Teaching evolution in the 21st century America

By PvM

Nova has made available a professional development course for teachers

This course gives teachers the background and skills they need to counter pressures to present or address religiously based alternatives to the theory of evolution. It is offered for self study or group study, and can be used as a guide for a professional development workshop. It features materials developed for the NOVA program “Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial.”

Course goals include:

* understanding the nature of science and the major concepts and theories in evolutionary biology;
* understanding the legal history of the creationism/evolution issue;
* explaining why intelligent design and other religiously based alternatives to the theory of evolution are not science and do not belong in the public school science classroom; and
* generating strategies for responding to a parent or school board insisting that intelligent design be included in a biology curriculum.

Session 1: Evolution, Science, and Intelligent Design. Why are intelligent design and other religiously based alternatives to evolution not science?

After completing this session, you will be able to:

• describe the theories of evolution and intelligent design and explain why parents filed a legal suit against the Dover Area School District to prevent intelligent design from being taught;
• evaluate the nature of science and the major arguments of intelligent design;
• explain why intelligent design is not science;
• explain the major concepts and theories in evolutionary biology, particularly as they relate to challenges by intelligent design proponents; and
• generate strategies for eliciting students’ ideas about evolution and intelligent design.

Session 2: The Impact of Kitzmiller v. Dover. Why are intelligent design and approaches such as “teach the controversy” inappropriate for the science classroom?

After completing this session, you will be able to:

• explain the social and historical significance of Darwin’s theory of evolution;
• describe the legal history of the creationism/evolution issue;
• explain the evidence that intelligent design is a new form of creationism;
• explain why intelligent design does not belong in the public school science classroom; and
• generate a knowledgeable response to a parent or school board insisting that intelligent design be included in a biology curriculum.

Undoubtably we will soon hear from the Discovery Institute that they have submitted the program to a dozen or so experts who will argue that Nova is subverting the constitution of the United States and more. A press conference will be organized and announced with much fanfare only to be canceled just before the event was supposed to take place.

Students should not feel ‘left behind’, there is an equally excellent resource adapted for them.

And don’t forget the exellent resources page of Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial.