Saber tooth Chapter 5

Education and Paleolithic SecurityThe Saber Tooth Curriculum - Chapter Five

Ashley WarrenCUIN 7340

Main Characters

0Dr. Peddiwell

0Fisherman

0Wise Old Men

Main Events/Conflicts

0Clever fisherman took advantage of slow fisherman.0Clever fisherman (wise and skilled) convinced the

slower fisherman (mindless and inexperienced) to allow them to fish in their territory.0 A single clever fisherman convinced a slow fisherman

that his average of five fish would be guaranteed (when in actuality he was going to catch amounts that will exceed this).

Main Events/Conflicts

0Economic system0Laws were not equal.

0 “Do not the laws which you wise old men make apply everywhere to everybody with equal force?”0When questioned, the wise men felt as though since they

created the laws that they were universal, however they did not consider the opinions of others.

Connections between the main events/conflicts and historical context

0The paleolithic tribesmen were cursed with technical intelligence.

0Although their inventions of fishnets, antelope snares, and bear pits were great, this gave them trouble as they lacked other skills.

Connections between the main events/conflicts and historical context0The government gave a ½ fish a day to every man who

was unemployed and ¼ of a fish for every woman and child he had in his family.0 People were working for what seemed to be a minimum

wage.0 Although some people were not considered wise, their

main focus was survival and wellness of their families.0 Every fish chief had to pay the tribal authorities one fish

out of every hundred he caught. (similar to a tax)

Connections between main events/conflicts and current issues in education

0The slower, mathematically inept tribesmen accepted a temporary combination of security and leisure.

0They eventually turned over their trail rights to a few aggressive, energetic, lucky, and clever men.0 Similar to educational policy where the less skilled

eventually succumb to the ideas of individuals who are highly skilled even if they do not agree.


0The great chiefs in the past would sit on the bank of the stream, pay out wages, and watch the growing pile of fish.0 The great chiefs (teachers) would sit on the bank

(classrooms), pay out wages (grades) and watch the growing pile of fish (students being educated over the years).

0 In some ways, the great chiefs were facilitators.


0 “The whole trouble with our economic system lies in those original rules which were figured out by some smart boys at the expense of some dumb boys and then adopted by the chiefs just because the smart boys belonged to their gang”. 0 Similar to how some policies in education are based on

older (outdated) ideas, new research is not always considered, and these outdated ideas continue to prevail.


“We can teach them how to think, not what to think.”