Science education

I think a common problem in school is that people don't learn science.

They learn about science.

They memorize a collection of facts, and they know they're studying "science" because the collection of facts is in a science textbook.

In the grade schools, (including jr. high) science is just called science and is sort of a smorgasboard of empirical stuff. Actually there is nothing wrong with this, if the emphasis is on observation, recording, and seeing relationships. It should be light in explanation until jr. high or so.

I don't know about being "light in explanation". Maybe we're thinking of different things. Personally, I'd like to see at least a little time spent on looking at a modern theory, such as the germ theory of disease or the atomic theory of matter, and showing where the competing theories failed.

Of course, this might require the teacher to show a film on the caliber of "Feynman on Physics" or an episode of James Burke's "Connections". (With more classrooms being wired for the Internet, and more of those having broadband access, it becomes a lot more feasible. Teachers could probably download streaming AV as needed.)