Hope Kramek. Intro. – “Non-Achievers” Ch. 1 – “Knowledge Deficits” Ch. 2 – “The New Bibliophobes” Ch. 3 – “Screen Time” Ch. 4 – “Online Learning

The Dumbest Generation: An Incitation for Discussion

Hope Kramek

Overview – Mark Bauerlein’s Understated 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”

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

Civics

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.”

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Our Class TotalResponse

12th Grade TotalResponse


57% 14% 29% 0


12% 25% 56% 7%

C P UA O

Question 1: The following question is about the graph below.

Civics

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%




86% 0 14% 0


43% 57%

C P UA O

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?

A. Power is divided among legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

B. Private organizations in the United States do much of the

work that is performed by local governments in other countries.

C.Citizens in the United Statesare subject to both state andfederal laws.

D. Citizens in the United States have a right to protection from intrusion into their private affairs.

Civics

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%




29% 64% 7% 0%


42% 52% 4% 1%

C P UA O

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.

Economics

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%




50% 43% 7%


21% 78% 1%

C P UA O

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

A. Raising or lowering income taxes

B. Increasing or decreasing unemployment benefits

C.Buying or sellinggovernment securities

D. Increasing or decreasing government spending

Economics

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%




71% 29%


51% 49%

C P UA O

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?

A. The variety of goods available

B. The prices of imported goods

C. The quality of goods available

D. The amount of imported goods

Economics

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%




50% 50%


53% 46% 1%

C P UA O

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

A. Taxes

B. Economic growthC. International trade

D. Government regulations

Economics

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%




86% 14%


52% 48%

C P UA O

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

A.

It is used to pay the bank’s expenses.

B.

It is loaned to other bankcustomers.

C.

It is kept in the bank’s vault until depositors withdraw the funds.

D.

It is paid to owners of the bank as return on their investment.

Science

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%




79% 21%


67% 32%

C P UA O

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

A. heat energy only

B. heat energy and sound energy only

C.

heat energy, sound energy, andmechanical energy only

D.

heat energy, sound energy, mechanical energy, and chemical energy

Science

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%




71% 29%


54% 46%

C P UA O

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?

A.The kinetic energy of the oxygen

B

.The kinetic energy of the propane

C

.

The nuclear energy stored in the oxygen and propane

D.

The chemical energy stored in the oxygen and propane

Science

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%




71% 29%


44% 55% 1%

C P UA O

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

A. longer wavelengths

B. higher frequencies

C. greater velocities

D. greater amplitudes

American History

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%




36% 36% 14% 14%


13% 36% 40% 11%

C P UA O

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.

American History

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%




42% 49% 0 7%


38% 36% 24% 2%

C P UA O

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.

American History

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%




49% 0 42% 7%


72% 27% 1%

C P UA O

Question 3: Why did the liquor industry oppose women getting the right to vote?

A.

Liquor manufacturers tended to be very conservative and opposed any change in voting laws.

B.Liquor manufacturers worried that women voters would want to ban alcohol.

C. Women tended to work for liquor manufacturers, who did not want them taking time off to get involved in politics.

D.Liquor manufacturers owned “men-only” bars and worried that women would vote to make such bars illegal.

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%

Arguments Against Bauerlein

This is not

limited to our

generation- it is

now a part of

American

society.

Ineffective

Schooling

Television Time/Importance Increase

Cultural Promotio

ns

Creepy Video with Interesting Point

English Trickery(“Jaywalking” not limited to Youth)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNElWkYrdLs&feature=PlayList&p=63F2CEEDB984743A&index=0&playnext=1



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWCPAXgrm2U&feature=fvw




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

“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.

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?

Documents

Hope Kramek. Intro. – “Non-Achievers” Ch. 1 – “Knowledge Deficits” Ch. 2 – “The New Bibliophobes” Ch. 3 – “Screen Time” Ch. 4 – “Online Learning