It's a flat life
Flat Earth society can really take us places. I have had some fun walking into my science class, proudly proclaiming the earth is flat and baiting my students to challenge and change my thinking.
I rationalize silly reasons to shoot down their logic and any evidence that they might present. If I am cornered .. I make vague references to the great nuclear scientist Terry Pratchett and his research into the Discworld that has finally proven in print that we have a flat, disc-shaped world resting on the backs of four huge elephants which are in turn standing on the back of an enormous turtle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Earth - Many think like this
http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/fe-scidi.htm - even those in the Flat Earth society
Some kids think I am a loop. Smart ones take up the challenge to corner me with evidence such as satellite photographs of a spherical earth (Fisheye lenses), earthquakes (elephant fart), Wikipedia or other books (see links above) etc.
Of course, .. it's all in the name of teaching good science and yes, I do let them win me over before the bell goes but not before pointing out that it is a model that suits many people .. including a Kalahari desert native, a reference to the 1980's film "The Gods Must Be Crazy"
I rationalize silly reasons to shoot down their logic and any evidence that they might present. If I am cornered .. I make vague references to the great nuclear scientist Terry Pratchett and his research into the Discworld that has finally proven in print that we have a flat, disc-shaped world resting on the backs of four huge elephants which are in turn standing on the back of an enormous turtle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Earth - Many think like this
http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/fe-scidi.htm - even those in the Flat Earth society
Some kids think I am a loop. Smart ones take up the challenge to corner me with evidence such as satellite photographs of a spherical earth (Fisheye lenses), earthquakes (elephant fart), Wikipedia or other books (see links above) etc.
Of course, .. it's all in the name of teaching good science and yes, I do let them win me over before the bell goes but not before pointing out that it is a model that suits many people .. including a Kalahari desert native, a reference to the 1980's film "The Gods Must Be Crazy"