Value of 'naming'

[Peter Rauch]

> Date: Tue, 16 Jul 1996 15:20:43 -0700
> From: colacino at violet.berkeley.edu (Carmine Colacino)
>
> Yes, of course, the "local_name"  will be different according to the "locality."
> Still, you do not really want to consider all the possibilities you
> mentioned above, do you?

"All"? No. Not all. The several locally common or familiar ones? Probably.
And, with respect to "standardized" versus colloquial/vernacular names,
I think there is a place for discussion of each in the (same) curriculum.

>  Clearly to consider, as "local_names" vernacular names
> from all the possible places of origins of the children in the class would
> not make much sense, nor would it be desirable, I believe.

Again, it depends on what the goals of the course are. If you are not
simply trying to teach absolutes: "This is an X and it does Y.", but
are also taking the opportunity to teach about variation, INCLUDING
cultural, conceptual and perceptual variation, then highlighting the
fact that different people have different names for the same things and
the same names for different things (for what may be a variety of
reasons) may well fit nicely into a course on Environment and Culture,
or Environment and You, or Biodiversity --How Diverse Is It?, or ....
Peter