The newly revised website for the Arizona Centennial Commission (www.arizona100.org) now has a “Project Spotlight” icon. It features the Arizona Centennial Penny Drive as the first Signature Event.
In the words of the commission:
The goal of the drive is to raise funds to clean and reseal the historic Arizona Capitol Museum Copper Dome in Phoenix and endow any remaining funds for future cleaning and resealing. ----- this project will provide educational lesson plans relating to history, math, and science, as well as the importance of copper to our state’s economy and government.
Children will learn about science and math and the economic importance of copper by collecting pennies?
Really?
Before the Governor (with the help of the Centennial Commission) reassigned the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum to the Arizona Historical Society, the mineral museum was in the process of completing a Copper Gallery. This new gallery was to provide a learning experience on the:
• Formation of copper deposits
• Copper exploration techniques
• Maps of Arizona copper deposits
• History of copper mining in Arizona
• Mining and processing of different ores
• Uses for copper in daily life
• Beauty and diversity of copper minerals
• Applications of copper in art
Many of the displays were already complete, and private funds had been raised for more.
The mineral museum had also just completed a large (29” x 20’ & $60,000) new diorama of a copper mine. This interactive display provides a detailed learning experience about copper mining and copper production.
So how is the Centennial Commission going to teach children about science, math, and the economic importance of copper?
1. By dismantling the existing and top rated Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum and having the Arizona Historical Society convert the building into a 5C Arizona Centennial Museum featuring cotton, cows, & etc.
2. By having the kids collect pennies at school.
Brilliant two step plan!
This will help tighten Arizona’s grip on last place in education. Fifty out of fifty is a catchy motto worth protecting.
Well heck look who is paying for it! A copper mining company. The Centennial will be so boring with this 5 "C" crap we will need drugs to keep people awake for the whole thing. What a waste.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, a copper company will not actually fund the destruction of the mineral museum. The Governor has been trying to get million dollars from Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold Inc. However, Freeport is apparently becoming very concerned about the viability of the centennial museum and has not actually handed over any money to date. The current use of the Freeport logo on the Centennial Commissions website (as a major donor) is a misrepresentation.
ReplyDeleteSee related comments on the following prior posts:
Dec 1st - Will AZ lose both -----
Sep 23rd - Why would Freeport -----
Aug 7th Will the AZ Centennial Museum corrupt -----
The Arizona Daily Star is starting to run articles on the Centennial. Spread the word on what is going on!!
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