Cryptozoology and learning

Boy, did I set off a kerfluffle on the National Assn. of Science Writers list by suggesting schools take advantage of the public interest in cryptozoology.  My argument was, even if you think lake monsters or sasquatches can't be real, you can turn students loose to analyze the capability of an ecosystem to house such creatures.  Some people felt that school should totally ignore "pseudoscience," while another person joined me in recalling how a teacher used a "fringe" subject to introduce a worthwhile topic. I stand by my argument. Investigating ape food sources in the Northwest or the niche for a large land predator in Australia can be  highly educational.  And cryptozoology, I pointed out, is not always wrong....