Small curriculum editing amusements
I just came across this unfortunately-worded sentence in one of our chemistry lessons:
"Tell students to cut the atoms apart with scissors."
Uh...okay. Duck and cover, kids!
(What the author actually meant was "Tell students to cut apart the circles of paper that represent atoms." But hey, that's less fun.)
ETA: I found another one. A truly challenging task: "Ask students to find the atoms in baking soda. Confirm that they have the correct atoms by asking them to hold up sodium, hydrogen, carbon, and three oxygens."
I doubt anyone will ever notice this (in fact, it probably goes into my ongoing list of items designated "If Any Teacher Ever Notices This, I Will Personally Give Them Five Bucks"), so maybe I'll leave the kids to their atom splitting and call it a night.
"Tell students to cut the atoms apart with scissors."
Uh...okay. Duck and cover, kids!
(What the author actually meant was "Tell students to cut apart the circles of paper that represent atoms." But hey, that's less fun.)
ETA: I found another one. A truly challenging task: "Ask students to find the atoms in baking soda. Confirm that they have the correct atoms by asking them to hold up sodium, hydrogen, carbon, and three oxygens."
I doubt anyone will ever notice this (in fact, it probably goes into my ongoing list of items designated "If Any Teacher Ever Notices This, I Will Personally Give Them Five Bucks"), so maybe I'll leave the kids to their atom splitting and call it a night.