Give Me An “F”! Creationists Fail a Fourth Grade Science Test

[DonViejo]

By Phil Plait | Posted Thursday, May 9, 2013, at 10:16 AM

This came out a while back, but I wanted to see if it could be verified before writing about it. Via Elise Andrew at “I F’ing Love Science” on Facebook, I see it has in fact been verified. According to Snopes.com, this is the first page of an actual “science” quiz given to fourth graders at a school in South Carolina.

-snip- (copy of test page at link, below -- Don)

Once you’ve stopped screaming in rage and/or pounding your head against the desk, let’s discuss this.

To start with, this photo is real, and was part of a quiz given at Blue Ridge Christian Academy, a private religious school. Since the school is private, and not public, this is not a violation of the First Amendment (unlike the flagrant stomping of the Constitution going on in Louisiana). In other words, this school can legally teach this. My complaint, therefore, is not a legal one.

My complaint is one of simple reality. Young-Earth creationism is wrong, and it’s certainly not science. For that reason alone, ideally it shouldn’t be taught as truth anywhere, let alone a science class.

And it’s not just wrong, it’s spectacularly wrong. It’s the wrongiest wrong that ever wronged. We know the Earth is old, we know the Universe is even older, and we know evolution is true. Any one of these things is enough to show creationism is wrong. In fact, all of science shows creationism is wrong, because creationism goes against pretty much every founding principle of and every basic fact uncovered by science. If creationism were true, then essentially no modern invention would work. Since you’re reading this on a computer, that right there is proof enough.

full article
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/05/09/creationism_in_school_science_quiz_gets_it_totally_wrong.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content

[Enrique]

1. I agree it is sad

they are doing those kids wrong.

This author makes it a point that he is not talking about the legalities, but I wonder about that. There have to be some limits, right?

[Pelican]

7. Like what?

[mike_c]

2. appeals to reason are useless when dealing with unreasonable, delusional people....

Rational people read this sort of article and slap their foreheads at the stupidity of superstitious nonsense, but believers simply turn their brains off and entrench their delusions.

[demwing]

3. Wait ...what?

"If creationism were true, then essentially no modern invention would work."

I just don't get it...

[ArtiChoke]

10. Scientific method?

They may be alluding to the application of the scientific method which gives rise to the theory of evolution which most spurs the creationist ire.

[Humanist_Activist]

11. Basically the argument is that science, and inventions work...

because there are no exceptions to naturalistic explanations, if miracles were real, science wouldn't be reliable, and any inventions derived from observation and experimentation wouldn't be guaranteed to work a second or third time.

[snooper2]

4. Well, at least the stupid is limited to a small number of humans

Class of 2013

LOL

[OriginalGeek]

5. A girl wearing PANTS?!

The lord ain't gonna like that.

[Pelican]

8. I feel like the girl in jeans...

... may be heading up to Myrtyle Beach for spring break in a few years. Just a spidey sense guess...

[Heywood J]

12. How many of them are wearing both

cotton and polyester?

Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.

[Walk away]

6. No matter how naturally bright a person may be, they are still hobbled....

by the garbage planted in their brains. Think of the advantages children will have who aren't intellectually handicapped. I suppose people who won't stand up and purge their schools and governments will pay a steep price for generations. Just look at most of the 3rd World. What have they taught their children?

[Phillip McCleod]

9. let's talk about the legality, too..

maybe it's legal under current law, but let's consider what types of policies could be legally implemented to address the issue of religion-based 'science' curriculum in schools and home-schools.

seems to me that it is probably constitutional to require students at a religious school that teaches creationism in 'science' class to attend a regular secular school to receive corrective instruction in actual science.

can't stop them from teaching lies, but we can require the students to receive supplemental instruction if the curriculum falls short of basic standards. which teaching creationism *does*.

in cases where religious instruction is *all* the student is receiving, then i think that instruction could be considered supplementary, and the student should be required to attend a regular school full time.

[theHandpuppet]

13. So my question is...

How do these kids pass the SATs for college?