CS Monitor links to this article on a "first of its kind" report on this survey about kids growing up green.
The report, a unique window into a broader national trend, includes an unprecedented survey of more than 140 students (nearly all of them ages 11 or 12) at Merrill Middle School in Des Moines, Iowa...
The whole thing is ridiculous.
140 subjects is no where near unprecedented or statistically significant or any indication of a "broader national trend." But that's not the point, as the article explains in contradictory graphs further down.
Their experience is almost certainly not representative of all youth in the country. By finding out how these children live and think, we don't learn what all youth think -- we learn how young people nationwide can become more engaged in protecting the environment and what government entities, schools and communities can do to make it possible.
Ah - so what the article is really saying is that green indoctrination really works. I mean, check out those test questions:
Fully 53% of the students said that environmental issues have been a focus of the curriculum in at least one of their classes.
When asked why their school has been effective in advancing environmental issues, more than 48% of the students cited interest and participation of the youth at the school. More than 61% cited tangible applications of the school’s commitment – campus policies and practices, as well as curriculum and lesson plans that include these issues.
LOL - Well, yeh. To their credit, CS Monitor points out the obvious:
As you might expect, most high school students worldwide are familiar with the common environmental issues — air pollution, energy shortages, and extinction of plants and animals.
However — and this may come as a surprise — there’s little correlation between students feeling responsible for the environment and how proficient they are in environmental science.
Teaching conservation to kids is awesome. A generation ago biology and chemistry teachers were teaching ecology in science classes. Heck, my grandparents taught conservation by their example. Only back then they called it "thrifty." Now the whole thing is social indoctrination with little substance.
"Uber-green school successfully pushes a green agenda on impressionable young people." This is news?
The real news is we have a great chance to educate our kids on the science of ecology and we're failing them miserably.
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