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If you reply to this LONG (19kB) post please do not do so by hitting
the reply button (the bane of discussion lists) and thereby
inflicting it yet again on suffering subscribers.
As I have previously indicated [Hake (2004a)], California's...
regressive "Criteria For Evaluating K-8 Science Instructional
Materials In Preparation for the 2006 Adoption" [CCC (2004)], was
passed by the California Curriculum Commission (CCC) on 16 January
2004, even despite the forceful anti-"Criteria":
Among the anti-hands-on provisions of the "Criteria" are:
LINES 102-106: "A table of evidence in the teacher edition,
demonstrating that the California Science Standards can be
comprehensively taught from the submitted materials WITH HANDS-ON
ACTIVITIES COMPOSING NO MORE THAN 20 TO 25 PERCENT OF SCIENCE
INSTRUCTIONAL TIME . . .
LINES 156-157: "A program organization that provides the option of
PRE-TEACHING the science content embedded in any hands-on activities."
LINES 299-300: "Suggestions for how to adapt each hands-on activity
provided to DIRECT INSTRUCTION methods of teaching."
The California anti-hands-on movement has been spearheaded by
biologist Stan Metzenberg (1998a,b; undated)] with the backing of a
politically appointed and educationally naive State Board of
Education [<http://www.cde.ca.gov/board/>, see members' bios at
<http://www.cde.ca.gov/board/bio.htm>].
Unless positive action is taken very soon it seems likely that:
...
b. science education in California will follow the downward path of
math education [Becker & Jacob (2000), Sowder (1998)].