Summary Of We Can T All Be Math Nerds And Science Geeks

We Can’t All Be Math Nerds and Science Geeks A convincing argument includes several rhetorical devices all accumulated into a cogent speech or piece of writing. Arguing without emotion or facts will not keep the readers attention long enough for them to be convinced of anything. Ethos, pathos, and logos are a few potent rhetorical devices that could be used to persuade the reader. In Fareed Zakaria’s we can’t all be math nerds & science geeks he effectively persuades the readers that school curricula should push beyond STEM education by establishing credibility, using facts, and connecting with the audience. Zakaria establishes his credibility by quoting several notable innovators and using personal experience. Throughout his article, Zakaria

He discusses jobs, education/skills, and ranking of our country against its peers. Zakaria touched on a passionate subject for the majority of readers by commenting on the future of America’s work force. He states, “Critical thinking is, in the end, the only way to protect American jobs.” This is related to his claim because he believes that more STEM education won’t teach critical thinking. Another point Zakaria makes in his article is the skills that are required to succeed and the ones that are taught are different. He states, “No matter how strong your math and science skills are, you need to know how to learn, think and even write...All of this requires skills far beyond the offering of a narrow STEM curriculum.” This is another reason why the curricula of the schools in the United States should extend beyond simple STEM training. Based on what their field is, children won’t be able to thrive off of such a limited education. Another topic Zakaria tackles is the comparison of our nation to others. He mentions that America is behind other countries, particularly in math and science. He continues in his next sentence to say that over the last 50 years, we have also “dominated the world of science, technology, research and innovation.” These statements provoke feelings of pity and hope in the listeners that are crucial to the effectiveness

He draws his statistics and other details from different studies, surveys and tests to support his claim. One of his sources is the International test of 2012. The test revealed that pertaining to math, reading and science, “the United States comes in 21st, trailing nations such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, and Estonia.” Zakaria goes on to explain that The United States has never done well on these test but we still command science, technology and innovation. This proves that we don’t need to push STEM education when it’s already effective. A survey conducted by “Andrew Bennett, a management consultant” showed that 84 out of 100 business leaders “would rather hire smart, passionate people, even if they didn’t have the exact skills their companies needed.” This survey confirms that its better for students to be well rounded in their education rather than have an education based entirely on STEM. Another study conducted by Oxford scholars found that for workers to win the competition against computers for their jobs, “they will have to acquire creative and social skills.” A STEM education won’t teach creativity and social skills; it will stifle them. Overall Zakaria’s abundance of facts were key in persuading the