Latest Challenges to the Teaching of Evolution

Science lessons to stir debate
(By WILL SENTELL, Baton Rouge Advocate, Jan 9, 2009)

New arguments have erupted on how to teach evolution in Louisiana public schools.

Last year lawmakers enacted a law to overhaul the way evolution and other controversial science topics are taught in middle and high schools.

Now the focus is the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which is required by the new law to come up with guidelines for local school districts that seek assistance.

A committee of the board is set to take up the issue Tuesday. Final action is expected Thursday.

However, what the rules should say is triggering behind-the-scenes jockeying by both sides.

Backers said the law is needed to give science teachers more freedom to hold discussions that challenge traditional theories, including Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Critics contend the law is aimed at injecting religious themes into public schools.

An advisory panel set up by the state Department of Education has recommended guidelines that won praise from opponents of the law.

Barbara Forrest, of Holden, a professor and co-founder of the LA Coalition for Science, said the rules would block any efforts to inject creationism or intelligent design under the guise of science.

Christian creationism is the view that life began 6,000 years ago in a process described in the Bible’s Book of Genesis.

Intelligent design advocates contend the universe stems from an intelligent designer rather than chance.

“I don’t think there is anything in there that is going to give very much room to anyone who wants to teach creationism or who wants to undermine evolution,” Forrest said of the advisory panel’s proposed guidelines.

But Gene Mills, executive director of the Louisiana Family Forum, said the advisory panel’s recommendations were merely the first draft in the discussions.

Mills said those proposed guidelines included “religious hostility” that went beyond the intent of lawmakers and was a “cheap shot.”

The advisory panel’s list of guidelines said science teachers should distinguish between science and religion, and offered definitions of faith and science.

Mills said he is cautiously optimistic that talks among department officials, the state board and lawmakers involved in the issue will be productive.

The LFF says it promotes traditional family values. It was a key backer of the law, which won overwhelming legislative approval.

The law, called the Louisiana Science Education Act, allows science teachers to use supplemental materials, in addition to state-issued textbooks, on issues such as evolution.

State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said in a letter in August to local superintendents and others that the law carries limits.

“Religious theories cannot be advanced under the guise of encouraging critical thinking,” said Pastorek, an attorney.

Dale Bayard, of Sulphur, a member of the state board, is chairman of the BESE committee that will review science standards.

Bayard said earlier this week he is not familiar with the latest version of the standards.

Rep. Frank Hoffman, R-West Monroe and House handler of the science legislation, said Thursday he objected to a few items in the initial guidelines but is comfortable with the latest draft.

New arguments have erupted on how to teach evolution in Louisiana public schools.

"Belief in the brain-dead ideological doctrine of evolution has been found to cause actual IQ reduction in yuppies and laboratory animals, and has led to two world wars and untold misery and grief. Read at your own risk."

My sentiments exactly... and notice his reply, going off into babble on psychosomatic phenomena, etc, etc

Princehouse testifies in Freshwater hearing
(By Pamela Schehl, Mount Vernon News, January 10, 2009)

MOUNT VERNON " Dr. Patricia Princehouse, lecturer in philosophy and evolutionary biology at Case Western Reserve University, was Friday’s sole witness in the contract termination hearing for John Freshwater.

Princehouse gave a detailed analysis of handouts Freshwater has given his students over the years. Some of the topics involved include giraffes, woodpeckers, dragons and dinosaurs.

Princehouse, who received her Ph.D. from Harvard University, said she was asked to examine the material with regard to its content and relevance to a science classroom, and to form an opinion as to the material’s potential effect on science students.

Using a PowerPoint presentation to illustrate her conclusions, Princehouse said these worksheets are not serious attempts to teach science and that the source of many of these sheets are from a creationist Web site.

Regarding the woodpecker assignment, one of her points dealt with the format of the work assigned. Since it was a follow-along-with-the-lecture-and-fill-in-the-blanks activity, Princehouse said it was not an analytic exercise that promotes independent thought, as science should be.

She also discussed what she said were inaccuracies in the worksheet information. She said it " and the other worksheets she examined " seemed to have disinformation, and did not appear to be a serious attempt to teach science. She attributed the material to a creationist Web site called allaboutgod, and one called answersingenesis, which she said is “beautifully done.” She said the worksheet and others of its ilk would be damaging to science education. She said they also seem to “promote some Christian views and demote other Christian views.”

Speaking to a question on the worksheet about I.D. (intelligent design), Princehouse said, “Science deals with the laws of nature. An intelligent designer is a theological concept, not a scientific one.”

She believes the effect of the worksheet would be damage to students’ understanding of how science is conducted. Referencing the other handouts as well, Princehouse said, “This is not how science is conducted. ... Material such as this are inappropriate in a science class and teaches students to disregard basic chemistry and standard physics. ... Scientific theory deals with natural causes, not spiritual ones.”

Princehouse gave a detailed rebuttal of the handout “Survival of the Fakest” and the book from which it was taken, “Icons of Evolution.” She said “Icons” was full of fraudulent representations of material in science textbooks. Talking about topics such as mutation, embryology, natural selection, Darwin’s tree of life, genetics, homology, convergence, the law of thermodynamics and evolutionary biology, Princehouse opined that the “Fakest” was specifically designed to steer students away from science and into religion.

Princehouse also gave a presentation titled “The Evolution of Creationism,” in which she traced the history of the movement, discussed the different types of creationism and how creationism relates to intelligent design.

Upon cross-examination by Freshwater lawyer Kelly Hamilton, Princehouse said it is necessary to recognize and admit a personal bias in order to have a rational discussion. As that relates to science class, though, she said one also needs to remember that students are not required to believe the material but learn it. She said the focus should always be on the scientific content.

Concerning the origins of the earth and man, Hamilton asked whether in America there is a conflict between religious factions and scientific factions. “Some religious factions think so,” she replied. She said there is actually more debate between different religious views than between religious and scientific viewpoints.

Hamilton also questioned Princehouse as to her experiences with eighth-graders, her knowledge of concrete and abstract ways of thinking, and whether the context in which Freshwater was using the materials would affect her opinion of the appropriateness of their content. She said it would not.

“Do you believe the giraffe, woodpecker, dinosaur and dragon handouts are religious in nature?” asked Hamilton.

“Yes.”

“To attack evolution?”

“To discourage people from taking evolution seriously.”

There was no redirect by Millstone and the hearing was adjourned until 9 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 14.

Princehouse gave a detailed analysis of handouts Freshwater has given his students over the years. Some of the topics involved include giraffes, woodpeckers, dragons and dinosaurs.

Science standards in education are under serious assault by the religious lunatic fringe in Ohio, and i am always relieved to see intelligent, well-informed people fighting the good fight to block the infiltration efforts of the god squad.

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2009 Regular Session

To: Education; Judiciary A

By: Representative Chism

House Bill 25
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO INCLUDE CERTAIN LANGUAGE EXPLAINING THAT EVOLUTION IS A THEORY IN THE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF CERTAIN PUBLIC SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. The State Board of Education shall require every textbook that includes the teaching of evolution in its contents to include the following language on the inside front cover of the textbook:

"The word 'theory' has many meanings, including: systematically organized knowledge; abstract reasoning; a speculative idea or plan; or a systematic statement of principles. Scientific theories are based on both observations of the natural world and assumptions about the natural world. They are always subject to change in view of new and confirmed observations.

This textbook discusses evolution, a controversial theory some scientists present as a scientific explanation for the origin of living things. No one was present when life first appeared on earth. Therefore, any statement about life's origins should be considered a theory.

Evolution refers to the unproven belief that random, undirected forces produced living things. There are many topics with unanswered questions about the origin of life which are not mentioned in your textbook, including: the sudden appearance of the major groups of animals in the fossil record (known as the Cambrian Explosion); the lack of new major groups of other living things appearing in the fossil record; the lack of transitional forms of major groups of plants and animals in the fossil record; and the complete and complex set of instructions for building a living body possessed by all living things.

Study hard and keep an open mind."

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2009.

What caused the "anti-intellectualism" which underpins creationism, to start in US society?

A form of "anti-intellectualism" is usually present in any fundamentalist, literalist religion.

Them boys down in Em-eye-ess-ess-eye-ess-ess-eye-pee-pee-eye are gonna run into a whole lotta trouble if anyone takes them to court. These statement: ". . . some scientists present as a scientific explanation for the origin of living things." and "Evolution refers to the unproven belief that random, undirected forces produced living things." are false statements, and can be shot down with laughable ease in court. A theory of evolution concerns itself with process, after life already exists. It is not concerned with origins.

Someone needs to talk sense to the Mississippi legislature

There are many topics with unanswered questions about the origin of life which are not mentioned in your textbook, including: the sudden appearance of the major groups of animals in the fossil record (known as the Cambrian Explosion); the lack of new major groups of other living things appearing in the fossil record; the lack of transitional forms of major groups of plants and animals in the fossil record; and the complete and complex set of instructions for building a living body possessed by all living things.

There already is a contingent from the NCSE and the AAUP and the Bio and Geo depts from Ole Miss. (a real college does exist in Miss). The wagons are already out of the barn, I was checking with a colleague this weekend after Shira had "scooped you" on another thread.