Thank you to everyone who attended Science Education Saturday - Teaching Evolution in the Classroom at the Bell Museum of Natural History on November 11, 2006
Did you miss Science Education Saturday? Read a summary on the blog Pharyngula by P.Z. Myers, MnCSE board member and our SES panel moderator.
Science Education Saturday was co-sponsored by Minnesota Citizens for Science Education (MnCSE), and the University of Minnesota's Bell Museum of Natural History and the College of Biological Sciences - Twin Cities. All are non-profit educational organizations. MnCSE thanks the ADC Foundation for their support of Science Education Saturday.
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Science Education Saturday Plenary Speakers
Mark Borrello, College of Biological Sciences, UM-TC
Supporters of teaching intelligent design have used the slogan "Teach the controversy" to describe and promote their position. In this talk, Dr. Borrello will use some episodes from the history of science to show that while teaching scientific controversies should be a fundamental part of good science education, the current dispute over ID doesn't qualify. The hope is that science teachers may be able to incorporate some of these examples into their courses and at the same time developed reasoned historical arguments for excluding intelligent design.
Mark Borrello seminar images
Randy Moore, College of Education and Human Development, UM-TC
Biology teachers often encounter emotional responses from students, parents, and administrators who are uncomfortable with, or threatened by, the teaching of evolution. In many instances, the best way to handle the situation is to cite what the courts have said about the topic. What if a student/parent is offended by evolution? Can a teacher give equal time to creationism? Must a teacher give equal time to creationism? And what about "intelligent design"? An understanding of the legal issues associated with the teaching of evolution and creationism can help teachers ensure that their students learn about one of the most powerful ideas in science -- evolution.
Randy Moore seminar images
“Teach the Controversy? A view from the history of science”
Supporters of teaching intelligent design have used the slogan "Teach the controversy" to describe and promote their position. In this talk, Dr. Borrello will use some episodes from the history of science to show that while teaching scientific controversies should be a fundamental part of good science education, the current dispute over ID doesn't qualify. The hope is that science teachers may be able to incorporate some of these examples into their courses and at the same time developed reasoned historical arguments for excluding intelligent design.
Mark Borrello seminar images
Randy Moore, College of Education and Human Development, UM-TC
“Creationism in Minnesota’s Biology Classrooms? What the courts have said
about the teaching of evolution and creationism”
about the teaching of evolution and creationism”
Biology teachers often encounter emotional responses from students, parents, and administrators who are uncomfortable with, or threatened by, the teaching of evolution. In many instances, the best way to handle the situation is to cite what the courts have said about the topic. What if a student/parent is offended by evolution? Can a teacher give equal time to creationism? Must a teacher give equal time to creationism? And what about "intelligent design"? An understanding of the legal issues associated with the teaching of evolution and creationism can help teachers ensure that their students learn about one of the most powerful ideas in science -- evolution.
Randy Moore seminar images
SCIENCE EDUCATION SATURDAY IN PICTURES
Following greetings from MnCSE CEO Jim Curtsinger and Bell Museum Director Scott Lanyon, the Board of Directors of MnCSE was introduced, and then Mark Borrello (Asst. Prof. of History of Science and Asst. Prof. of Ecology, Evolution, & Behavior, UM - Twin Cities) gave a talk entitled "Teach the controversy? A view from the hIstory of science"
The next speaker was Randy Moore, Prof. of Biology at UM - Twin Cities. His talk was entitled "Creationism in Minnesota's Biology Classrooms? What the courts have said about the teaching of evolution and creationism".
The audience was lively and interactive
Conversation continued during breaks in the Bell Museum lobby, where the elusive but influential Ed Hessler was spotted (arms crossed)
After lunch PZ Myers (Assoc. Prof. Biology, UM - Morris) moderated a panel discussion entitled "Teaching evoution in the classroom". The panel, consisting of K-12 educators, was organized by Bruce Leventhal and Brad Ward, teachers at Forest Lake High School.
From left to right, panel members Tom Meagher (Owatonna schools), Mark Peterson (Dassel-Cokato schools), Dawn Norton (Minnetonka High School), Bruce Leventhal (Forest Lake HIgh School), and Dawn Clawson (St. Paul Central High School, retired).
Ms. Crannell makes a point from the audience, followed by general agreement that she should run for Governor in 2020.
After the talks and panel discussion, some attendees migrated to the Ecology Building on the St. Paul campus for a tour of the mammal research collections led by Sharon Jansa (Asst. Prof. of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, UM - TC and Curator of Mammals, Bell Museum).
Next we were given a tour of the bird collection, courtesy of Keith Barker (Post-doctoral fellow, Bell Museum of Natural History)
Tour members were particularly struck by this specifmen, which shows the remains of two male combatants locked in a mutually fatal battle of sexual selection (let's hope this is not a metaphor for the creation/evolution wars!)