[Taxacom] Fw: botany removed from highschool curriculum in USA]

[Mark Egger]

Robin and all,

As a secondary biology teacher in the Seattle area, I would treat this  
pronouncement with a great deal of skepticism. Photosynthesis is very  
prominent in all the state and national standards I've seen, and I  
think the VAST majority of Biology teachers in the US would rebel in a  
major way at such a decision. An understanding of photosynthesis, at  
least at a rudimentary level, is essential to core biology, ecology,  
environmental science, and even social sciences. I find it very  
difficult to envision any such pronouncement as mentioned in the  
message below being taken seriously. That being said, it is true that  
an emphasis on other aspects of plant biology have declined in the  
public schools in the last decade or two, with traditional "surveys of  
the kingdoms" being replaced by new content in molecular biology,  
genetics, and, at least in the state of Washington, evolution! I try  
to build in as much botany as I can, but the mandated curricula are  
pretty weak in terms of botany beyond photosynthesis, it's true...

Mark


On Oct 5, 2009, at 9:09 PM, Robin Leech wrote:

> Hi Taxacomers,
> This was sent to me today by a botanist friend in Ontario.
> Robin
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Freek Vrugtman
> To: Robin Leech
> Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 6:38 PM
> Subject: [Fwd: botany removed from highschool curriculum in USA]
>
>
> Robin,
> Just received
>
>
>
>
>
>
> One of the items discussed at the Janet Meakin Poor Symposium at  
> Chicago Botanic Garden on Friday is the just-announced removal of  
> botany and photosynthesis, in their entireties, from the national  
> senior year high school biology curriculum in the USA. Apparently  
> whoever (or whatever) makes decisions like that feels there is too  
> much in genetics, molecular biology and medicine that needs to be  
> covered to include plants, too.
>
>
>
> Ah well, who needs to know the basics.
>
> Freek
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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