The Dumbest Generation: An Incitation for Discussion

1. Hope Kramek The Dumbest Generation: An Incitation for Discussion

2. Overview – Mark Bauerlein’sUnderstated Argument Against Us • Intro. – “Non-Achievers” • Ch. 1 – “Knowledge Deficits” • Ch. 2 – “The New Bibliophobes” • Ch. 3 – “Screen Time” • Ch. 4 – “Online Learning and Non-Learning” • Ch. 5 – “The Betrayal of the Mentors” • Ch. 6 – “No More Culture Warriors”

3. National Assessment of Educational Progress • “The Nation’s Report Card” • Civics • Economics • Science • American History • Answer Key: • C – Correct Answer – 2 points • P – Partially Complete – 1 point • UA – Unacceptable – 0 points • O – Omitted – 0 points

4. Civics Question 1: The following question is about the graph below. • What is the main trend over time shown in the bar graph? • “The percentage of independent registered voters has progressively increased.” • Give one explanation for why this trend has occurred. • “Over, time, we have come to see the general bullshit in politics, distrust of it, and decide not to sick with one party or another; we take a stance based on platforms, not necessarily parties.”

5. Civics Question 2: The following question is about federalism. Federalism: A way of organizing a nation so that two or more levels of government have authority over the same land and people. Which fact about American government reflects the above definition of federalism?

6. Civics Question 3: • What does the graph above tell you about the earnings of men versus women? • “Men consistently earned about $5,000 more than women, and this gap widened during the 1980’s.” • What are two reasons that explain the relationship between men's and women's earnings as shown in the graph? • 1) As time progressed and the US became more service sector oriented, men started taking more roles as CEOs of large corporations. • 2) A woman’s pregnancy is seen as a risk of employee capital and thus profit loss, so consequently, women are generally paid less.

7. Economics Question 1: Which of the following is a policy tool of the Federal Reserve?

8. Economics Question 2: Two countries are currently trading with each other. The countries agree to remove all trade restrictions on products traded between them. Which of the following is most likely to decrease?

9. Economics Question 3: Which of the following has been most important in reducing poverty over time?

10. Economics Question 4: What happens to most of the money deposited in checking accounts at acommercial bank?

11. Science Question 1: Household appliances convert electricity into one or more different forms of energy. An electric fan can best be described as converting electricity into

12. Science Question 2: When propane gas reacts with oxygen in the air to form carbon dioxide and water, heat is released. What is the source of this heat energy?

13. Science Question 3: In the Doppler effect, light reaching the Earth from a distant galaxy in an expanding universe is shifted to

14. American History Question 1: “For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us. So if we deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God. . . .” — John Winthrop, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1631 Using the quotation and your knowledge of history, describe the Puritans’ main goal in founding their community in the Americas. The Puritans wanted to escape religious persecution and establish a pure Christian society in which everyone acted morally and abided by God.

15. American History Question 2:The following question refers to the photograph below. What social policy is reflected in the photograph? The social policy represented in the photograph above was “Segregation.” Identify one consequence of this policy for African Americans. African Americans had lower quality services and were separated from the white population and seen as lesser, unworthy beings.

16. American History Question 3:  Why did the liquor industry oppose women getting the right to vote?

17. NAEP Class Sample Results • Two highest scores - greatest number of total reading hours and non-required reading hours (ratio as well) • Average scores and lower scores – little to no relation to number of reading hours • Top score: 96% • Lowest score: 50% • Average score: 65%

18. Arguments Against Bauerlein

19. Reading Hour Averages • Total average number of reading hours: 10 • With the top numbers and bottom numbers dropped: 7 • Total average number of non-required reading hours: 3 • With the top numbers and bottom numbers dropped: 2

20. “A-literacy” • Knowing how to read, but choosing not to. • America Time Use Survey • 15 to 24 years – approximately 1 hour per week • Is this a problem? • Employers reporting lower levels of reading comprehension in new employees. • More remedial classes in college.

21. Discussion Questions • Is the young adult intelligence level really declining? • What kind of repercussions could this have? • What about the intelligence level of society in general? Hasn’t it always been a few people with specialty knowledge in different areas? • Isn’t this what America was based on?