Should Evolution be Taught in Schools? Essay

I. Acceptance of Creation is growing in spite of overwhelming evidence proving Evolution There is no easy resolution for whats true and evolution or creationism. It is a complex topic with profound scientific, religious, educational, and criticism. How can a student or parent come to grips with this issue? Evolution vs. Creationism provides a badly needed, comprehensive, and balanced introduction to the many facets of the current debates about what should be taught in a classroom or in reality itself. Evolution relies on scientific facts while creationism clings on biblical beliefs. But the legal and

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."

Can you imagine not learning how to multiply or divide or anything else that you find necessary to help you succeed in school? Then maybe you can visualize living in the state of Tennessee, where public schools could not teach Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. It all started when the teachers Butler Act was passed, it banned the teaching of the Evolution. Most people were indignant because of how the law favored those who acclaimed the bible. The conviction of John Scopes in the Scopes Trial was caused by political factors like the laws passed and the trial itself, the geographic factors such as the location also known as the Bible Belt and lastly the primary factor is social factors, such as religious beliefs.

Despite the court loss, it seems that attitudes have barely changed among even Louisiana teachers. Aguillard also noted the level of higher education teachers had in relation to how much they taught evolution. “The quantitative data show that teachers holding greater than a Bachelor's degree allocate more time to evolutionary theory than do teachers possessing only a Bachelor's degree.” (Aguillard 1999, pg. 184) In the general public, attitudes have also stagnated.

Kenneth Miller explains that in his three decades of teachings he has seen many misunderstand what it means to be a theory. “This is a problem with the university students in my classes, and it is certainly a difficulty for the high school students for whom my textbook is written.” (Miller, 2006) If they were trying to have the students better understand what is a theory why single out evolution? The science classroom is meant to help the students learn and understand the natural world around them. What is learned in the science classroom is crucial for the development of the society as a whole. What is learned in school is crucial for the development and progress of society. As such an integral part of our society, everything should be taught with

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.

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

My first impression of this article was that McCaffrey was bias on teaching controversial topics, he states that, “There have been numerous court cases since then, and efforts to teach “both sides” of evolution in public schools have been promoted”. Throughout the

The debate of whether Darwin’s theory of evolution or the theory of intelligent design is how life and the universe came to be is a very controversial topic that turns people against each other in hatred for the past two hundred years. It is still argued today whether mankind and was created due to evolution, or if an intelligent higher power created them. One significant event regarding this dissension occurred in Dover, Pennsylvania, in the year 2004, leading to the court case of Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, in which the citizens of Dover argued over the idea of teaching the theory of intelligent design alongside evolution in a 9th grade biology classroom. However, intelligent design is not scientific because there is not enough evidence to support it; therefore, intelligent design should not be taught in schools.

Krauthammer elaborates how schools in the US are deliberately getting rid of subjects pertaining how human existence came to be (Krauthammer 533). An example is given of how the Kansas Board of Education voted to eliminate evolution study from the state science curriculum. There is no solid reason or logic given to justify this move. The concerning issue is how at an early age, children are kept away from learning how the human species came into existence. The actual consequence is that they will disregard any life form and probably be instigators if not supporters of

The objection to evolutionary theory and it's teaching began well over 100 years ago. Charles Darwin proposed in 1859 that populations of organisms underwent evolution through a process known as natural selection. Three years prior to the publication of this theory, in 1856, he wrote of "creationists" in a personal correspondence (Darwin, 1856). The notion that scientific theory conflicts with and rejects religious dogma has been a persistent, pervasive one. Religious organizations continue to push for the acceptance of creationism or intelligent design in school today. Despite the numerous legal cases brought to forth to force the teaching of creationism in public schools, we of the school board maintain that creationism has no place within our schools.

It has recently been brought to our (the Board of Education) attention that there is a debate in the schools as to whether or not evolution, or creation science, should be eliminated from the curriculum. It is understandable that certain groups of people, such as the “Concerned Parents” organization, are not comfortable with this concept being taught to their students, however, it is crucial that they understand the benefit behind allowing their child to be exposed to a variance of viewpoints and outlooks on the world from a scientific and also social perspective.

The theory of evolution is one of today’s most unmistakable themes in science education and public debate. This book helps provide a logical understanding and critical thinking skills that can be used to see past the lies being taught in public schools today. This book is often known as a handbook for students, parents, and teachers countering the latest arguments for evolution. In this book, one will find that it does not take a genius to disprove, or refute even the best arguments against evolution. In fact, it is the simplicity of the logic that makes for the book’s

Public schools are a place to learn proven facts and some very well—known and accepted theories. These schools have been led this way for a long time and show no signs of changing. Many states around the country have rejected the teaching of creationism in public schools, since the subject is so controversial among teachers and parents. In Ohio, a bill to develop new science content standards was not successfully passed. Many creationists were upset when they discovered that the first drafts of the standards were filled with evolutionary content, without any allowance for alternative explanations of life’s origins. In the uproar, the state board held a special meeting to investigate the process that the writing team and advisory committee used to draft the science standards (Matthews, Answering Genesis). This is why learning the facts about evolution should be taught at school. By doing this, there would be much less confrontation between teachers, students, and parents. If one has the desire to learn about creationism or any other beliefs of how the world came to be, one should learn it at a place outside of school, such as church or at home.

Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is a theory that is and has been widely accepted for many years. The reason for this widespread acceptance is the many strengths that Darwin’s theory has. However, even though this is true, Darwin's theory has a few weaknesses. Darwin, although close, did not paint a full realistic picture of evolution with his theory.