🚀 go-pugleaf

January 11, Saturday

	LECTURE - "Dead Cats in the Science Classroom".
	Former high school science teacher, Jim Giglio, 
	discusses how to make "teachable moments" out of 
	impromptu student questions about oddball notions 
	like "proof" that Apollo astronauts did not land 
	on the moon, or TV shows that talk to the dead. 
	2 p.m. Saturday Jan 11, Bethesda-Chevy Chase 
        Governement Services Center, 
	4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD. Free and open 
	to the public. Hosted by the National Capital 
	Area Skeptics 301 587-3827 www.ncas.org ncas@ncas.org


"DEAD CATS IN THE CLASSROOM"
Every science teacher has been through it. An enthusiastic
student drags an oddball pseudoscientific notion through the
classroom door like some kind of dead cat, and wants to take up
class time with it. The notions are diverse: Ancient astronauts
who built the pyramids; the carburetor that lets an automobile
run on water; the gadget that makes electricity out of nothing
so you can disconnect your house from the power company; the TV
star who can talk to the dead; the way NASA faked the Apollo
landings; the list goes on and on. Some come from the press,
others from the Internet, still more from TV and other media.
The number of odd ideas that are "out there" is truly
staggering, and unfortunately it's growing.

These notions, like over-ripe deceased felines, are more than a
bit smelly and the teacher might want to shove them right back
out the door and get on with the planned lesson. But the student
is enthusiastic and curious; this can be a "teachable
moment," and teachers don't see nearly enough of them. The
problem for the teacher is to make productive use of that moment
without letting important instructional plans get derailed.
Our January speaker, Jim Giglio, thinks it CAN be done.

Jim is an NCAS board member and former high school science
teacher who has seen his share of pseudoscience intrude
into the classroom. In this program, he will describe some
examples of the "dead cats" that are out there now, using them
to illustrate general strategies teachers may find useful in
dealing with a wide range of pseudoscientific classroom
intruders.

The National Capital Area Skeptics is an independent nonprofit
501(c)3 educational and scientific organization that promotes
critical thinking and scientific understanding, with a focus on
paranormal and fringe-science claims. NCAS is based in the
Washington, Maryland, and Virginia community, where it serves as an
advocate for science and reason, actively promoting the scientific
method, rational inquiry, and education. Details at www.ncas.org