RufusAtticus

Well New Mexico has new science standards and they are open for public review. The final version will be approved by the NM Board of Education the end of August, and of course, ID is trying to change them. They could use some help, and being from out-of-state may not matter.

This is an urgent request for you to help New Mexico produce outstanding science standards. The revised standards can be found at http://highde.brinkster.net/CILT/dow...ew_science.pdf.

The State Department of Education and the State Board of Education will be carefully evaluating and tabulating the public response to these standards.

Please go to the SDE website for the Public Comment Forum and send in your comments at:

http://highde.brinkster.net/CILT/science_draft.html

Also, please encourage your colleagues, teachers, parents, et al., to also send in their comments.

The NMAS, CESE, NMSR, and others have been working hard to support the writing teams and ensure the quality of the science standards. We, along with a group of teachers, scientists, and others are providing the SDE with a few suggestions for improving the standards. But, overall, they are very good.

Please take a few minutes to fill out the comment form. If the State Board determines that the overwhelming public response is positive, then the standards are more likely to be approved with few or no changes at the August State Board meeting. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO GOOD SCIENCE IN NEW MEXICO. The deadline is July 3, but please go to the website as soon as possible.

You CAN make a difference!

RufusAtticus

The Standards for Life science are very good, IMO. They begin introducing the students to evolution in third grade. I only have one problem with them.

Strand II, Standard II, 9-12 Benchmark II, Per. Standard 5:
"5. Know how genetic variability results from the recombination and mutation of genes:
• sorting and recombination of genes in sexual reproduction results in a permanent change in DNA
• radiation or chemical substances can cause mutations in cells, resulting in a permanent change in DNA."

This leaves the impression that mutations are only caused by chemical substances or radiation. That should be changed to indicated that radiation and chemicals can increase the mutation rate, but there is a background mutation rate due to the machinery.