"Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection" (itsalwayssteve)
04/24/2019 at 17:37 • Filed to: 8th grade, Teaching
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"Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection" (itsalwayssteve)
04/24/2019 at 17:37 • Filed to: 8th grade, Teaching | 6
| 56 |
My favorite part of lesson planning is putting the wrong answers on multiple choice questions
Brickman
> Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
04/24/2019 at 17:43 |
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1. b
2. b
3. b!
xc90v8/I4 :(
> Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
04/24/2019 at 17:45 |
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Question 2 is not fair. All 4 could be correct.. or do you know for sure there isn’t somewhere in a pub a controversy that it’s not all natural? As a student I would choose one you don’t want just to argue..
And question 3 is kinda dodgy too. Who’s the judge on what’s most important? Just because is says so in some book that’s not the ultimate truth. So again as a student I would choose at random and still be correct.
Sorry but I just was this kinda dick at school messing with teachers and I got away with this because the knew I was right and still knew the correct answers. Just want to let you into the mind of kids that are bored at school
just-a-scratch
> Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
04/24/2019 at 17:45 |
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1 c It’s funny that I can’t remember that class though.
2 d No mutations. Evolution is a lie.
3 b GLOWH AM!
Did I pass?
benjrblant
> Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
04/24/2019 at 17:46 |
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Rule #1 of “Dunno, wingin’ it”
Always go with the longest answer.
farscythe - makin da cawfee!
> Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
04/24/2019 at 17:48 |
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1 c
2b
3b
ttyymmnn
> Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
04/24/2019 at 17:48 |
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I taught a brass methods class at university once, where I taught kids how to play all the different brass instruments. The final exam had a “What is wrong with this picture” section on the correct way to hold the instruments.
That’s not me in the pictures, BTW.
facw
> Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
04/24/2019 at 17:52 |
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I feel like 2 is a bad question given that I’m quite sure you can find people arguing a, b, and c (and probably d, though I haven’t seen it). Controversy doesn’t require both sides to have a good point.
And with regards to 3, I’m concerned about the ethics of eating meat (though I still eat some, because it’s delicious) so I’d like my glow- in- the- dark ham lab grown please. That’s just more biotechnology (and one that could have a big effect on the rest of agriculture given how much farming is just for producing feed).
Deal Killer - Powered by Focus
> xc90v8/I4 :(
04/24/2019 at 17:52 |
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Yep, my thought as well, regarding the 2nd question. Number 3 is geared towards agriculture
in the question, so answers 1 & 4, which deal with meds would be ruled out. Of course, everyone should want glow in the dark ham. That’d be cool.
RallyWrench
> Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
04/24/2019 at 17:52 |
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3b is a b illion dollar idea, patent it.
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benjrblant
> xc90v8/I4 :(
04/24/2019 at 17:55 |
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Not all mutations are a bad thing. Sometimes cell mutations can be beneficial .
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xc90v8/I4 :(
> Deal Killer - Powered by Focus
04/24/2019 at 17:55 |
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Who says the meds can’t be used to make cows live 800 years? Or to make them grow from eating stones? I’m getting ridiculous here because I’m always right and logic won’t change that .
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xc90v8/I4 :(
> benjrblant
04/24/2019 at 18:02 |
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I agree. Every step in evolution is a mutation I suppose. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t idiots saying this. I could imagine a certain president of the USA saying that.
lone_liberal
> ttyymmnn
04/24/2019 at 18:07 |
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Is the first French Horn picture supposed to be right? I never played it but I thought you were supposed to put your hand in the bell.
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facw
> benjrblant
04/24/2019 at 18:09 |
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Right, but this is asking about controversy, not who’s right in a given controversy.
Chariotoflove
> ttyymmnn
04/24/2019 at 18:29 |
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The top right is the incorrect one. He has the bell section over the wrong shoulder.
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Chariotoflove
> Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
04/24/2019 at 18:32 |
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I tell my students making up the correct answer is cake. The hard part is making up plausible sounding wrong answer choices.
I sometimes tell my students to make up test questions as part of their study. I tell them that by the time they have made up full answer selections and then tested them on each other, they will have a much more in depth understanding of what they need to know. Sometimes my review sessions involve me going over these student-made questions with the class and discussing them. It’s really effective.
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Chariotoflove
> xc90v8/I4 :(
04/24/2019 at 18:34 |
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3b is absolutely doable and massively important. I wanna ham sandwich like that.
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ttyymmnn
> lone_liberal
04/24/2019 at 19:01 |
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Correct. He is holding the edge of the bell when his hand should be inside.
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ttyymmnn
> Chariotoflove
04/24/2019 at 19:02 |
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He’s doing the slide with his left hand when it should be his right.
benn454
> xc90v8/I4 :(
04/24/2019 at 19:03 |
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What are you talking about? The correct answer to question 3 is obviously B.
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benjrblant
> facw
04/24/2019 at 19:03 |
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And mutations can be naturally occurring . See: evolution .
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lone_liberal
> ttyymmnn
04/24/2019 at 19:04 |
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Ah, good. I thought maybe the top row was supposed to be correct as I couldn’t see the issue with the left handed trombonist.
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xc90v8/I4 :(
> benn454
04/24/2019 at 19:10 |
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Shhhh the teacher doesn’t know that
DipodomysDeserti
> xc90v8/I4 :(
04/24/2019 at 19:11 |
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Sounds like you had bad teachers who didn’t feel like educating a smartass.
My high schoolers, even the smartass ones, could explain to you very succinctly why all the choices in question two are not true.
Question three doesn’t have dodgy choices either, as two of them are not apart of agricultural development, and ham isn’t kosher.
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DipodomysDeserti
> Deal Killer - Powered by Focus
04/24/2019 at 19:18 |
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Number two only has one correct answer. No one has a problem with the unnatural process of selective breeding, a practice that’s been going on for over 10k years, so A isn’t correct. Now, you could say someone ignorant as to what selective breeding is may choose A, but science doesn’t play to the lowest common denominator.
There are plenty of scientists that are farmers. My university had lots of scientists that were farmers, so B isn’t correct. All mutations are definitely not bad, as they sometimes create adaptations, so D is out.
That leaves C, which is correct, as we don’t know all the effects of genetically modifying organisms, specifically in regards to succession and their role as invasive species. C is the correct answer.
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DipodomysDeserti
> xc90v8/I4 :(
04/24/2019 at 19:20 |
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One of the hardest parts of teaching science is erasing all the stuff students have absorbed from idiots.
Thankfully, kids are actually pretty logical, so if you’re a good teacher they’ll get there themselves.
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xc90v8/I4 :(
> DipodomysDeserti
04/24/2019 at 19:23 |
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I think teachers have enough on their plates to not deal with smartasses. They should take their time on the slower ones. But that doesn’t make school more fun..
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ttyymmnn
> lone_liberal
04/24/2019 at 19:23 |
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I actually missed that myself because everything else he is doing is correct.
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xc90v8/I4 :(
> DipodomysDeserti
04/24/2019 at 19:33 |
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That is true. Problem is, that as soon as grades, parents and the future of kids are involved things get nasty. So a teacher sadly has to be careful with tests.
Where I live lawyers at parent teacher meetings aren’t rare. They can be as well meaning as they want.. wrong is still wrong
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DipodomysDeserti
> xc90v8/I4 :(
04/24/2019 at 19:52 |
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Damn, half my student’s parents are lawyers, but none of them are assholes. To me, at least.
Honestly, I have some really creative kids, and sometimes they come up with really good and creative explanations to answers that aren’t totally right. I’ll still give them credit, as knowledge and understanding is more than just knowing the right answer.
We need more creative people in science, so I don’t want to stamp out that creativity just to make sure they know the exact right answers to things. That’s not what science is about.
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DipodomysDeserti
> xc90v8/I4 :(
04/24/2019 at 19:55 |
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I’m also a smartass, so they make it more fun for me.
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facw
> DipodomysDeserti
04/24/2019 at 19:56 |
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Number two only has one correct answer. No one has a problem with the unnatural process of selective breeding, a practice that’s been going on for over 10k years, so A isn’t correct. Now, you could say someone ignorant as to what selective breeding is may choose A, but science doesn’t play to the lowest common denominator.
There are plenty of scientists that are farmers. My university had lots of scientists that were farmers, so B isn’t correct. All mutations are definitely notbad, as they sometimes create adaptations, so D is out.
That leaves C, which is correct, as we don’t know all the effects of genetically modifying organisms, specifically in regards to succession and their role as invasive species. C is the correct answer.
You are very wrong here. You would be right if your question were something like which of these is a valid reason to be cautious about GMOs, or even which is of these is a concern about GMOs among scientists (though I’m sure there would still be outliers.
However, you ask about controversy in general, which doesn’t require that the point is good or valid. And people do hold those other views, for example, there are definitely people who argue GMOs are not natural:
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
There’s definitely a push in general that we should have small farms doing traditional growing rather than lab-backed agr ibusiness (there are too many sources here to even pick something).
And here’s an article from the same site as the first claiming mutations are dangerous: 65 Health Risks of GM Foods – Section 2
The fact that these arguments are by and large poor and not backed by scientific data is irrelevant to your question. You asked about controversy , not about scientific consensus. You should ask the question you actually want answered.
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DipodomysDeserti
> facw
04/24/2019 at 20:31 |
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You have to have a basic understanding of biology, and therefore evolution, to understand GMO’s. If your students think all mutations are harmful, you need to step back and revisit basic genetics before going on to GMO’s. So no, someone bringing up arguments that are demonstrably false are not irrelevant when teaching a biology class. They tell you that there’s more work to do.
You don’t build upon bad information when teaching.
I’ve had high schoolers bring up similar stuff to me when teaching environmental science, most likely fed to them by their parents. I usually then teach a lesson on how to recognize good research from bad. I encourage my students to be skeptical, but also how to recognize bullshit.
Personally , as far as GMO’s are concerned, I only buy organic food from my local farmer’s market or grow my own food. My concern is with introducing invasive species that have human derived genomes into natural environments. However, I’m not a hippy and have a degree in health sciences, so the conspiracy theory stuff doesn’t sit well with me. My wife is hippy , with an art degree, so we get to have lots of fun, spirited conversations about stuff like this.
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Deal Killer - Powered by Focus
> DipodomysDeserti
04/24/2019 at 20:50 |
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Dude, I’m not some ignorant redneck. You right bad test questions. You posted them for obvious comments. Take what you get and move on.
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Deal Killer - Powered by Focus
> facw
04/24/2019 at 20:52 |
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Exactly my point to the OP. Poorly worded question is poor.
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facw
> DipodomysDeserti
04/24/2019 at 20:56 |
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And all of that is fine, but again it’s not what your question asks. GMOs are controversial for many reasons, some of which have no basis in science. So if you ask about the science you are good, but if you ask about the controversy, you’re going to have bad answers that are still legitimately controversial.
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DipodomysDeserti
> Deal Killer - Powered by Focus
04/24/2019 at 20:59 |
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Well, you may be more ignorant than you think, because I neither wrote nor posted these questions. I’ve known rednecks who are educated on genetic mutations, so that one’s on you.
I can email you my class notes if you want.
Not to be presumptious, but I’m guessing your career has nothing to do with understanding biology.
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DipodomysDeserti
> facw
04/24/2019 at 21:07 |
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When studying biology, you ignore things that have no basis in biology.
There are actual scientific based controversies in regards to GMO’s. The things you listed aren’t apart of them, as they have no basis in fact.
That would be like teaching a physics class, and assuming the idea of the earth being flat is valid assumption when writing your questions. Or assuming medical students would think “god said so” is a valid answer for anything.
That’s stuff is more relevant for a sociology class, not a biology class.
However, I do bring material like that into my environmental science class, because society is fucking stupid.
TheRealBicycleBuck
> Deal Killer - Powered by Focus
04/24/2019 at 21:20 |
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Go back and check the authors. Steve wrote and posted the questions. DipodomysDeserti did not.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
04/24/2019 at 21:34 |
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Man, I hate to undercut a teacher, but I have issues with your exam question and answer set. I hope I can provide some insight.
First, provide consistent formatting.
# Question
a.
b.
c.
d.
Stick with one format. Your goal is to test their knowledge, not trip them up with formatting changes.
1. This one isn’t too bad, but most kids in high school have no idea what a 300-level course might be.
2. There is no single clear answer to this question. I’ve heard all four of those complaints regarding GMO foods. I’d also like to point out to your students that most degrees in agriculture are a Bachelor’s of Science.
3. The third question really is an opinion. If I were the guy developing GlowFish, that would be the most important use of biotechnology because it is the one that’s going to make me rich!
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> Chariotoflove
04/24/2019 at 22:24 |
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I went the extra mile on my final exams. The required a lot of analysis, so I wanted to give the students plenty of time to ponder the questions. The only choice was to make them take-home exams and I gave them a full week to complete the work. The skills were critical to their future employment due to the changing job market, so I had to make sure they knew what they were doing.
To keep them from cheating, every exam was unique. I guaranteed this with a couple of techniques . First, every question had four variants and the answers to all four variants were in the answer set. The answer to variant 1 was “a,” the answer to variant 2 was “b,” and so on. It wasn’t obvious where the differences were - they may have had a slightly different coordinate pair , the units may have been slightly different (hectares instead of acres) or they may have been given a different line in the associated reference table. I designed them so that if they made a common error, at least one of the other answers would give that result.
Second, every exam pulled randomly from the variant sets. Two students might have the same variant on a specific question , but the chances of them having the same variant on more than a question or two was very small.
I would visit the lab throughout the exam week and I always heard students in there trying to compare their results. I always found it amusing when they were arguing about which one was right without realizing that their numbers were different because the questions were slightly different. Of course, I always stepped in to remind them that they should be doing their own work.
Grading them was a pain, but I felt it was worth the effort given the amount of work the students put into their work.
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Chariotoflove
> TheRealBicycleBuck
04/24/2019 at 22:29 |
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That’s too much work for me. I’m dedicated, but not that dedicated.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> Chariotoflove
04/24/2019 at 22:34 |
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Once the database was done, the only hard thing was grading them slowly so I didn’t screw it up. I created a random-number generator that picked the question variant. I t also created the answer key for each exam it generated. If I had stayed, I would have set up a website so the students could enter their answers after they did the work and the website would have spit out their grade as soon as they submitted their work.
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facw
> DipodomysDeserti
04/25/2019 at 01:14 |
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So don’t ask questions that bring those things in. It is entirely possible to phrase that question so things that don’t have a basis in biology would not be correct answers.
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DipodomysDeserti
> facw
04/25/2019 at 09:56 |
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Your best bet is to have good enough instruction that your students don’t think conspiracy theories are valid answers.
It’s pretty evident that we’ve failed in this regard as a society.
Get your measles vaccine everyone!
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facw
> DipodomysDeserti
04/25/2019 at 10:07 |
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But they are valid answers if you are asking about stupid conspiracies, which is what the question is doing.
I completely agree that students shouldn’t believe any of these, but as the question is written, they don’t have to believe that these statements are true, only that there is controversy over them. I’m not arguing that those options are factually true (because obviously they are absurd), but they are correct because you are asking a question that doesn’t require factual truth of the answers, because it is asking about what people believe and people can belief in things that aren’t true. There are a whole bunch of ways it could be rephrased to make sure there’s only one right answer (which is the one which is factually true) .
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DipodomysDeserti
> facw
04/25/2019 at 10:33 |
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The question is not asking about conspiracies . As I already stated, there are valid concerns within the scientific community , backed up by scientific studies, regarding GMO’s. The question is asking about those concerns.
The questions Steve posted are not from a test, they’re from exit ticket, which is meant to gauge knowledge at the end of a lesson. I usually make mine somewhat vague in order to really understand the student’s depth of knowledge.
If you were my student, I would recognize that you were hung up on this question, and I’d go back and review some of the valid scientific concerns related to GMO’s.
Despite what the internet tells us, all opinions are not valid, and shouldn’t be taken seriously. This is especially true in regards to scientific discovery. Teaching is tough because it requires you to inform students of this fact, without crushing them.
Unfortunately a lot off teachers don’t bother with this, so we now have a bunch of internet experts running around with their heads up their asses.
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facw
> DipodomysDeserti
04/25/2019 at 10:43 |
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It is asking about conspiracies though. If you want to ask about scientific controversies that’s one thing, but the question isn’t doing that. It’s not even asking which of those is the most valid argument against GMOs. It is simply asking you to identify one controversy about GMOs, and all of those fit the bill.
To be clear, if I were taking this quiz, I’d answer c, because that’s obviously the most valid bit of controversy, but that doesn’t change that all the answers are correct for the question asked.
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DipodomysDeserti
> facw
04/25/2019 at 11:02 |
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The question says controversy, not conspiracy.
Your insistence that it says conspiracy would make for an interesting case study.
It definitely says something about the internal biases we all hold.
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facw
> DipodomysDeserti
04/25/2019 at 11:06 |
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I’ve used both. The point is that a lot of the controversy surrounding GMOs is paranoid conspiracy, which is why I was willing to use the term (I didn’t introduce it). It doesn’t change the other answers being absolutely correct for the question asked.
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DipodomysDeserti
> facw
04/25/2019 at 12:05 |
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Thinking you’re absolutely right about something is the antithesis of the scientific method. That’s the root of ignorance.
That’s the first lesson I teach my students.
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facw
> DipodomysDeserti
04/25/2019 at 12:14 |
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Umm, yeah I’ve already provided evidence I’m right. You are the one here who seems unable to believe that you could be wrong. Those things are controversy about GMOs, hence they are correct answers to the question. That means the question has more than one correct answer, which makes it a poor question.
In any event, I’m going to stop arguing with you, because it’s clearly a waste of both of our time.
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Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
> facw
04/25/2019 at 16:02 |
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Updated it to “One controversy we discussed...” before putting it on the board. We talked about the unintended consequences repeatedly
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Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
> xc90v8/I4 :(
04/25/2019 at 16:03 |
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For what it’s worth , I updated it to “controversy we discussed...” before the lesson today.
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Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
> TheRealBicycleBuck
04/25/2019 at 17:15 |
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Thanks for the feedback. It was today’s exit ticket so I updated it to “one major controversy we discussed.”
This is 8th grade and I’m trying to get them to tell me they know it.
Last question says “in agriculture,” so it stayed.
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xc90v8/I4 :(
> DipodomysDeserti
04/25/2019 at 19:43 |
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Now that I think about it, some teachers were good natured about it. I had a maths teacher that was real clever (he’s not a teacher anymore but doing something brainy). I always tried to make up ways to solve a problem that he didn’t teach us just to make him work a little extra when checking my tests . So he then started adding bonus questions that didn’t have anything to do with the current subject. He knew perfectly well I would do that first and waste my time so I couldn’t waste time messing with him on the normal questions. Great guy!