"inconvenient truth" - assignment dilemma

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Catholic90

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My kids attend a Catholic high school.

For the science class, they are watching in school Al Gore’s movie “An inconvenient truth”. Then for the assignment, they and their lab partner are to create a “public service announcement” regarding global warming. :mad:

So here’s the problem…my son and his partner have decided through their own research that global warming, while “maybe” possible is probably not man made. They both believe it is part of the general heating/cooling cycle that has happened over the millenia. They have quite a few sources they have found and have researched this quite well. They want to create an announcement that basically says global warming is a political tool and the data is questionable, so be critical of everything the mainstream media says.

How can they go about creating this “public service announcement” to appease the teacher while at the same time staying true to their own beliefs and own research without getting a lowered grade? My son says he is not worried about the lowered grade; he just wants to be truthful and present what they have found! (He is a straight A student, BTW).

Ah, the great dilemma of do you tell the teacher what he wants to hear to get the A, knowing what you really believe is nowhere near that, or do you tell the teacher what you really believe, risking a lowered grade?

I am pretty proud of my son and his lab partner, though! They have been busy boys!👍
 
I would go for the A, if it’s something as small as this, an A(on which sounds like a major project) is more important than your beliefs on the matter.
🙂
 
Talk to the teacher about it - a lot of teachers are OK with students who disagree with them, and either way at least you’ll know where he or she stands and can perhaps take it up with the principal or something, if needed.

On the other hand - how is the assignment question actually worded? If it says, for instance, ‘write a public service advertisement about ways you can reduce global warming’, or something like that, then that’s what they have to do.

If their ad simply says ‘global warming might be a load of cods’, then they haven’t fulfilled the parameters of the assignment, since the question asks them to start from the presumptions that a) global warming is real and that b) there are things that can be done to reduce it.

There’s nothing wrong or dishonest with doing an assignment using presumptions you don’t agree with, if you are asked to do so.
 
I would say that unless it would cause a major scandal and needless suffering on the part of your son, his partner, or the teacher (ha!), go ahead and encourage him to stand up and tell the truth. This could be a huge opportunity to build character. Don’t pass it up. Also, make sure that his announcing his findings does not conflict with the instructions or rules of the assignment. Good luck and God speed.

Jon
 
While there are many naysayers on global warming, the overwhelming majority of environmental scientists believe that it is at least to some extent man-made. I point this out because it is probable that the science teacher won’t take this as disagreeing and healthy debate, but rather consider the evidence against global warming as “bad science.” Unlike a civics or english class, much of science, especially at a high school level, is more fact than opinion based.

Ultimately, I don’t think it really matters if global warming exists or not. Whether it is natural or man-made, it is likely irreversible (although if it is man-made, possibly we can slow the progression). Perhaps your son could talk about both sides of the issue, but ultimately explain why green technology is good regardless. It does reduce pollution, and pollution is bad for public health, regardless of whether it changes global climate patterns. Reducing dependence on fossil fuels makes America less dependent on other countries, some of whom aren’t the greatest of allies. Plus, it is an inevitable reality that fossil fuels are finite resources. So at some point, other forms of energy will be needed. I say better sooner than later.

So I would maybe put a little from both sides, but then recognize that ultimately we can find common ground because there are many other reasons to “go green.”
 
I’d question why are they being given a marketing assignment in a science class.
 
PapaSquash said:
I’d question why are they being given a marketing assignment in a science class.
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A public service announcement is only tangentially to do with marketing - it’s also (in this case) to do with disseminating scientific information to the public.
 
Catholic90 said:
Ah, the great dilemma of do you tell the teacher what he wants to hear to get the A, knowing what you really believe is nowhere near that, or do you tell the teacher what you really believe, risking a lowered grade?
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When I was in school I went along with the assignments to get good grades, but I wish I hadn’t now. I missed out on the opportunity to learn to create coherent rhetorical arguments for my beliefs and practice standing up for myself.

As long as his public service announcement meets the requirements for the assignment, he shouldn’t be given a lower grade because of his political perspective. If he does have to adhere to a “man-made global warming is truth” perspective, he can always put a disclaimer at the end of his announcement saying “This public service announcement in no way represents
the views of Robert Jones.” Or he could do the public service announcement in a snow suit, considering the weather right now. 😉

Maybe he could talk to the teacher about his approach to the subject before he does the assignment. The teacher needs to be aware that he is trying to do the assignment to the best of his ability, and not trying to undermine the teacher’s beliefs or lesson plan or whatever.
 
Let them talk to the teacher and discuss the matter. No A is worth lying and no prof is worth having if he can’t handle substantiated disagreement. But give the man (or woman) the chance! If everyone assumed teachers didn’t like disagreement, we would probably never move forward. I often disagreed with my teachers and agreed to disagree, getting marks for the quality of my argument and extent of my knowledge and do I have quite unusual views on things.

One option with global warming would be to invite debate. This should sit well with the teacher if he’s a more modern type because modern people love the phrase “invite debate” and they love “increasing awareness” as well. One way of dealing away with that assignment could be inviting impartial debate without taking a stance.
 
How about something like this:

While the debate goes on of whether Global Warming exists and who caused it… there IS one thing we can all agree on… <<then add in some good cause like “RECYCLE!”>>

This would allow you to do the assignment with a clear conscience! 🙂
 
the project may actually have more educational value if they do it as assigned, and present all the research that supports the thesis they are given. Only by so doing will they be in a position to do further research, when the assignment has broader parameters, giving the research that supports the contrary proposition. they can also mention such alternative research in their report and add a bibliography
 
The book “The Really Inconvenient Truth” by Ian Murray is excellent and your son should get it from the library as part of his refutation of Al Gore’s movie.

Did you know the movie has been banned from UK schools under court order because it is so full of lies?

I would make an appointment with the teacher to talk to him about the showing of this film and the assignment, apart from your son’s project. It’s irrresponsible to show this film and attempt to indoctrinate the kids on this subject without presenting pros and cons of the global warming theories.

I’d go to the principal too if I didn’t get satisfaction.

However, regarding your son’s assignment-- stay out of it. It’s his assignment, let him do it the way he wants and get the grade he gets. I don’t understand getting involved with the assignment itself. I do understand getting involved when a teacher is showing propaganda films instead of teaching science.
 
When I was in school, if my parents told me we don’t care if you get an F if you’re simply presenting the research you did and the teacher doesn’t agree with you, I’d do it. I’m so sick of the mainstream media polluting (hahaha) people’s minds with global warming. There’s way too much research that says it might not be man made to discount, so I’d say go for it. Mind you I don’t have kids, but at my college, we had this inscription at the heart of campus: “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free”. I applaud your son and his partner for figuring out that Al Gore won a Nobel prize for something that may not exist. OK, I’m still open to the fact that it could be caused by man, but I don’t think science has been able to decide that yet, so neither should we. I don’t like the media fooling people! I’m sorry, but this topic gets me all hot and bothered:) Some good articles:

dailytech.com/Temperature+Monitors+Report+Widescale+Global+Cooling/article10866.htm

foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/29/weather-channel-founder-blasts-gore-global-warming-campaign/

foxnews.com/story/0,2933,468084,00.html

foxnews.com/story/0,2933,333328,00.html
 
Catholic90 said:
My kids attend a Catholic high school. …my son and his partner have decided through their own research that global warming, while “maybe” possible is probably not man made. They both believe it is part of the general heating/cooling cycle that has happened over the millenia. They have quite a few sources they have found and have researched this quite well. They want to create an announcement that basically says global warming is a political tool and the data is questionable, so be critical of everything the mainstream media says…
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Depending on the teacher, it may not be possible for you son to intellegently disagree with the teacher and still get a decent grade. Yet at a Catholic school, I would hope the teacher would welcome an honest and truthful presentation of the real danger that some politicians may use our concerns for the earth to promote agenda’s contrary to our Catholic faith. A news story came out recently about how a prominent environmental political figure in Britain wants government policies to limit family size to two children through promotion of contraception and abortion.

Here’s part of an editorial by a Catholic priest on the story: http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/02/02/father_jonathan_porritt/
Yesterday, the chairman of Britain’s Sustainable Development Commision, Sir Jonathon Porritt, ventured into new frontiers of Green movement nuttiness.
Mr. Porritt gave the press a preview of the main conclusions of his commission’s proposals for England’s environmental policy, to be released next month. He says curbing population growth, through federal investment in contraception and abortion, and encouraging citizens to recognize their moral responsibility by limiting their procreation to a maximum of two children per couple, must be at the heart of Britain’s global warming policies…
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I wonder how long it will take before someone seizes the opportunity and starts a thread called “Get the Kids Out - 0f catholic school”…
 
ack said:
I wonder how long it will take before someone seizes the opportunity and starts a thread called “Get the Kids Out - 0f catholic school”…
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That’s the first thing I thought about when I saw this thread.
 
I’d let him do it. He’s not outright denying global warming, he’s just looking at it from another angle (which is a totally legitimate angle and your son has evidence to support it). I don’t see how any teacher would take offense to it (and, if they do, I would suggest talking to someone higher up because, really, a student who does research and wants to completely learn about a subject is not a bad thing…ever).

You could also suggest having him explain his research, but then suggest we still do things to clean up (that might appease the teacher if he’s looking for ways to “reduce” global warming). The earth, with or without global warming, it could still use some dusting and elbow grease. There’s really nothing wrong with recycling, driving less, conserving water, and not littering anyway.
 
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article5627634.ece

Here’s the link to a news story on what the British government official, Johnathon Porritt, said in his own words. As Porritt says, this is the “ghost at the table”. People don’t usually openly talk about population control with global warming, but it is subtly implied that if humans are the problem then the solution is fewer humans. When environmentalists realize that some of us won’t voluntarily participate in their two child limit, it could get very ugly.

It would be a great public service announcement for the original poster’s child to warn his classmates of this potential danger from “global warming”. Some people who hold views very contrary to the Catholic Church about the sanctity of human life use concerns for the environment to promote dangerous agendas. Beware!
*“I am unapologetic about asking people to connect up their own responsibility for their total environmental footprint and how they decide to procreate and how many children they think are appropriate,” Porritt said. *
*“I think we will work our way towards a position that says that having more than two children is irresponsible. It is the ghost at the table. We have all these big issues that everybody is looking at and then you don’t really hear anyone say the “p” word.” *
The Optimum Population Trust, a campaign group of which Porritt is a patron,…
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Teen4Christ said:
I would go for the A, if it’s something as small as this, an A(on which sounds like a major project) is more important than your beliefs on the matter.
🙂
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That is the problem in a nutshell. Forsake the truth to get ahead. Sad.
 
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