My generation may have learned a lot in school, but how much have we forgotten? The other night I was blinded by science – or at least by how difficult it can be – when I took a peek at my son’s science homework. If you had to list all of the muscles in the human body or take a chemistry test today, how do you think you’d do?
It seems that we Americans are falling behind the rest of the world when it comes to math and science. The Pew Research Center ranked 64 countries and the United States placed 35th for mathematics and 27th for science. The research center also reports that in 2013, only 36% of high school students in America were educated enough for “college-level science”.
When the Pew Research Center put out a recent Science Knowledge Quiz, only 6% of Americans were able to correctly answer all 12 of the questions, ones that they say are pretty basic.
I couldn’t resist taking the quick test myself. I did better than I thought I would, but I’m not going to tell you my score unless you email me and tell me yours!
If our kids are falling behind in science, I blame the dreaded science fair, an annual event that teaches kids and parents alike to loathe the subject.
Of course some people know how to have good time with it. With topics like Step-Dad Manipulation, “Why Chicks Dig Me”, “Grandma: Why She Smells” and “How Long Will a Dead Body Float” (as well as a few I would have rated ‘R’), I think my son just may have some new-found inspiration for his next science project.
Happy Monday,
Mary
