[Last Visible Dog]

Within that recommended list, the only links that take the student to webpages that deal with "critical analyses of evolution" are ARN, ObjectivityInScience.org, and Origins.org. Can you look me in the eye, and with a straight face tell me that these sites are representative of the kinds of arguments that real, working biologists are making against aspects of evolutionary theory? Do you really believe that these sites are offering the students critical analyses of evolution, in the best sense of that term? Pedagogically speaking, would the students be well-served to be encouraged to go to those sites and study their arguments?

You really don't make any since. If the evidence is so weak all that will happen is students will be exposed to weak opposing evidence that will help and support their understanding of the subject. What is so wrong with presenting this data? Why shouldn't students understand all that is out there?

[gdani]

What is so wrong with presenting this data? Why shouldn't students understand all that is out there?

Why not teach them what the Nation of Islam thinks -- that the caucasian race is the product of a scientific experiment by Africans that went awry?

I mean, if we're going to expose them to biblical creationism as science why not present ALL origin stories -- native american, new age, reincarnation, etc, etc?

What's the harm?

[jennyp]

You really don't make any since. If the evidence is so weak all that will happen is students will be exposed to weak opposing evidence that will help and support their understanding of the subject. What is so wrong with presenting this data? Why shouldn't students understand all that is out there?

"All" that is out there? Well, there is a lot that's "out there" all right. Here's a source for more links on other scientific topics that are also out there. Maybe we should point the students to those too. :-)

Look - all I'm saying is, creationist sources like the ID'ers in Ohio want to push on the students (uncritically!) are pseudoscientific nonsense. If you think pointing students towards sites like these - without telling them they're crank sites - is a sign of a good, honest curriculum, then just say so: "High school students should be told to check out crank sites without the teacher giving them any clue that they're crank sites."