Thanks. If we all pitch in to get school systems to teach SI exclusively in science and technology classes and courses we will make more progress than shooting darts randomly.
Schools have very high visibility with kids and parents. SI is the international standard and the common language of measurement in S&T, so get schools to teach and use it exclusively in S&T and show and tell why. The SI standards are published (documented). SI style guides are published. ISO date-time standards are published. These standards are published, approved and agreed on sources so why not use them? It is not often that such specific and useful materials are accepted, used, useful and available worldwide. A major shortcoming in schools is the lack of knowledge of physics. Learning the relationship of SI units as shown in the diagram will help kids to learn the nomenclature without requiring them to know the physics behind the units, i.e.electron flow or the physics of elements etc. Knowing the SI symbols and units is essential before delving into the physical composition and effects etc. It's somewhat like learning to count and learning multiplication tables which are basic to math before you get into real math, algebra, geometry, trig,. etc.. A national program is needed to get the SI into S&T classes and curses in school systems nationwide. The USMA can take the lead in bringing it together from the public sector. NIST and the Department of Commerce can do it from inside the government. People, kids, and teacher friendly publications need to be prepared without copyright restrictions much like the open source computer operating system LINUX. I suggest that the first set is to prepare a poster size SI diagram in color for use in classrooms and a smaller version for notebooks. This should be the basic teaching tool which can be referenced anywhere. Blanket the country school systems with it so that any way one turns they see it. This is comparatively inexpensive if done enmass. The beauty is that the SI is already standard. The SI and the diagram showing the relationship of units and symbols in a single chart on a single side of an 8.5 x 11" piece of paper is what sold Dr. Jerry Weast, Superintendent of schools for the 138 000 student school system. That's why he's committed to the SI. Furthermore, the Advisory Council for Career and Technical Education followed Dr. Weast's decision and recommended the SI too. I sit on the Advisory Council. Stan Doore . ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Potts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, December 30, 2002 1:50 PM Subject: [USMA:24283] Re: If War Comes > I notice that the metric pages on their web site give special thanks to you. > > Congratulations. > > Bill Potts, CMS > Roseville, CA > http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On > >Behalf Of G. Stanley Doore > >Sent: Monday, December 30, 2002 09:25 > >To: U.S. Metric Association > >Subject: [USMA:24279] Re: If War Comes > > > > > >Teaching SI in science and technology courses and classes is not a waste of > >time since S&T is already mostly metric. Montgomery County (MC) is the > >bio-tech corridor of the nation since it is near the US National Institutes > >of Health. > > > >The SI was put into the science program for MC schools this fall and now it > >is beginning to put it into the curriculum. Things don't get done > >instantaneously so it will take time. It has taken a year to get to this > >point in the school system, but it's a start. If you don't start you'll > >never get finished. We have a very bright and forward thinking > >Superintendent (Jerry Weast) who made it possible for the 138 000 student > >system. He told me personally a couple of weeks ago that he is > >committed to > >the SI. > > > >The MC school system is now beginning to use the SI standards and the SI > >writing style and it will include the ISO standard date time format. For > >the time being, teachers are left to the teaching method most suited to the > >class since each is different in terms of course content and grade level. > > > >The focus is on science and technology rather than on consumer > >items you see > >in stores. A basic teaching tool is the relationship diagram of the SI and > >its derivatives which you can get from the USMA. The diagram brings it all > >together visually. I distributed the diagram back in the 1970s when there > >was a national push for metric. > > > >Science and technology is mostly metric now so students will be better > >prepared for good jobs in those fields. > > > >Stan Doore > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "kilopascal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Sent: Monday, December 30, 2002 9:41 AM > >Subject: [USMA:24276] Re: If War Comes > > > > > >> 2002-12-30 > >> > >> You say the Montgomery County School System in Maryland is committed to > >the > >> SI. Can you explain how they teach SI? Do you know for sure how they > >teach > >> it? For example, do they teach SI as a primary system with actual hands > >on > >> experience using SI measuring devices? Or, do they teach SI as a subset > >to > >> FFU? In other words, is their method to teach FFU and when SI is > >> introduced, all that is taught is how to convert SI to FFU? > >> > >> Whatever the method, teaching SI to the students is like teaching > >Esperanto > >> to American students. Five minutes after you learn it, you forget it as > >you > >> have no practical means to use it. This is why it is important to at > >least > >> metricate those parts of the economy that would reinforce the teaching, > >such > >> as grocery store scales, media weather forecasts, gasoline > >sales, and road > >> signs. > >> > >> Without some form of metrication taking place in the real world, the > >> educational aspect of it is a waste of time and money. > >> > >> John > >> > >> > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: "G. Stanley Doore" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> Sent: Monday, 2002-12-30 09:21 > >> Subject: [USMA:24275] Re: If War Comes > >> > >> > >> > Not much has changed. > >> > > >> > US Marine infantry types still use yards whereas Marine artillery and > >> other > >> > weapon systems are metric. It's still a mixture. > >> > > >> > We must have the SI taught in schools rather than any old metric system > >so > >> > kids know and understand the relationship of units in the single common > >> > language of measurement worldwide. It's necessary if they want to get > >> good > >> > science and technology jobs. The Montgomery County School System here > >in > >> > Maryland is committed to the SI. > >> > > >> > Stan Doore > >> > > >> > ----- Original Message ----- > >> > From: "Howard Ressel" Sent: Monday, December 30, 2002 8:47 AM > >> > Subject: [USMA:24274] If War Comes > >> > > >> > > >> > No, its not the Iraq version, this has to do with a book I found at a > >used > >> > book fair written in 1938 by R. Ernest Dupuy and George Fielding Eliot. > >It > >> > discusses the military situation in 1937, very spooky reading about how > >> they > >> > thought the US should stay out of the war and that we would never be > >able > >> to > >> > recover the Philippines if we lost them. > >> > > >> > What is interesting (at least for this list) is that the book mixes > >metric > >> > and English units throughout. One table of rifles for different > >countries > >> is > >> > a real hodgepodge. The country and type of rifle is listed along with > >it > >> > effective and maximum range. Effective ranges are listed in yards for > >all > >> > countries while maximum ranges are listed in meters for France, German, > >> > Italy, Japan, Czechoslovakia and Spain, listed in Yards for Great > >Britain > >> > and the US and listed in paces for Russia. Most distance in > >the book are > >> in > >> > yards and miles but almost all munition caliber are listed in mm. The > >main > >> > exception is battle ship guns all listed in inches. > >> > > >> > > >> > Howard Ressel > >> > Project Design Engineer, Region 4 > >> > (585) 272-3372 > >> > > >> > > >> > >> > > > >
