Situation:

Daughter in GT school, taking algebra in 8th grade.
Assignment:
4 parts, 50 pts each.
(These 4 parts are equivalent to two tests.)

rough summary:
Part 1: some kind of scientific experiment. (don't understand the requirement here, yet)
Part 2: write a diary for a chicken bone you have in a baggie.
Part 3: research egyptian math, write comparison of egyptian math and modern math.
Part 4: research two egyptian gods and write a 3 page fiction story about those gods in modern times. (they actually have several choices for part 4, but this is the one that doesn't require a lot of idiotic, non-subjected related artwork that modern teachers commonly use to even out the grades)

Part 3 is actually a reasonable assignment. Seems heavily weighted, but one could actually learn something from it. Depends on how this is graded, though. There's controversy over what the Egyptians knew and when they knew it. But conceivably this could be done fairly and even if it's not fair, the kids could learn from it.

Part 1 I need to read in more detail. This may or may not be reasonable.

Parts 2 and 4 are busy work - even worse than busy work. Busy work requiring students to do math I can appreciate. Rote *IS* important. But this is beyond nonsensical.

I'm going to contact the school, but I'm a little too annoyed right now to communicate exactly how stupid this is. It doesn't bother me that the phoneys use "integrated curriculum." What bothers me is that they don't integrate anything. I've seen some stupid assignments before, but this is the stupidest.

Even worse: they think they have some vast body of scientific evidence to support the use of this kind of idiocy. (Something worse than people not understanding science, is people having a comic book understanding of it.) It's great that the kids get their horizons broadened, but it would be nice if they learned a little algebra in the process - at least enough that they'll be ready for their next math class. I could tutor her myself, except with this assignment she won't have time for it.

So here are the choices: Spend time with Dad and learn some math or go through with the assignment assiduously and pretend you're learning something important.
Smile really big and after you get the recommendations you need, then you can say what you really think. I told my daughter a long time ago that there would likely come a day when she would have to make a choice between schooling and education. Looks like that day has come a lot sooner than I anticipated.

Almost every day - and at least once a week - my kids learn something that is either wrong or that I strongly disagree with. I try to give them another perspective on the thing, but I'm not going to harass the school every time I have a quibble. So I let them get on with their business most of the time. I've only really blasted them once - several years ago. The principal was practically in tears when I left. (I didn't really blast anyone concerning the logic problem I posted about. I just was persistent.)

I have only intense contempt for people who screw with things "on principle," so I invariably let the small stuff slide. But this one is so utterly asinine, I'm really at a loss. Talked it over with some researchers here at work who think I shouldn't even bother with the teacher. "Go straight to the principal" or "Straight to the superintendent" or "Straight to the news media." But interference is something I always avoid.

Daughter wants me to stay back on this one. She thinks it's completely stupid and timeframe laughably unreasonable, but is worried of consequences if I get involved. OTOH, I think I have right to express an opinion if I think my kid's long term education will suffer.

Another view is that, "Well, she has to learn how to deal with these situations." This is a common view, but it is also nonsensical. If she were being bullied or molested, I could make the same claim. (None of my colleagues has expressed this view, though I was expecting it.) The bottom line is - in addition to all the nice, politically correct junk they're stuffing in my kid's head, are they going to put sufficient mathematics to carry her into her next course? (I know *damned* well from my years of tutoring geometry that most problems the geometry students have are with a lack of understanding of algebra - and often simple arithmetic.)

k