atmosphere are ~ 0.1 Pg carbon per year - which is balanced by the removal and burial of ~0.1 Pg atmospheric carbon each year in marine sediments.

The net change in CO2 concentrations due to volcanism is very very close to zero (as are annual net changes in CO2 concentrations due to photosynthesis and respiration).

Anthropogenic carbon emissions are ~7 Pg of carbon per year with roughly half of this (~ 3 Pg/year) accumulating in the atmosphere. The remainder is dissolved in seawater or sequestered in the terrestrial environment.

The Suess Effect describes the dilution of "natural" atmospheric 14C by 14C-free CO2 from fossil fuels.

14C has a half-life of ~5700 years. After ~60,000 years (10 half-lives) it will decay (nearly) completely away.

Fossil fuel carbon is millions of years old and contains virtually no 14C.

When fossil fuel carbon is oxidized (burned), 14C-free CO2 measurably dilutes the natural 14C content of the atmosphere.

This has been recorded in tree rings starting in the mid-19th Century to the present and by direct atmospheric 14C measurements from the mid 1950's to the present.

This is direct evidence of the role of fossil fuels in the measured rise in atmospheric CO2 and global warming.

[hlthe2b]

31. Offset, yes, but contributory nonetheless

I defer to your subject expertise and agree with you that it is offset. However, DO NOT confuse me for those trying to make a case against human causation of global warming.

My question in the post was really targeted at how one could let this obviously NON-Science "Science" teacher "educate" ones children.

[Aristus]

45. The "volcanos cause global warming' idiocy is from an old Rush Limbaugh show.

He claimed that environmental damage from natural sources is much more to blame than from artificial sources. For example, His Analcystness claimed that ammonia shot into the atmosphere from the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo was much more damaging than ammonia from artificial sources, and that there was more of it.

What the fat sex-worker-rapist didn't know, apparantly, is that ammonia from natural sources, like volcanos is washed out of the atmosphere with one good rain. Ammonia from artificial sources, like factories, cannot be cleared by rain.

Idiot.

[hlthe2b]

51. His "analcystness"...

:rofl: That says it all!

[TZ]

37. Wait...large volcanic eruptions like Mt. Pinatubo actually LOWER

global temperatures temporarily from all the ash ejected into the air, a kind of mini-nuclear winter. That seems like to me that would artificially hide the actual amount of global temperature increase! How can someone argue that it is the cause of increased greenhouse gases? How can someone like this be even QUALIFIED to teach science. Jeebus, no wonder the general population has a poor grasp of basic science if this is what "science" teachers "know".:crazy:

[bigwillq]

6. Awesome!

:bounce:

[bluerum]

7. Volcanoes. Now why didn't half a million phd climatologists think of that. eom

[kestrel91316]

14. Those climatologists are as dumb as all the veterinary internists and

toxicologists who seem to have missed Vitamin D overdose as the "cause" of the pet food recall poisonings, according to PETA.

BTW, cholecalciferol toxicity (Vit. D) HAS BEEN DEFINITIVELY RULED OUT.

[Catherine Vincent]

8. This teacher better had given your daughter the grade she deserved,

or else she'd catch a lot hell from DU members. :)

[BanzaiBonnie]

9. Great news ourbluenation

Now throw that girl a party. Or at least take her out for an ice cream cone. :applause:

[flyarm]

10. AHHH GOOD FOR HER!!..I AM PROUD FOR HER!!!

and a great momma you are!!

my son in HS got a "c"..his only "c" ever ( he waS an "a" student..and he got it because the teacher was against abortions and my son refused to bend to this teachers BELIEFS..

i had a sign made and wrapped our house with the sign..that said SOMETHING ON THE ORDER OF THIS ( BEEN A LONG TIME AGO SO I CAN'T REMEMBER VERBATIM WHAT I HAD ON THE SIGN..)..I AM THE PROUDEST parent of my son's "C" GRADE ..BECAUSE HE STOOD FOR WHAT HE BELIEVED IN...AND WOULD NOT LET SOMEONE TELL HIM WHAT TO THINK OR BELIEVE..HE STOOD FOR HIS FREE WILL TO THINK!

it made it into the newspaper..AT THE TIME..


GOOD FOR YOUR DAUGHTER!!! ..please give her a kiss for me and a hug...

momma fly!!


ps my son graduated university and was on DEANS LIST EVERY SEMESTER.. and was the first athlete in 14 yrs in his univ to graduate in 4 years..he was named to 4 of the top honor society's in the nation when he graduated college..not bad for a free thinker, huh??

[treestar]

11. Good for you and your daughter for not giving in

Which is what so many people do. This kind of thing makes a difference. Your daughter will always remember this and stick up for her rights and those of others.

:yourock:

[sandrakae]

12. When is your meeting with the school board?

There is no way in hell a teacher should tell a child he or she is getting a lower grade before the work is even done. Your child's politics or beliefs should have no bearing on a grade. This person is unfit to mold young minds.

[ourbluenation]

19. Mr. Ourblue and I are crafting a letter. n/t

[CrazyOrangeCat]

13. You and your daughter rock!

Tell her we're proud of her.

[in_cog_ni_to]

15. EXCELLENT! Kudos to your daughter! n/t

[sinkingfeeling]

16. Simply Beautiful!!

[Debi]

17. Yea!!! She deserved it just b/c of all the grief she (and you) got

But I'm glad she earned it as well! :bounce:

I thought global warming was the fault of cow flatulence???!!!

[underseasurveyor]

18. That's so great

Please give her a 'Bravo':bounce: from me, and to you, may I give you applause for raising an obviously brilliant young woman :applause:


ha ha it's the volcanos? :spray:

[GreenPartyVoter]

Sweet

[LeftishBrit]

21. Congratulations!!!

[brettdale]

23. Well done

Very cool.

[lyonn]

24. Congratulations to your daughter and you, Mom!!

[glitch]

25. Wouldn't it be awesome if the teacher actually learned from it? nt

[ourbluenation]

27. I'd say she's a lost cause, but you never know.

[glitch]

49. Sometimes, even years later, a memory is stirred and a flash of insight shines through.

People are tipping all over the place. Of course I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it ;)

[MaineYooper]

26. excellent. children like yours give me hope.

On the other hand, I think my 6-year-old could probably out-think your daughter's science teacher.

Let us know what happens when they come to the "origins of life" part of the course. That should be interesting...

[patrice]

29. YAY!! for y/ourblue daughter!!

:loveya: :applause: :loveya:

That teacher is probably one of those who thinks that since all science is relative (to the research context that produces it), all truths are equal. This kind of thinking fails to recognize that some contexts, peer review especially, ARE more valid than others.

[WiseButAngrySara]

30. Wonderful news! I read your other post with consternation. ...n/t

[InvisibleTouch]

32. Yay for her!!! :)

And good for you, too!

I'm thinking that "science" teacher might be better utilized in another subject, though. Mythology, perhaps?

[malaise]

33. In the words of Bob Marley

Stand up for your Rights. Congrats!

Sp.

[proud patriot]

34. Right On

:hi:

[kirby]

35. I once got an F for a paper criticizing religion

I wrote something critical of the Bible. I quoted numerous passages and how they contradicted one another. The teacher gave me a F, despite a well written paper. I had to protest to the Dean of the English department. She eventually graded it for me personally. I think I got an A-. Since the actual 'Dean' graded it, she was tougher on me.

[alcibiades_mystery]

36. I wouldn't be too happy about that

The grade is as artificial as an F, given all the hubbub. Trust me. It's "a here's an A+ and quit fucking bothering me."

[ourbluenation]

39. I think that has something to do with it, but it was an A paper.

but yeah, A+ may have been a tad dramatic.

[slackmaster]

38. Could you by any chance post the contents of the paper?

I'm interested to see what kind of reasoning, writing, and analysis passes for A+ material in 8th grade these days.

[ourbluenation]

40. That's makes me a little uncomfortable, but I could pm it to you later when I get home

[slackmaster]

41. If you wouldn't mind, I would really appreciate it

All personal information removed, of course.

TIA

[patrice]

43. You'll need the grading criteria also, to identify how points were

assessed to what characteristics of the content.

[ourbluenation]

54. done - check your inbox

[slackmaster]

61. Muchisimas gracias!

I will savor it this evening after work.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

42. Teach deserves a D-. Good on your daughter! n/t

[0rganism]

44. "here's an A+, now go away and don't bother me anymore with this BS"

Hey, the teacher may not agree with the position of your daughter, you, or the world's leading climatologists, but at least she's smart enough to recognize that this is a fight she would lose at the school board level.

[DKRC]

46. Our daughters must have the same science teacher!

I just posted about my daughter's experience with her science teacher yesterday. At least her's isn't dimwitted enough to threaten her with reduced grades.

Congratulations to your daughter for doing a great job and you for backing her up!


:yourock:

[ourbluenation]

48. I saw that DKRC! Did you get the lecture like I did? She tried to convert me.

It was comical.

[BuyingThyme]

47. I think you get an A+ too, OBN.

:)

[radfringe]

50. WHOOO-HOOOO!!

Tell your daughter "WAY TO GO!"

kudos to you too for going to bat for her

[lonestarnot]

52. excellent and good fighting!

:patriot: carry on!

[Vidar]

53. Kudos to you & your daughter. Way to hang in there.

[IChing]

55. Gratz to your daughter

thanks to you and her for fighting the good fight

[Lisa]

56. here's hoping she considers a science/policy degree!

I'm serious about this ... I talk to the scientists and resource management experts I work with, and they all express concern that there is such a time lag before scientific findings make into public discourse and actual policy. I talk to policymakers I know, and they say they wish they knew more about the science! There is a tremendous need for people who want to understand about scientific issues, and who are able and willing to communicate them and be active in finding adequate responses. Give your daughter my congratulations, ourbluenation ... and tell her that my high school physics teacher was a creationist who believed in the literal truth of the Bible, and marked down anybody who questioned him -- and if anything, this made me more determined to get a PhD (and I did!).


p.s. what the other posters have been saying about volcanic activity ... I'll bet that in future courses, your daughter will find out quite a bit about a nifty compound called sulfur dioxide (SO2), if she hasn't already done so. It's one of the reasons why the global temperature dropped after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.

[FogerRox]

57. Kudos for going to bat for your kid, RIGHT ON !

KnR too, good on your kid...

A +

[jgraz]

58. POST IT!!

Is her paper in electronic form? I'm sure many folks here would love to read what she wrote.

[liberalla]

59. That's great news! I remember when you posted it before...

and am glad to hear things worked out well!
(except for you getting the lecture)

Congrats to your daughter!

[SmokingJacket]

60. Maybe she taught the teacher a thing or two.

We can hope!

Congrats to your kiddo.