Coal Curriculum Called Unfit for 4th Graders

Scholastic's InSchool Marketing division, which produced the coal curriculum in partnership with the coal foundation, often works with groups like the American Society of Hematology, the Federal Trade Commission and the Census Bureau to create curriculum materials.

The division's programs are "designed to promote client objectives and meet the needs of target teachers, students, and parents" and "make a difference by influencing attitudes and behaviors," according to the company Web site.


"Promoting 'client objectives' to a captive student audience isn't education, Susan Linn, director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, said in a statement. "It's predatory marketing. By selling its privileged access to children to the coal industry, Scholastic is commercializing classrooms and undermining education."

The Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood, a tiny group in Boston, has often been at odds with Scholastic, a $2 billion company whose books and other educational materials are in 9 of 10 American classrooms. Last year, the group criticized the company for its "SunnyD Book Spree," featured in Scholastic's Parent and Child magazine, in which teachers were encouraged to have classroom parties with, and collect labels from, Sunny Delight, a sugary juice beverage, to win free books. The campaign has also objected to Scholastic's promotion of Children's Claritin in materials it distributed on spring allergies.

And in 2005, the campaign tangled with the company over its "Tickle U" curriculum for the Cartoon Network, in which posters of cartoon characters were sent to preschools and promoted as helping young children develop a sense of humor.

None of the previous episodes led to any specific action.
..In a statement, Ben Schreiber, a climate and energy tax analyst at Friends of the Earth, called the curriculum "the worst kind of corporate brainwashing."

According to an article by Alma Hale Paty, the executive director of the American Coal Foundation, and posted on Coalblog, "The United States of Energy" went to 66,000 fourth-grade teachers in 2009.

"BeaverFever" said
It's not a "fact-based overview," it's a carefully crafted one-sided argument designed to lead the reader to a foregone conclusion, prepared by those who stand to benefit from that argument.... ie. it's advertising disguised as education.

Do you also think encouraging kids to drink SunnyD HFCS sugar-water is a fact-based overview?

I didn't say it was a fact based overview. Maybe you should reread my post.

Anyway a fact based overview of the realities of coal powered electrical generation might be a bit much for most adults.

Has nothing to do with the current issue, but thanks for falling for the easy bait.

"BeaverFever" said
Has to do with the "InSchool Marketing program" where schoolbook publishers sell product placement advertising to companies and lobbyists in order to brainwash innocent and unsuspecting kids.

Troy McClure: Now turn to the next problem. If you have three Pepsis and drink one, how much more refreshed are you? You, the redhead in the Chicago school system?

Girl: Pepsi?
Troy McClure: Partial credit!