Earth Blog

“8+1” is not the name of Kate Gosselin’s new TLC reality show that will continue chronicling her life with her eight children: a pair of twins and a set of sextuplets. “8 +1” is a concept that could change the way the Gosselin kids or any Kindergarten through 12th grade student might  leanr about science and correlating subjects.  Current methods, in which science courses are taught serially with no connection to one other, and an emphasis on fact memorization (to pass standardized tests) don’t seem to be working.

Coca-Cola’s 2011-2012 Arctic Home campaign, which came in two phases after the white cans of regular Coke confused the soda addicts, was too late to help a selection of survey respondents improve their polar knowledge.  At best it would have only achieved the bare minimum when it comes to knowledge of Earth’s polar regions -it would have raised awareness and little else.

Raising awareness is good because it could lead to concern which then leads to action. But a research study conducted by the Carsey Institute of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) says even with much ado about the polar regions it has led to not much but political-driven opinions.

Not all children have the same advantages or opportunities when it comes to exploring and understanding nature. City children in land-locked states may never stick their fingers in a real tide pool to touch a sea cucumber and children raised on a self-sustaining farm may not see smog pollution. It’s important for children to be able to observe the world around them to understand not only their place in it but how actions affect the world in the long and short term.