Synopses & Reviews
With conviction and clarity, prize-winning scientist and bestselling author James Trefil explains why every U.S. citizen needs to be âscientifically literateâ and, therefore, why our schools must teach the fundamental principles of scientific literacy to every student. And he lays out those principles straightforwardly, so that educators, and everyone who is interested in education, can understand exactly what they are.
Trefil knows that initiating a national scientific literacy program wonât be easy, but he convincingly argues that it is essential to our national future. After reading this book, you will agree that, whatever the cost of teaching scientific literacy, we simply canât afford not to heed his advice.
In this enjoyable read, a well-known critic of the status quo in science education:
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Describes the woeful state of science knowledge today
- Explains why todayâs science education is insufficient for tomorrowâs needs
- Tackles the key topics of âscientific literacyâ and explains how to teach them
- Confronts headline issues, including stem cell research, global warming, cloning, and âintelligent designâ
- Shows why science education is essential to an informed citizenry and how scientific literacy is achievable
- Suggests a middle way between the two prevailing approaches to science education: âdeep and narrowâ vs. âbroad but shallowâ
Synopsis
With conviction and clarity, a prize-winning scientist and bestselling author explains why every U.S. citizen needs to be scientifically literate. He describes exactly what these principles are, from recognizing that the surface of the earth is constantly in flux to grasping the basic concepts of physics and chemistry. Trefil not only explains these concepts but also shows why they are worth knowing.