West Virginia delegate proposes bill to add sci-fi to school curriculum

Guardian : To stimulate interest in math and science among middle school and high school students, a West Virginia delegate has proposed a bill to include science fiction reading material in the curriculum. “I’m primarily interested in things where advanced technology is a key component of the storyline, both in terms of the problems that it presents and the solutions that it offers,” said Republican state delegate Ray Canterbury. He prefers the type of science fiction that promotes imaginative thinking and problem solving that leads to positive change in the world. The concept that the reading of science fiction has much to offer in the classroom is not newâmdash;science fiction writer and physicist David Brin, for example, has long fought for the educational value of the genre and has even come up with a suggested reading list and lesson plans.