Great idea, Tim. Use the STEM and "Competitiveness" initiatives to promote SI. The "kits" must be appropriate for grade level. i.e. Different contents! NIST standard SP 811 is *free* and should be included, at least for High Schools. The centimeter *is appropriate* for early elementary pupils as Jim asserts. The millimeter is best for industry, but not for elementary education. You include "mass sets" with the balances. Fine! But "weight" sets contradict a resolution by the CGPM that "weight is a force" not identical with mass. Gene Mechtly.
---- Original message ---- >Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2011 14:39:44 -0600 >From: Tim Williamson <[email protected]> >Subject: [USMA:49794] STEM metric foundation in America Proposal >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > Here's what I've developed thus far.... see > http://MetricAmerica.blogspot.com for additional > information. Metric America Foundation is listed > as a non-profit foundation with the IRS. > > Proposal for STEM - foundation development project > > Creating New Good Paying Jobs by Building a Modern > Educational Foundation in America > > 5 Feb 2011, Saturday > > Introduction > > A sustainable economy and the creation of new good > paying jobs is driven by technological and > scientific innovation and creativity from which new > industries evolve. To be competitive on the local > and global stage requires academic excellence and a > proper foundation in science, technology, > engineering and math (STEM), and a strong investment > in research and development programs at the private, > corporate and government levels. > > The educational transformation must begin in > Kindergarten and continue through the twelfth grade > into college and must include training programs for > workers. Only then will we see a sustainable > long-term economic recovery. Only then will we > create the new high tech good paying jobs our people > need and deserve to be competitive in the global > marketplace. If we are serious about our future, > then we must invest in R&D and in education all > across the US, in every classroom in the country. > > President Obama said recently, “....our true > measure of progress has to be whether every American > who wants a job can find one; whether the jobs > available pay well and offer good benefits; whether > people in this country can still achieve the > American Dream for themselves and their children. > That’s the progress we’re after. > > “To get there, we have to realize that in > today’s global, competitive economy, the best jobs > and newest industries will take root in the > countries with the most skilled workers, the > strongest commitment to research and technology, and > the fastest ways to move people, goods, and > information. To win the future, America needs to > out-educate, out-innovate, and out-build the rest of > the world.” from Remarks of President Barack Obama > ‘Weekly Address’ Washington DC Saturday, > February 5, 2011 at > > http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/02/05/weekly-address-if-business-and-government-fulfill-their-responsibilities > > Our modern world of trade, information, knowledge > and science is truly global. There is no turning > back the clock on this development. We must work > within this new global paradigm if we are to be > successful. So what makes the people of the US > stand out among equals as the world grows more and > more connected, educated and scientifically savvy? > What is our competitive advantage? What > differentiates the US from the rest of the world? > What new skills must we teach our children to foster > and attract new industries and new businesses and > the development of new technologies? Are there any > obstacles and hurdles standing in the way of > producing the successful and educated workforce of > tomorrow from the children of today? > > The USA has always been a nation of fiercely free > and independent explorers who conquered the wild > west and who put men on the moon. How did we do > that? We did it through challenging ourselves to > overcome every obstacle and by being innovative > and creative, and by setting ourselves a goal, a > purpose, and having a vision that was greater than > ourselves of where we wanted to be, then doing it > and getting there. We can do this now. We must > do this now. A new grand vision to give the US > purpose and direction over time is required, and > hurdles must be removed. > > One hurdle our workforce and children must overcome > is the use of the imperial English measurement > system. Businesses that operate around the world, > and all industries that are connected to the > sciences, which is just about everything today, such > as materials sciences, the medical field, nursing, > pharmacies, biotechnology, transportation, > nanotechnologies and the nanosciences, information > technologies, chemistry, physics, aeronautics, > astronautics, telecommunications, the internet, R&D > facilities at the university, corporate and > government level, as well as the US government, and > many others, use the SI metric system for its ease > of use, its universality and simplicity. > > The metric system is the language of science, > technology, engineering and math, as well as of > global trade. The metric system is the foundation of > all great STEM progress and development. Why are > we not teaching the SI Metric system in our > workplaces and in our schools? What better way is > there to attract multi-national businesses to our > communities than by having the local workforce > proficient in the metric system? > > Teaching the SI metric system in our schools and in > re-training programs for workers would be the place > to start. We should be teaching the metric system > only, and not teaching multiple measurement systems > to our workers and students. Dual measurement > instruction in the classroom and around the nation > is an attempt at procrastination and a waste of > time. Teaching dual measurement systems just adds > to confusion which then causes the student to put > off learning the material. Teaching metric only is > the correct and most expedient way to learn SI > Metric. > > Thanks! > > Tim Williamson > > 1-205-765-6090 cell# > > 1-205-202-1902 fax# > > ------------------------------------------------ > > Proposal > > We need your help to purchase and distribute > ‘metric only’ classroom materials to every > school in America. There are 130,000 schools in > the USA, and we propose giving four (4) classroom > ‘metric only’ kits to each school. Each > classroom ‘metric only’ kit costs $280.00. > This cost includes component materials, packaging > materials, kit assembly labor, warehouse rent & > utilities, insurance, shipping charges, etc., for > a total project cost of $145,600,000.00. The kit > price will go down as we finalize deals with > suppliers for the large quantities needed for this > project. > We hope to your support in this worthwhile national > project to help restore America’s competitive > advantage in the sciences, technology, engineering > and math. > > How you can help provide 4 ‘metric only’ > classroom kits for every American school > > ******SEND NO MONEY NOW****** > > At this point, we need to know level of potential > interest in this endeavor. > > 1) Pledge by Letter of Intent to the email address > below to purchase: > > a. 1 kit @ $280.00 per kit for a total > of ------------- > $280.00 > > b. 10 kits @ $280.00 per kit for a total > of ---------- $2,800.00 > > c. 100 kits @ $280.00 per kit for a > total of --------- $28,000.00 > > b. 500 kits @ $280.00 per kit for a > total of --------- $140,000.00 > > c. 1000 kits @ $280.00 per kit for a > total of ------- $2,800,000.00 > > 2) Pledge to purchase a portion of the needed > components directly from the supplier, and have your > purchase delivered to us for assembly. > > 3) Pledge a specific amount to Metric America for > us to use to purchase and distribute kits: > > a. $100.00 > > b. $500.00 > > c. $1,000.00 > > d. $10,000.00 > > e. $25,000.00 > > f. $100,000.00 > > g. $______?______.00 > > Thank you! > > Metric America > > Email address: [email protected] > > *****Make no purchases of kit components nor > contributions at this time***** > > Estimated Detail of Costs for the proposal - > calculated on the high side. > > This will be less when bulk discounts are set up > with suppliers. > > Each classroom ‘metric only’ kit is to include: > > 1) 30 - 30 cm Clear Vue plastic rulers, (.82 > ea retail) shipping weight 0.06 kg ea > > 2) 1 - Meter stick, hardwood, clear > varnished, with plain ends, (2.00 ea retail) sh wt > 0.14 kg > > 3) 1 - Trundle Wheel, with 1 meter > circumference, high strength plastic, (11.95 ea > retail) sh wt 1.13 kg > > 4) 1 - Liter Cube with lid, calibrated in > 100 ml, (6.60 ea retail) sh wt 0.17 kg > > 5) 5 - Durable Plastic measuring tape, 1.5 > m, (3.90 ea retail) sh wt 0.10 kg ea > > 6) 1 - Metric Wall Chart, (11.50 ea > retail) sh wt 0.23 kg > > 7) 1 - Weight Set, set of 54, four colors, > (7.95 ea retail) sh wt 0.4 kg > > 8) 1 - Student Balance, 2000 g capacity, > (21.95 ea retail) sh wt 1.02 kg > > 9) 1 - Equal Arm Balance, with stacking > mass set, (14.96 ea retail) sh wt 0.79 kg > > 10) 30 - Celsius Thermometers, (.58 ea retail) > sh wt 0.06 kg > > 11) 1 - Colorful Metric Poster showing > relationships and names, (12.00 ea retail) sh wt > 0.10 kg > > 12) 1 - Online resource information sheet for > metric instruction websites. To be created in house. > (3.00 ea retail) sh wt 0.02 kg > > Retail cost of one classroom kit - $153.41 each kit, > estimated high at $160 per kit to cover > unanticipated increases in materials costs. > > Chart of costs (national distribution to 130,000 > schools, 4 kits per school) > > Item # Qty of item Unit Total Cost per item > from kit cost > listing @ 4 (retail) (retail) > kits/school (a) > 1 15,600,000 $0.82 $12,792,000.00 > 2 520,000 $2.00 $1,040,000.00 > 3 520,000 $11.95 $6,214,000.00 > 4 520,000 $6.60 $3,432,000.00 > 5 2,600,000 $3.90 $10,140,000.00 > 6 520,000 $11.50 $5,980,000.00 > 7 520,000 $7.95 $4,134,000.00 > 8 520,000 $21.95 $11,414,000.00 > 9 520,000 $14.96 $7,779,200.00 > 10 15,600,000 $0.58 $9,048,000.00 > 11 520,000 $12.00 $6,240,000.00 > 12 520,000 $3.00 $1,560,000.00 > Subtotals 38,480,000 approx. $83,200,000.00 > Shipping 520,000 ~$100.00 approx. > per kit kits per kit $52,000,000.00 > Warehouse 520,000 ~$8.00 approx. > rent & kits per kit $4,160,000.00 > utilities > Kit > Assembly 520,000 ~$5.00 approx. > packaging kits per kit $2,600,000.00 > materials > Kit 520,000 ~$6.00 approx. > Assembly kits per kit $3,120,000.00 > labor > Misc. 520,000 ~$1.00 approx. > costs kits per kit $520,000.00 > TOTALS approx. $145,600,000.00 > > Some general statistics for schools in the USA: > > 1) There are approximately 16,000 school districts > in the USA. > > 2) There are approximately 130,000 schools in the > USA. > > 3) There are about 60,000,000 students in grades K > - 12 in the USA. > > 4) On average, there are about 30 students per > classroom in the USA. > > Thanks for your time. > > Tim Williamson > > Brookwood, Alabama, USA > > 1-205-765-6090 cell > > 1-205-202-1902 fax > > [email protected] > > Blog - MetricAmerica
