Re:a few starting ideas (Score 1)

Good stuff. I'd like to add that students need to be taught to think and assess alternative claims in the context of the evidence. The Scientific Method should be introduced in grade school, not high school. Of course, this problem is part of the larger issue of teacher qualification. The most glaring deficiency in our schools is not what kids are taught, but the credulity of those teaching them. I remember a science textbook in 5th grade, which stated that there were 5 basic types of animals: birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, and amphibians. To which I immediately asked, "What about bugs?" My teacher thought for a moment, then confidently replied, "Bugs are a kind of reptile."