My Benson Polytechnic High School and Portland State University physics and chemistry classes only used SI in the textbooks and lab experiments. I graduated from college in 1987. However my high school also had non-SI versions of their science courses for those who did not plan on college. The science classes I took in college were designed for engineering majors.
Quoting Pat Naughtin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > Dear Stan, > > For many years language teachers have championed a technique of language > training called 'total immersion'. With this technique, students are placed > in an environment where all communication is done in the language being > taught -- there is no translation or training in how to translate between > your native language and the new language. Linguists have reported very high > success rates by using this method. > > Famously, the Spanish Department at La Trobe University in Melbourne used > this technique. From the moment that students enrolled in Spanish, they were > confronted by this immersion technique. The Department's receptionist spoke > only Spanish; enrolment forms were written only in Spanish, and the staff > did not speak any other language to students. > > I wonder how effective a similar metric science education program would be > using similar methods. > > Your science classrooms and laboratories would only have metric rulers (in > metres and millimetres -- with no double sided scales); all masses would be > metric only, in grams and kilograms; all measuring cylinders would be in > litres and millilitres; and all thermometers would be Celsius only. > > All lessons, experiments, and calculations would involve SI units only; > there would be no calculations involving old imperial or old USA units, nor > would there would be any calculations involving old metric units. In > particular, there would never be any requirement to convert any units from > old to new -- students could develop their new SI metric mindsets from > direct experience. > > Cheers, > > Pat Naughtin LCAMS > Geelong, Australia > > Pat Naughtin is the editor of the free online newsletter, 'Metrication > matters'. You can subscribe by sending an email containing the words > subscribe Metrication matters to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -- > > on 29/2/04 1:27 PM, G. Stanley Doore at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Effective metrication must begin in schools. > > > > Rather than teach metrication for general purpose use, the SI must be > taught > > and used exclusively in science classes and courses since science uses > > metric virtually exclusively. In this way, students will relate to > science > > much easier than trying to force them to use the SI outside of science or > > using English units in science. In this way, students will be prepared > for > > conversion outside of science without creating disturbances by the adult > > population. In fact, students could be a catalyst for educating the > public > > about the SI and its ease of use and its coherency. > > > > As for volume vs. mass, liquids could be measured by volume while solids > by > > mass. Ingredients should be given in mass of each element per kilogram > > and/or for the total volume a container's contents. That way you can > > compare the density of the fluid with water which is virtually 1 kg/L. > > > > Stan Doore > > Gavin Young http://www.xprt.net/~hightech , http://www.renewableelectricity.com, http://www.electric-automobile.com
