Allow Students to Opt Out of Evolution

Theodosius Dobzhansky wrote an essay titled "Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothing_in_Biology_Makes_Sense_Except_in_the_Lig...

He was right.

I suspect that evolution is not so completely assimilated into the education curriculum in the US as it should be. Where we live, the state mandates the teaching of evolution in HS biology. This is good, but it seems that some teachers just teach the bare minimum to meet the requirement. Creationists should be overjoyed, because taking such a watered down approach allows students to think they have "studied all about evolution in school" as a way to justify "switching back" to the creationism their parents and teachers taught them.

Category:

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• Theodosius
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• creationism
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[pbrskater26]

Basicly what theodosious is saying is that Biology can only be explained threw evolution. Creationism dose not explain how biology works ( the literal interpertation of genisis). Also if you think about it evolution is not only a part of biology, but it's used an all aspects of science. If the " creationists" had there way then we would have none of the medical advances we have now because of what we no from evolution. I dont wont to go back to the dark ages were intellectual thought is dead!!

[TheFallibleFiend]

@pbrskater26 I agree. However, while in principle evolution should permeate HS biology classrooms, in practice, I suspect that in MOST instances HS biology barely covers evolution - and that when it is covered, it may not be covered very well.

[pbrskater26]

@TheFallibleFiend

Evolution should be tought in high school biology, I was not tought evolution in high school and I also was religious. I learned evolution in college biology and at the same time I got into a punk band called bad religion, not to mention the church I went to at the time was very conservitive. As I became more educated, as well with the influance of the punk band bad religion I questianed the christian faith as it had not intellectual answers to how our world works!

[TheFallibleFiend]

@pbrskater26 I agree that evolution should be taught in HS biology - even in 7th grade life science. It should permeate the classes teaching biology as it permeates biology itself. My only proviso is that it should be done well and sufficiently thoroughly.

[puncheex]

If you're going to teach a subject, then you really need to Teach it. Biology, as I experienced it in HS in the 60s was well taught but imminently forgettable, because it was a walk through the tree of life without any meaning. Evolution was an afterthought, not a unifying principle. The TOL without evolution is simply a memory exercise.

IMO, teaching without foundation is tantamount to making day laborers or clerks out of people who might have been scientists, had they caught the spark.

[TheFallibleFiend]

That's exactly my point! Teach well or skip it!

[puncheex]

@moonlightbateman: As for anything else, show us your evidence.

[moonlightbateman]

This guy is a cyberstalker- Cyber harassment and stalking United States National Crime Prevention Council: Being a victim of cyberstalking can be a common and painful experience. Some who cyberstalk: Spread lies and rumors about victims, Revealing personal information Post mean comments Film victims/use info without their consent Prevent cyberstalking on YouTube: Refuse to post or pass along cyberbullying videos The National Crime Prevention Council

[piecharthosen]

My understanding (based on hearsay, I guess) was that evolution will not be properly taught until post secondary.

I've never taken biology in high school and had to learn about evolution by myself (was pretty simple -- it was abiogenesis that was tough).

Don't expect it to be taught in USA any time soon -- too many theists there who don't want to learn that stuff.

[TheFallibleFiend]

I think you're talking about college, though. I'm specifically referring to HS and pre-HS.