Evolution Taught in our School Curriculum
Alfred White once said, “Every new idea is crazy at first.” This quote relates to my topic because evolution was once a crazy, new idea. I believe that evolution should be taught in schools. By introducing evolution, it shows that there is more than one opinion on how the earth came to be. Also, teaching evolution is not saying that humans come from monkeys, it's defined as a change over time. Lastly, many students are curious about evolution, and they want to learn more about it in depth. There are many different opinions on how the Earth was created. Evolution is one of those different opinions. It is good to teach and learn about all the different theories that people have made about how the
In the article “Why should students learn evolution” by Brian J. Alters and Sandra M. Alters, I learned that evolution not only unifies all the areas of science but also permeates into other disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, literature, and the arts. It has had an extensive and expensive impact on human thought. “Evolution explains the why of nature and has practical considerations that affects day-to-day life”( Brain J, 36). For example, we need evolution to understand bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
John Scopes was born on August 3, 1900, in Paducah, Kentucky. In 1924 he started to teach at Rhea County Central High School in Dayton, Tennessee. At that time there was a national debate about whether evolution should be taught in schools. It was then later decided that evolution would not be taught in publicly funded schools. The American Civil Liberties Union thought differently and wanted to challenge the Butler Act. John Scopes volunteered to be tried under this new law. He admitted to using a textbook that contained evolution while serving as a substitute biology teacher. He wanted to stand up for academic freedom. He once said, “What goes on in the classroom is up to the student and the teacher. Once you introduce the power of the state telling what you can and cannot do you’ve become involved in propaganda.” John Scopes was found guilty, but his conviction was later overturned.
Evolution has a long history of being debated as inappropriate to be taught in schools. Many people feel that it is important to learn about Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, but at the same time there are many who refuse to learn about it. In the Scopes Monkey Trial and in the movie Inherit the Wind a trial is going on debating the legality of teaching evolution. Though there are still issues that arise with teaching evolution it is currently accepted more than it is debated against. Evolution is a scientifically tested and proven concept and should be taught in science classes.
The debate over teaching evolution in public schools is not new at all but the debate has been elevated through the media over the past few years. Conservative Christians and other conservatives serving on school boards (particularly in the South) have been insisting that if schools are going to buy textbooks that have evolution chapters then they should also have a place in that textbook near the evolution chapter for creationism. Progressives and scholars that understand the scientific basis for evolution argue that there's nothing wrong with putting creationism or "intelligent design" in textbooks but that subject is not science-based and therefore should be published in the "religion" chapter (if there is one). Should evolution be taught in public schools? The answer is yes, most certainly; to ignore evolution is to deprive public school students of some of the most important knowledge relating to our planet and our society. Scientific ignorance is unacceptable in a country that calls itself the "greatest nation on earth."
Our core values are built upon freedom. Freedom from tyranny, freedom from control, freedom to choose. A student should have the option to learn whatever it is they desire, whether it be evolution, or creationism, because it is our right to choose what to believe. There was a true story based on an argument where science was not allowed to be taught, but religion was. It correlates to the novel Inherit the Wind. The plot settles in a trial held between two defendants lawyers battling it out of the science versus Evolution. A school teacher named Cates, who got arrested and went to jail because he taught evolution in a science class. I believe that evolution should be taught in science classes and that school teachers being arrested due to
The theory of creationism versus the theory of evolution is a controversial topic worldwide. The topic delves further into whether creationism should or should not be taught in public schools. While evolution is a theory that says modern plants and animals evolved by a natural process over time, creationism is the belief that the universe and living organisms originated from specific acts of divine creation. Because evolution and creationism are both theories, creationism should be taught with as much validity as the teaching of evolution in public school. Since the early 1990’s creationism has become more and more a plausible theory. The historical events of creationism dates back all the way to the creation of mankind and the universe. Various evidence, such as the universe, point towards an intelligent designer and should therefore be taught in public schools.
In my opinion Evolution should be taught in school but so should Creationism. I think students should be able to choose which theory to learn in school. None of either theory should be forced on students. The argument between teaching each one is that Evolution is a proven historically fact according to the National Academy of Sciences. The majority of those people who desire for creationism to be taught in the public schools cite that it is scientific. They push for the teaching of creation science which is defined as "scientific evidence for creation and the inferences from that evidence" (Tatina 275). The inferences from that evidence are "sudden creation of the universe from nothing, recent formulation of the earth, creation of man and other biological kinds, a worldwide flood", and
On March 13, 1925 the state of Tennessee passed the Butler Act. This law prohibited teaching the Theory of Evolution in Tennessee public schools. Any teacher who taught a theory that denied the story of the Divine Creation would be punished by a fine. The American Civil Liberties Union offered legal defense to any Tennessee teacher who would break the law and fight it in court. John Thomas Scopes was a teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, and he intentionally taught his class about the theory of evolution, which led to his arrest and trial.
Evolution has been taught in all public schools for as long as many can recall. Though the process of evolution is not the only theory, schools have been teaching it as if it is the complete truth, ignoring other aspects and only focusing and targeting on Darwin's theory of Evolution. However, there are still many other ideas that the students should be informed of as well because all are theories, all are hypothetic. Teaching of the evolution theory have yet to be proven reliable and confirmed by all scientists, thus it should not be taught in schools and should be left for students to wonder and discover by themselves.
Why Evolution Should Not Be Taught in Schools Have you ever thought the theory of evolution was farfetch? Evolution is often taught in schools as part of the curriculum, even with it catching much controversy since Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species coming out over 150 years ago. Many people believe that the theory of evolution goes against people's religious views. That is because it does! Eighty percent of muslims attending a mixed population school said they believe that humans were created in their current form, while 60 percent of christians say they do believe in some aspects of evolution but God still created the Earth and he has to do with evolution (Morris).
One final example of Easton's definition of politics is school districts. Each public school belongs to a school district, which are governed by an elected or appointed school boards. Each school district is unique with their own policies and financing. Policies reflect the values of the school districts citizens. One example is where evolution, intelligent design, or both should be taught in school; also what grade it should be first taught in. Some school broads feel evolution should not be taught and others feel the intelligent design is teaching religion and not science. Parents are advised to see where their school board stands on the issue. Parents are also told to look at their child's science textbook and see how it is taught and where
Immigrants built America into the country it is today. Some were fleeing persecution in their own countries. The immigrants came as free individuals, indentured servants, or slaves. Most came here to pursue a better life. America welcomed those individuals, and it has a process in place for those wishing to gain legal citizenship. The immigration issue is a hot topic in the United States today and concerns individuals who are entering the country illegally. Our representatives are proposing new laws to limit access to our country through other than legal means. There are strong feelings on each side.
It’s normal for a child to occasionally forget to do their homework, get fidgety when they lose interest in an activity, or speak out of turn during class time. But inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are all signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a neuro-development disorder and can start as early as three years old throughout adulthood. People with ADHD have trouble focusing on tasks and activities, this can have a negative impact on the individual in different ways. It can make the child feel alone, incompetent, and powerless and those that don’t understand this behavior only intensified their struggle. Family and schools have a major impact on the life of a child suffering with ADHD. Parents who
The health-related behavior that I chose to change was to increase my water intake. The first step that I undertook is that I purchased a water pitcher that can hold up to 33 oz. My goal was to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day which is about 2 liters. The model that I reflected on for the change was the ecological model because I thought that the health behavior fills in both intrapersonal and interpersonal level. For the personal level, I planned to keep a cup of water on my desk to sip on while I'm studying. I also added slices of lemon or orange to my water for a hint of flavor to motivate me to drink more. Another step that I undertook is that I used the water-logged phone application because I thought it is an easy way to track
Even though the teaching of evolution, creationism, and intelligent design could in some cases be seen to promote religion just by allowing it in there, if communicated clearly, it could pass because it is promoting the optional study of religion(s) and without favoring one over another, or encouraging not discouraging any religion.