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kurt Posts: 3 Joined: Sep. 2005 (Permalink) Posted: Sep. 23 2005,14:52    I am a bio teacher and a huge fan of evolution.  I integrate it throughout my curriculum and am psyched to the collegeboard adopt a new design centered on evolution (which any biology class that makes sense has to be).  We discuss intelligent design and creationism and the reasons why people may choose to reject scientific discoveries.   Having had many conversations on this awesome topic, I often wonder whether allowing students to make the choice of accepting ID might not be such a bad idea.  Of course, recognizing that there is no evidence for it whatsoever and it obviously must be taken on faith, is it wrong to let them hang on to ID?   Although I truly enjoy discussing religion (I'm an atheist), my goal is not to convince students that god or spirits or whatever don't exist, but rather to let them see the difference between science and faith, and to allow them to accept both.  ID seems like a good compromise.   I think the important thing is for them to see what a beautiful perspective of life's history we have discovered.  Evolution is cool, and I want them to see it.  If I make it a choice between science and religion, then I am guaranteed to lose many of them.  I could  say that what looks like its random mutations could be directed by a higher power, but we'll never know because it wil always appear random to us.  This is true and I certainly don't need to buy into that, but do I really care if they do?   They will still have a true knowledge of evolution and may find a way to reconcile it with their personal beliefs.

MidnightVoice Posts: 380 Joined: Aug. 2005 (Permalink) Posted: Sep. 25 2005,11:33    Quote (kurt @ Sep. 23 2005,19:52) I am a bio teacher and a huge fan of evolution.  I integrate it throughout my curriculum and am psyched to the collegeboard adopt a new design centered on evolution (which any biology class that makes sense has to be).  We discuss intelligent design and creationism and the reasons why people may choose to reject scientific discoveries.   Having had many conversations on this awesome topic, I often wonder whether allowing students to make the choice of accepting ID might not be such a bad idea.  Of course, recognizing that there is no evidence for it whatsoever and it obviously must be taken on faith, is it wrong to let them hang on to ID?   Although I truly enjoy discussing religion (I'm an atheist), my goal is not to convince students that god or spirits or whatever don't exist, but rather to let them see the difference between science and faith, and to allow them to accept both.  ID seems like a good compromise.   I think the important thing is for them to see what a beautiful perspective of life's history we have discovered.  Evolution is cool, and I want them to see it.  If I make it a choice between science and religion, then I am guaranteed to lose many of them.  I could  say that what looks like its random mutations could be directed by a higher power, but we'll never know because it wil always appear random to us.  This is true and I certainly don't need to buy into that, but do I really care if they do?   They will still have a true knowledge of evolution and may find a way to reconcile it with their personal beliefs. My problem is not with a higher power ar any problem with religion - it is teaching the difference between science and not science, which I think is crucial. Let them belive in ID in private, but in the classroom can you give anyone a high grade who calls it science?  Why not allow them to believe in Alchemy, numerology, astrology of the flying spaghetti monster? -------------- If I fly the coop some time And take nothing but a grip With the few good books that really count It's a necessary trip I'll be gone with the girl in the gold silk jacket The girl with the pearl-driller's hands

kurt Posts: 3 Joined: Sep. 2005 (Permalink) Posted: Sep. 26 2005,00:20    It should be obvious from my post that students will be able to identify ID as non-science, just like astrology, psychics, etc.  I certainly want my student identifying pseudoscience as well as the cultural and psychological reasons why they exist.  What I am saying though is that the inclusion of ID would allow tem to understand and appreciate evolution without having to make a perceived choice between science and religion.

rimby Posts: 15 Joined: Sep. 2005 (Permalink) Posted: Oct. 11 2005,04:09    Kurt, is this a public school in the US? If so, you'll have to be very careful how you do this. The courts have ruled consistently that ID is just a mask for the Christian religion and that it can't be taught in the public schools.

MidnightVoice Posts: 380 Joined: Aug. 2005 (Permalink) Posted: Oct. 11 2005,04:27    Quote (kurt @ Sep. 26 2005,05:20) It should be obvious from my post that students will be able to identify ID as non-science, just like astrology, psychics, etc.  I certainly want my student identifying pseudoscience as well as the cultural and psychological reasons why they exist.  What I am saying though is that the inclusion of ID would allow tem to understand and appreciate evolution without having to make a perceived choice between science and religion. I don't think ID proponents want people to "not make a choice".  They flat out say that the Bible is correct, and evolution is wrong. I guess ID could be included with Lamark and Lysenko in discussing how science got things wrong, and in discussing junk science -------------- If I fly the coop some time And take nothing but a grip With the few good books that really count It's a necessary trip I'll be gone with the girl in the gold silk jacket The girl with the pearl-driller's hands

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