Texas Mulls How Biology Should Be Taught

Yahoo! News ^ | Thu Sep 11,11:44 AM ET | AP

[yonif]

AUSTIN, Texas - Scientists, teachers and religious leaders are clashing over how the origin of humanity should be taught to Texas school children in biology textbooks.

On one side, the Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based think tank, is leading a campaign to change the language of biology books to include weaknesses in the theory of evolution.

"There is considerable debate in scientific circles about the mechanism of evolution, namely how it happened," said William Dembski, a Baylor research professor who agrees with the Discovery Institute.

"All the textbooks under consideration grossly exaggerate the evidence for neo-Darwinian evolution, pretending that its mechanism of natural selection acting on random genetic change is a slam dunk. Not so."

Dembski was one of some 160 activists signed up to testify Wednesday before the state Board of Education in the last public hearing before the November adoption of Texas biology textbooks.

Scientists and public watchdog groups testified that the theory of evolution remains widely accepted in scientific communities and is a cornerstone of modern scientific research and technology. Many maintain that attempts to discredit Darwinian theory in textbooks is a scheme to later persuade publishers to include religious-based explanations for the origins of life.

The theory of evolution has been required in Texas textbooks since 1991.

Liz Carpenter, who served as press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson and was appointed to posts by four presidents, urged the board not to "water down the strength of the science curriculum."

"Texans with our wide spaces and blue skies believe in freedom, I think and resent more than anyone being throttled," Carpenter said. "And I don't want to be defined by extremists who want to curtail knowledge of any kind."

The Discovery Institute has been linked to a theory known as "intelligent design" — a belief that species did not evolve by natural selection but instead progressed according to a plan or design. Institute officials, however, say they have no intentions of lobbying the state to include intelligent design.

Several officials from the Discovery Institute were on hand to testify, but the board voted 10-3 not to let the out-of-state witnesses testify during the hearing.

Critics say "intelligent design" is a dressed-up version of creationism, which the U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) has prohibited from public schools as a violation of the separation of church and state.

The Board of Education has no say over textbook content, but the board can reject books because of errors or failure to follow the state curriculum.

The board will make its final decision on the biology textbooks in November. Publishers must submit final changes by Oct. 3.

Because Texas is the second largest textbook market in the country, changes made by publishers here often influence textbooks nationally. Only California buys more textbooks than Texas.

[SwinneySwitch]

Texas Mulls How Biology Should Be Taught

First teach them how to read and write!

[Noachian]

So, where's the "diversity of opinion" we keep hearing about from liberals? Where's the "tolerence of ideas"?

Seems that there're two standards being used in Biology education: "My way, Or The Highway."

[ECM]

I'd prolly start by teaching them that there are massive, gaping, holes in the 'theory' of evolution that need to be addressed (though the last time this was actually taught as just a theory and not as de facto, err, fact is anyone's guess).

I find it amusing that we can't just say that we don't have any really good idea as to how life started. That would seem to me to be at least as true as any other theory of life's origin.

[Maceman]

Science classes are supposed to teach SCIENCE!

Perhaps there are legitimate scientific reasons to question Darwin, and if so, these should be mentioned. But even if there are scientific flaws in Darwin's theory, that still doesn't change the fact that a literal reading of Genesis is NOT science by any stretch of the imagination, and it should NEVER be taught in a biology class.

Of course, I oppose public education in general. In an ideal world this would be a moot point, since those who didn't want their kids to learn science would be free to send them to schools where it is not taught.

[activationproducts]

Scientists don't stick their noses into theology.

Theologians shouldn't stick their noses into science.

They are two different disciplines (tools used to answer what at times are the same questions).

It's simply a matter of choosing which tool you want to use to answer the question (in this case) "where did we come from?"

Science class is for science. Religion class is for religion. Why can't people figure that part out?

[Millie]

Perfect example of one of the reasons I am homeschooling my eight year old grandson. Highly recommend ABeka Academy material.

[Coeur de Lion]

Why does one have to teach either evolution or creationism as part of a course in biology? One can teach a lot of biology without taking recourse to either.

I don't need to know anything about either to learn cellular biology, taxonomy, anatomy, Linnaeus's classification of species, botany, genetics, biochemistry or how many chambers a frog heart has.

I don't need either to study an ecosystem, photosynthesis, the Krep's cycle, or how the metabolism of ATP is used for energy storage in the cell or how hemoglobin stores blood and why copper based systems are highly inefficient (Sorry, no green blood for advanced organisms).

Students at this level shouldn't be even getting into debates about evolution or creationism. Concentrate on teaching them biology and allow them to make up their minds later

[RightWingNilla]

crevo ping

[PatrickHenry]

PING. [This ping list is for the evolution side of evolution threads, and sometimes for other science topics. FReepmail me to be added or dropped.]

[mtbopfuyn]

I don't need to know anything about either to learn cellular biology, taxonomy, anatomy, Linnaeus's classification of species, botany, genetics, biochemistry or how many chambers a frog heart has.

But isn't it nice that your doctor did feel the need to know a bit more than you.

[Scenic Sounds]

FYI

[Central_Floridian]

Well, because they both deal (sometimes) with the same reality and only one (or none) can be true if "scientific" speculation and religious faith contradict each other.

[Central_Floridian]

Are you saying a good doctor needs to know/believe the theory of evolution?

[rmmcdaniell]

So, where's the "diversity of opinion" we keep hearing about from liberals? Where's the "tolerence of ideas"?

Seems that there're two standards being used in Biology education: "My way, Or The Highway."

Yeah dat right man! As a Wiccan I wuz wunderin' when theyed start teechin alchemy and astrology n' stuff. We need alternatives, I wuz hoping that my kid could be taught proper acupunctureing instead of the male-patriarchy imposed, dodge-ball filled physical education.

[Coeur de Lion]

You seem to be making the assumption that I'm not a doctor! Your comment made no reference to the gist of my argument. So you obviously know very little of these subjects.

[Bob J]

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[Dimensio]

I find it amusing that we can't just say that we don't have any really good idea as to how life started.

Funny, that was exactly what I was taught in high school. A few hypothesis were mentioned, but it was stressed that nothing had come to the level of theory regarding life origins. Also, evolution was taught as theory, not fact -- but then, I had a biology teacher who made sure that we understood exactly how science worked and thus we were aware that nothing in science becomes more "certain" than a theory.

[Amelia]

I heard a good one, on NPR no less, yesterday...it was a science teacher's story, but the end line was, "In science class, you learn about how you were made. In church you learn about Who made you."

Works for me.