AAAS---some new resources for teachers (and other interested folk)

Posted 13 March 2006 by Tara Smith

Since they say this more succintly than I probably could, I'll just quote from the email I received:

AAAS is providing educators with practical resources to meet the challenge of teaching evolution. For example, at a successful special event for local teachers during our Annual Meeting in February, we distributed a packet titled Evolution on the Front Line: An Abbreviated Guide to Teaching Evolution. Project 2061, our long-term science education reform initiative, prepared the materials, which included the educational benchmarks for evolution knowledge at specific grade levels and other valuable teaching tools. You can access the guide, speaker presentations, and the AAAS opening video shown at this event at http://www.aaas.org/programs/centers/pe/evoline/index.shtml. AAAS has responded to mounting attacks on evolution, including attempts to insert intelligent design into science curricula, with a series of op-ed commentaries, letters, and high profile interviews. We have adopted a "local strategy" through which we intervene, whenever we can, at the local level where the real action usually is. From Kansas to Pennsylvania to Georgia and, most recently, South Carolina, we have defended evolution as one of the most robust and widely accepted principles of modern science. We are being heard, but there constantly are new audiences to reach. We encourage you to add your voices, as scientists and educators defending the integrity of science and science education in our places of worship, schools, and community organizations. Visit our website for in-depth resources and news reports for the press and the public: http://www.aaas.org/news/press_room/evolution/.

Only had a chance to browse it so far, but looks like some good stuff.

17 Comments

Kevin from NYC · 13 March 2006

The other side has these resources:

http://www.coralridge.org/CRMMinResDetail.asp?id=CRA&ec=H3507&pc=101772

Yikes That's scary!

PvM · 13 March 2006

And you can get them for a donation which means that you control the cost.

Karen · 13 March 2006

Tara,

Thanks for the great resources. In the war against scientific ignorance, we are all teachers in some sense, even if we don't teach in a classroom.

Leon · 13 March 2006

The other side has these resources: http://www.coralridge.org/CRMMinResDetail.asp?id... Yikes That's scary!
— Kevin

Typical. A slick, glossy Web page with a picture of a smarmy snake-oil salesman on the front. How people fall for that kind of thing I don't understand.

Joseph O'Donnell · 13 March 2006

I didn't even realise Jeff Corwin had given a presentation at that meeting. That's pretty awesome.

Bob O'H · 14 March 2006

That Ken Miller guy gets everywhere...

Not-quite-totally-off-topic:
Some of you will know this already, but I think it's worth plugging Wirt Atmar's latest scheme: Lecture of the Week. His company has developed software to connect audio and Powerpoint, so that you can watch a lecture at home. There is a bunch of stuff available from the main page as well.

(Disclaimer: I don't benefit in any way from this: I'm doing it because it's useful, and a rather cool use of the internet)

Bob

Frank J · 14 March 2006

From the AAAS Qs and As for Teachers:

Q: Don't students have a right to learn about intelligent design? A: Absolutely. AAAS and others have proposed that discussions of such concepts as intelligent design might be perfectly appropriate in courses examining world views, philosophy, religion, or current affairs --- but not in science classrooms. Presenting non-scientific views together with science could confuse students about the nature of science.

And the anti-evolution activists and their brainwashed lackeys still whine about censorship. If anything it is they who advocate "effective censorship."

'Rev Dr' Lenny Flank · 14 March 2006

AAAS and others have proposed that discussions of such concepts as intelligent design might be perfectly appropriate in courses examining world views, philosophy, religion, or current affairs

Not necessarily. After all, the El Tejon case revolved around ID being taught in a "philosophy" class. It is illegal and unconstitutional for the schools to support or advocate a religious view (ANY religious view). Period. It doesn't matter what class it's in, and it doesn't matter who teaches it. What is NOT illegal or unconstitutional are courses such as "comparative religions", where various views are compared and discussed dispassionately without any support or preference given to any of them. The fundies, of course, are dead set against any such classes. What they want is for THEIR religious opinions to be taught, but nobody ELSE's. Can you imagine the reaction if some fundy's little girl would come home from school one day and say "Guess what, Daddy! Today in my Comparative Religions class I learned that some people worship different gods! And you know what -- this 'Buddhism' thing sounds really cool to me!" The IDers have chosen science classrooms because it's the only option they have if they want to have THEIR opinions taught and no one else's. In order for ID to be taught in any OTHER class, they would now have to accept that (1) ID is religion (and they were just lying to us previously when they claimed it's not), and (2) other religious viewpoints would have to be taught equally with theirs. Neither of those appeals much to the fundies.

Renier · 14 March 2006

Can you imagine the reaction if some fundy's little girl would come home from school one day and say "Guess what, Daddy! Today in my Comparative Religions class I learned that some people worship different gods! And you know what --- this 'Buddhism' thing sounds really cool to me!"

Snort... would love to be a fly on the wall. What about "Daddy, I want to be a wiccan (or pagan)"... or Muslim... it just gets better.

k.e. · 14 March 2006

All Mommy wants is for her little girl to go to heaven (where-ever the hell that is) and Daddy better get on the phone to the good rev. at the local temple of enlightenment [actually obscurantism, but you know how their minds work] and brimstone and make sure they get rid of that god hating librul teacher and make sure everyone knows about. Theo-crazy? Your soaking in it.

k.e. · 14 March 2006

Bah. That should not happen. Sorry for double post !

Dior · 14 March 2006

I am having touble dwonloading the pdf files for teachers. I'm running a Mac with OS 10.3.9. I did contact the webmaster, but anyone out there know of any tricks? (I am normally a PC guy btw and will try it on my other computer)
thanks

Frank J · 14 March 2006

What is NOT illegal or unconstitutional are courses such as "comparative religions", where various views are compared and discussed dispassionately without any support or preference given to any of them.
— 'Rev Dr' Lenny Flank

I would imagine that the AAAS has something like that in mind, and not anything that would promote either (1) a pseudoscience that misrepresents mainstream science, or (2) a religious view that condones bearing false witness. And of course ID/creationism/"teach the controversy" qualifies as both. Besides, any student who wants to learn all the anti-evolution strategies --- and how they fail as science - is free to do so on his own time.

george · 14 March 2006

These resources are exactly what you are saying about them, ways for "mommy's little girl" to find paths that will ultimately lead her astray.

'Rev Dr' Lenny Flank · 14 March 2006

Well, heavens to betsy, don't let her listen to any soft jazz music.

Could lead to dancing, ya know.

Renier · 15 March 2006

Well, heavens to betsy, don't let her listen to any soft jazz music. Could lead to dancing, ya know.

You must be a Larson fan.