Re: Stumper: Longest River?

[Earl Sande <sandes@CODETEL.NET.DO>]

I love stumpers!  It means that the children are going beyond "It's in
Worldbook" and gives me a chance to work with them on how the question is
worded, what definitions people use to answer questions, how things are
measured, and on and one

Can I give an example :  one spot along the British Columbia-Alberta border
is posted as the Great Divide - waters from one side flow into the Arctic,
while the other into the Pacific.  My own children posed the question - at
what exact spot on the creek does this occur?  We took a look at all sorts
of things and discovered, like the philosophical question "What is art?",
that there is no clear answer.

The question on the rivers is a great one (and I don't know the answer),
but the two answers are probably correct - the question is what is included
in the "longest".

The question of bias is even better with the classic example of the Wright
Brothers being the first to fly, when there are other examples of flight
that should be considered.  (The story I was told was that the Wrights
provided the museum with the plane on the condition that it would always
suggest that the Wrights were the first)

We can provide students with access to information.  I marvel at those who
go beyond.

Earl P Sande
Elementary School Librarian
Director of Library Services
Carol Morgan School
Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic
e-mail :  sandes@codetel.net.do

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