Becoming a Campus and Community Resource on Science and Evolution

1
Becoming a Campus and Community Resource on
Science and Evolution

• Michael A. Phillips
• Professor of Geology
• Illinois Valley Community College
• mike_phillips_at_ivcc.edu

2
Whats the problem?

• Americans favor teaching creation science.
• Americans do not understand the science of
  evolution.
• Americans do not understand that creation science
  and intelligent design are not science.

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Favor teaching creation science in addition to
evolution
Newsweek (Dec. 2004) CBS (Nov. 2004)
yes 60 65
no 28 29
undecided 12 6
4
Favor teaching creation science instead of
evolution
Newsweek (Dec. 2004) CBS (Nov. 2004)
yes 40 37
no 44 51
dont know 16 12
5
Confusion about scientific support for evolution

• Evolution is
• scientific theory supported by evidence 35
• one theory among many 35
• dont know 29
• Human origins
• created as is 10K years BP 45
• theistic evolution 38
• non-theistic evolution 13
• (Gallup poll, Nov. 2004)

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More Confusion

• Evolution is based on an overwhelming body of
  scientific evidence, which strongly confirms that
  its key ideas are correct
• 56.3 agreed
• Intelligent Design is based on an overwhelming
  body of scientific evidence, which strongly
  confirms that its key ideas are correct
• 44.2 agreed
• (Nisbet Nisbet, 2005)

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Information on the debate

• TV and newspapers
• Primary source of information
• Treat the two sides as equals
• Education
• K-12 avoid controversy
• Post secondary hit-and-miss

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K-12 Education

• Under fire
• State standards
• Local school boards
• Parental complaints
• Teachers
• Undereducated in science
• Understaffed
• Concerned about maintaining employment respect
• Result Many students receive little, if any,
  instruction regarding evolution.

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Colleges Universities

• Undergraduate education
• 5 of college students are science majors
• 8 in the health and related professions
• remainder rely on general education for science
  knowledge
• Result Many graduates receive little, if any,
  instruction regarding evolution.

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Teacher Education

• Focus has been on pedagogy
• Result As generalists, many teachers are
  ill-prepared to face deep scrutiny of the
  subjects they teach.

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Teacher Education

• Under NCLB, science endorsements (in Illinois)
  now require one of the following
• Pass the Content-Area Test
• Have a major or coursework equivalent in each
  area of teaching responsibility
• Have a graduate degree or advanced certification
  in each area of teaching responsibility
• Result deeper content knowledge!

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General Education

• Many students can miss evolution
• Evolution is dealt with piecemeal
• biology fossil record and deep time are usually
  not covered
• geology
• not covered in physical or environmental
• historical geology may not cover biological
  aspects well
• other sciences most make no mention

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What to do

• Become a guest lecturer
• in other classes
• at teacher workshops
• at schools
• in the community

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How to do it

• Research aspects of evolution within your area of
  expertise
• Develop several off-the-shelf presentations
• Make yourself available
• Key Dont hold back!

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Presenting

• Get the word out
• Advertise in house and in the community
• Exchange with other faculty
• Make connections
• Customize for audience
• Assess and revise

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Benefits

• Deeper coverage of evolution
• Exposure across the curriculum
• Recruitment opportunities
• Coverage of classes for absent faculty
• New courses
• Useful interdepartmental exchanges
• Collegial critique

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Example Presentations Target Audiences

• Evolution Basics
• teacher prep courses
• teacher workshops
• Geology of Evolution
• Biology
• Anthropology
• teacher prep courses

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Example Presentations Target Audiences

• Science, Evolution, and Creationism
• Philosophy of Religion
• Government
• teacher workshops
• teacher prep courses

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Science, Evolution, CreationismResearch

• BOTH Evolution Creationism
• Know both sides!
• Sources
• texts
• recent books articles
• web sites (ie. talkorigins.com)
• Stay up to date!

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Science, Evolution, CreationismStructure of
Presentation

• What is science?
• history
• foundational philosophy
• methodology
• what science is not
• Why is science important?
• utility of structured inquiry
• accomplishments

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Science, Evolution, CreationismStructure of
Presentation

• What is evolution?
• history of evolution
• evidence for evolution
• cover what you know
• give references
• Is it science?
• What is ID/creationism?
• basic tenants
• Is it science?

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from Science, Evolution, CreationismFoundatio
ns of Science

• Natural Cause The universe behaves in a
  predictable way under rules that can be
  determined through observation and
  experimentation.
• Efficient Cause effect follows cause (no Final
  Cause or teleology)

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from Science, Evolution, Creationism
Scientific Explanations

• no arguments from or appeals to authority
• science can should build on published work of
  others, however
• scientists must be prepared to defend that work
  as well as their own
• if the cited work is shown to be false, the new
  worked based on it comes into question

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from Science, Evolution, Creationism Should
we use biblical explanations instead?

• St. Augustine No. He was concerned that if
  Christians asserted that the Bible contradicted
  reason and experience with natural phenomena,
  potential converts would reject the spiritual
  message.
• Isaac Newton No. He was concerned that mixing
  science and religion would corrupt religion.
  (Believed nature operates according to Gods
  laws.)

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from Science, Evolution, Creationism Is it
science?

• Evolution
• derived from observation yes
• natural cause yes
• supported by natural data yes
• change with new data yes

• Creationism
• derived from observation no
• natural cause no
• supported by natural data no
• change with new data no

26
from Science, Evolution, Creationism The
Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics

• We deny that extrabiblical views ever disprove
  the teaching of Scripture or hold priority over
  it.
• We deny that any genuine scientific facts are
  inconsistent with the true meaning of any passage
  of Scripture.

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from Science, Evolution, Creationism ICR
Tenets of Scientific Creationism

• 8. Since the universe and its primary components
  were created perfect for their purposes in the
  beginning by a competent and volitional Creator,
  and since the Creator does remain active in this
  now-decaying creation, there do exist ultimate
  purposes and meanings in the universe.
  Teleological considerations, therefore, are
  appropriate in scientific studies whenever they
  are consistent with the actual data of
  observation, and it is reasonable to assume that
  the creation presently awaits the consummation of
  the Creator's purpose.

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from Science, Evolution, Creationism
Biblical Astronomer Credo

• We believe that the creation was completed in six
  twenty-four hour days and that the world is not
  older than about six thousand years. We maintain
  that the Bible teaches us of an earth that
  neither rotates daily nor revolves yearly about
  the sun that it is at rest with respect to the
  throne of him who called it into existence and
  that hence it is absolutely at rest in the
  universe.

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from Science, Evolution, Creationism From
Science Digest (July 1980)

• International Flat Earth Research Society
• Johnson's beliefs are firmly grounded in the
  Bible. Many verses of the Old Testament imply
  that the earth is flat, but there's more to it
  than that. According to the New Testament, Jesus
  ascended up into heaven.
• "The whole point of the Copernican theory is to
  get rid of Jesus by saying there is no up and no
  down," declares Johnson. "The spinning ball thing
  just makes the whole Bible a big joke."

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Become a guest lecturer

• Research aspects of evolution within your area of
  expertise
• Develop several off-the-shelf presentations
• Make yourself available
• Customize for audience
• Key Dont hold back!

31
Thank you

• Mike Phillips
• Illinois Valley Community College
• mike_phillips_at_ivcc.edu
• http//www.ivcc.edu/phillips