basic education

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arkieoscar
arkieoscar Solar Expert Posts: 101 ✭✭
I'm often amazed and perplexed at how many people have no knowledge of basic electricity so I started looking for public school curricula on the subject and found a good time line from the Cal. public school system.
The long .pdf document details what their students should know and when.
4th. grade
a. Students know how to design and build simple series and parallel circuits by using components such as wires, batteries, and bulbs.

"The Science Content Standards for Grades Nine Through Twelve

a. Students know how to predict the voltage or current in simple direct current (DC) electric circuits constructed from batteries, wires, resistors, and capacitors.
5. b. Students know how to solve problems involving Ohm’s law."

I come from a scientific family so my two sons (36 and 40, both engineers) understood basic electricity when very young. I guess I have taken for granted that people have some understanding of how the world works with a high school education but it certainly seems that's not the case.
If we are going to avoid being relegated to being a 2nd. world country, we'll have to start doing a better job at teaching all students the basics.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/documents/scienceframework.pdf

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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Re: basic education

    hello USA 2.0

    Let's not go there. We do welcome questions from everyone. -Bill
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • bmet
    bmet Solar Expert Posts: 630 ✭✭
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    Re: basic education

    I'm curious when that criteria was established, I graduated in the 80's. We had Algebra, Geometry, Trig, and Calculus, but how many of us needed to know how long it would take two opposing trains to meet? How useful were valence electrons to me for Chemistry in the 11th grade? WHAT THE HECK IS NEW MATH?

    Seriously tho, practical application math wasn't often applied in our small rural community. The one class you'd think would be primed for this, Physical Sciences, was taught by "Coach", who was more interested in the girl's volleyball team.

    I didn't get those lessons until I joined the military, and then the equipment I learned to repair was being phased out along with obsolete aircraft. I didn't get practical math again until I went back to college a 2nd time, where figuring out board-feet to construct a building was actually something I wanted to know.

    Sorry about the sidetrack. Glad to know other states are keeping curriculum current.
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Re: basic education
    arkieoscar wrote: »
    I'm often amazed and perplexed at how many people have no knowledge of basic electricity so I started looking for public school curricula on the subject and found a good time line from the Cal. public school system.
    The long .pdf document details what their students should know and when.
    4th. grade
    a. Students know how to design and build simple series and parallel circuits by using components such as wires, batteries, and bulbs.
    ....

    http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/documents/scienceframework.pdf

    Actually, I think that manual was a mistake, it should be learning about
    Feeling good about yourself
    knowing Mexico's history
    Understanding why white men are angry
    Your Father / Yo Mamma has an illness that only illegal drugs help, it's not their fault.

    I could go on, but I won't. I'm actually ashamed I bought property and started building here. Wife (PHd collage psyh councilor) has some of the most amazing stories kids invent to prevent her from calling their folks to tell them that the darling is flunking out.

    ARGGGHHHH.....:cry:
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
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    Re: basic education

    As much as I sympathize with the basic premise of this thread, let's try not to wander down the socio-political path. Otherwise we'll end up with posts like this:

    "Canada doesn't even have an education system anymore; requiring students to get good grades was deemed damaging to their self esteem. Now they're just taught that everything is okay, and to vote NDP."

    We don't want that to happen, now do we? :roll: :p
  • Seven
    Seven Solar Expert Posts: 292 ✭✭
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    Re: basic education

    Epic awesome post right there.