Jim, You and Steve live in different countries. In the UK, there is a popular concept that science uses weird unit called metric units and that if you are nerdy and want to do science, then it is OK to use metric units. As a result, for many, science is detached from real life.
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of James R. Frysinger Sent: 30 June 2010 15:26 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:48003] RE: Science fair and the metric system I served as a Science and Engineering Fair judge for several years in the Lowcountry Area around Charleston SC. Often that was as the judge to award the USMA Metric Award. Sadly, I found that frequently in high school projects and very frequently in middle school projects the students did their work in non-SI units, sometimes converting the results to SI at the end. I tried time and time again to get the word out to science teachers in the schools to tell the students to use metric units throughout but to no apparent avail. I offered free in-service training for any and all private and public school teachers just before and soon after the start of the school year to "refresh" them on the metric system. Only a couple of elementary schools and one private K-12 school took me up on that offer. Jim Stephen Humphreys wrote: > There must be very few people around that wouldn't agree that in the > science community using metric is the 'norm' and recommended. Even > staunchly pro-imp people would recognise the strong link between metric > and science. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: [USMA:47995] Science fair and the metric system > Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:18:14 +1000 > CC: [email protected] > > Dear All, > > This > page: http://freelanceblogging.easyonlinejobsreview.com/the-scientific-process-for -science-fair-projects/ > offers this good advice: > > One other note must be mentioned at this point, and that is that your > project should be done using the metric system. Metric is the universal > measurement system adopted by the scientific process. > > Cheers, > > Pat Naughtin > Author of the ebook, /Metrication Leaders Guide,/ see > http://metricationmatters.com/MetricationLeadersGuideInfo.html > Hear Pat speak at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lshRAPvPZY > PO Box 305 Belmont 3216, > Geelong, Australia > Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 > > Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped > thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern > metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save > thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for their > businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many different > trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial and > government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's > clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the > metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. > See http://www.metricationmatters.com > <http://www.metricationmatters.com/>for more metrication information, > contact Pat at [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]> or to get the free > '/Metrication matters/' newsletter go > to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter to subscribe. > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Get a free e-mail account with Hotmail. Sign-up now. -- James R. Frysinger 632 Stony Point Mountain Road Doyle, TN 38559-3030 (C) 931.212.0267 (H) 931.657.3107 (F) 931.657.3108
