Defending Evolution: A Guide to the

This handbook explains why so many students reject evolution and helps science instructors better understand students' Creationist beliefs.

Brian J. Alters, Ph.D., holds appointments internationally at McGill University, Montreal, where he was recently named William Dawson Scholar, and at Harvard University, Cambridge. Dr. Alters is Director of the newly created Evolution Education Research Centre Sandra M. Alters, Ph.D., is a former Associate Professor of Biology and Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis

Foreword

1

(4)

Stephen Jay Gould

Introduction

5

(8)

Creationists Declare War

13

(24)

Campus Apologetics

The War Chest

The Motivation for Attacking

Emotional Connectedness

The Unbelievable Battle

Anti-Evolution Education Evangelism

Creationist Students' Culture and Nature of Science

37

(26)

Perceived Biblical Challenges to Evolution Teaching

41

(8)

Literalists

Progressives

Theists

Problems with Polls

Perceived Scientific Challenges to Evolution Teaching

49

(14)

Scientific Creationism

Intelligent Design

The General Public

Category Solution: Nature of Science

Why Students Reject Evolution: Religious Reasons

63

(20)

Students' Biblical Scholarship

Biblical Rationales

Study Bibles

When Science and Scripture Disagree

Argument and Counterargument

Creationist Philosophy

Why Students Reject Evolution: Nonreligious Reasons

83

(20)

Characterization of Science

Theory and Law

``Horizontal'' vs. ``Vertical'' Evolution

``Missing Links''

Punctuated Equilibrium

Dinosaurs and Human Tracks

Dating Fossils and Rocks

Origin of Life

Laws of Thermodynamics

Plate Tectonics

Why Should Students Learn Evolution?

103

(10)

Why is evolution the context of the biological sciences---a unifying theory?

106

(1)

How do evolutionary explanations answer key questions in the biological sciences?

106

(2)

How does understanding evolution help us understand processes that affect our health and our day-to-day life? And how are evolutionary methods applied to other fields?

108

(2)

How is evolution indispensable to the subdisciplines of biology and how does it enrich them?

110

(1)

What do science and education societies say about the study of evolution?

111

(2)

Questions and Answers: Science Education

113

(26)

``What do you mean by evolution?''

113

(2)

``Is it true that evolution is not based on evidence?''

115

(2)

``How can you teach something that no one can see?''

117

(2)

``If organisms evolved, then why do they look so well designed?''

119

(3)

``Why can't intelligent design theory be included in science curricula?''

122

(1)

``Because scientists don't know every detail of how evolution occurs, shouldn't they at least consider supernatural causes as scientific explanations and teach such possibilities in the science classroom?''

123

(4)

``Why is evolution considered a scientific fact?''

127

(1)

``Why can't you prove evolution to me?''

128

(1)

``What good is a partial eye, wing, or other structure?''

129

(1)

``Isn't evolution a theory in crisis?''

130

(2)

``Do you evolutionists want students to think evolution is scientifically correct just because most scientists do?''

132

(1)

``Why shouldn't scientists invoke the supernatural for creation of first life?''

133

(2)

``What should we do if empirical evidence and materialist philosophy are going in different directions?''

135

(4)

Questions and Answers: Religion

139

(16)

``Didn't Darwin recant on his deathbed?''

139

(2)

``Dosen't evolution necessarily lead to moral decay?''

141

(1)

``Do you know about scientific creationism?''

142

(2)

``Why would God use such a time-consuming mechanism as evolution?''

144

(1)

``Are you telling me that miracles don't happen?''

145

(10)

Questions and Answers: General Education

155

(10)

``What's wrong with presenting both sides?''

155

(2)

``Why do you want to brainwash students with evolution?''

157

(1)

``If science explanations are tentative, why don't we teach all explanations?''

158

(2)

``Why can't evolution be presented in an unbiased manner?''

160

(5)

Questions from Instructors

165

(14)

``Isn't it just better to de-emphasize evolution?''

165

(1)

``What do creationists think of me?''

166

(1)

``Should I agree to debate a creationist?''

167

(2)

``How can I learn more about creationists?''

169

(1)

``Why do students fight evolution education?''

170

(3)

``Why can't creationists be comfortable with teaching that science gives one answer while religion gives another?''

173

(2)

``What about science teachers who think that evolution didn't/dosen't occur?''

175

(1)

``Are creationists the only ones attacking evolution in academia?''

176

(3)

Methods for Teaching Evolution

179

(22)

Students' Alternate Conceptions on Evolution

Students' Confusion of Scientific Words with Everyday Words

Addressing Alternate Conceptions in the Classroom

Multiple Intelligences

Activities

Appendix A Organizations That Support Evolution Education

201

(2)

Appendix B Eight Significant Court Decisions Regarding Evolution/Creation Issues

203

(4)

Appendix C National Center for Science Education

207

(6)

Appendix D National Association of Biology Teachers: Statement on Teaching Evolution

213

(6)

Appendix E An NSTA Position Statement: The Teaching of Evolution

219

(6)

Appendix F Evolution Education Research Centre

225

(2)

Notes

227

(10)

References

237

(10)

Index

247

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Defending Evolution: A Guide to the Evolution/Creation Controversy

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials