The Week in Fourth Grade

As I go through Isa's fourth grade textbooks, I spot things that bother me. I understand the need for simplification, but at the expense of fact? Or am I being too picky?
Here's a lab to do at home from the science book:

Cut up an apple and measure and record the mass of the fresh apple slices.

I don't know about you, but I have nothing to measure mass in my kitchen.

Here's one from the art book:

Portraits of Gabriele Munter show the artist as a sweet, dainty woman. In fact, this artist was an important figure in the world of art. She played a large role in the rise of an art movement.


Wow, I guess we're going up against that old-fashioned portrait portrayal, aren't we? Because now they are giving us facts.

Finally, this little tidbit from once more, the science book.

An estuary is a place where fresh water and salt water meet, such as a river meeting an ocean. The amount of salt in the water changes many times a day, so only a few types of organisms can live in an estuary.


Who wrote this? Exxon? A 'lifestyle community' developer that needs to get rid of these pesky estuaries so he can put in a golf course? The No Child Left Behind Committee?

UPDATE: The next section has a cloud seeding section, and says that silver iodide is OK. I feel ill.