February 11th, 2011 Bob
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 9, 2011)- U.S. Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) announced today the introduction of H. Res. 81, calling for the designation of Feb. 12, 2011, as Darwin Day in order to recognize the work of Charles Darwin and the importance of science in the advancement of humanity.
“Darwin’s birthday is a good time for us to reflect on the important role of science in our society,” Stark said. “It is also a time to redouble our efforts to ensure that children are being taught scientific facts, not religious dogma, and to fight back against those who seek to undermine the science of climate change for political ends.”
The resolution recognizes the importance of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by the mechanism of natural selection, which is further supported by the modern understanding of genetics. The advancement of science and the academic integrity of the nation’s education system are singled out in the resolution as needing protection from those who are unconcerned with the adverse impacts of climate change and who are intent on the teaching of creationism, respectively.
HRES 81 IH
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 81
Expressing support for designation of February 12, 2011, as Darwin Day and recognizing the importance of science in the betterment of humanity.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 9, 2011
Mr. STARK submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for designation of February 12, 2011, as Darwin Day and recognizing the importance of science in the betterment of humanity.
Whereas Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by the mechanism of natural selection, together with the monumental amount of scientific evidence he compiled to support it, provides humanity with a logical and intellectually compelling explanation for the diversity of life on Earth;
Whereas the validity of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is further strongly supported by the modern understanding of the science of genetics;
Whereas it has been the human curiosity and ingenuity exemplified by Darwin that has promoted new scientific discoveries that have helped humanity solve many problems and improve living conditions;
Whereas the advancement of science must be protected from those unconcerned with the adverse impacts of global warming and climate change;
Whereas the teaching of creationism in some public schools compromises the scientific and academic integrity of the United States’ education systems;
Whereas Charles Darwin is a worthy symbol of scientific advancement on which to focus and around which to build a global celebration of science and humanity intended to promote a common bond among all of Earth’s peoples; and
Whereas, February 12, 2011, is the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin in 1809 and would be an appropriate date to designate as Darwin Day: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives–
(1) supports the designation of Darwin Day; and
(2) recognizes Charles Darwin as a worthy symbol on which to celebrate the achievements of reason, science, and the advancement of human knowledge.
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February 11th, 2011 Bob
Oklahoma State University is offering a summer research experience for teachers (RET) which will provide Oklahoma middle
school teachers (6th – 9th grades) with the opportunity to partner with Oklahoma State University to perform research in engineering and to develop curriculum units that will enhance middle school students’ research abilities and knowledge of engineering. The program is a year-long commitment, consisting of professional development workshops, laboratory research, and curriculum development. The middle school teachers who graduate from the TERMS program will leave with an understanding of the research process and experience in implementing inquiry-based learning around the theme of engineered materials and structures. Teachers will develop effective techniques for translating research experiences into simple and affordable experiments designed to engage students in the middle grades and will begin to build long-term, sustainable relationships with Oklahoma State University faculty and other middle school teachers across Oklahoma. for more information go to: http://ret.okstate.edu
Get the application here.
Get a promotional flier here.
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February 11th, 2011 Bob
(From NCSE’s Evolution Education Update, February 11, 2011)
Writing in The Hechinger Report (February 7, 2011), Jennifer Oldham addresses “The evolution of teaching evolution,” explaining that, even in the face of persistent challenges and obstacles, “scientists and teachers are pushing to make evolution the backbone of biology lesson-plans from kindergarten through high school.” Alluding to Michael B. Berkman and Eric Plutzer’s recent column, she wrote, “They have their work cut out for them. A recent article in Science found that almost three out of four high school students will get no schooling in evolutionary biology, or a version ‘fraught with misinformation.’”
Louise Mead — formerly Education Project Director at NCSE, now Education Director at the BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action — explained, “there’s been a realization that we have to address the misconceptions. There has been a renewed focus on how we teach evolution and renewed outreach.” Cited were the University of California Museum of Paleontology’s Understanding Evolution website, the BioKIDS curriculum developed at the University of Michigan, and the Evolution Readiness curriculum developed by the Concord Consortium.
The hope is that such resources will give teachers the knowledge they need to have confidence in teaching evolution, Judy Scotchmoor of UCMP explained. Jeremy Mohn, a biology teacher in Kansas who teaches evolution, also urged the necessity of addressing the nonscientific concerns of students in presenting evolution, observing, “You don’t have people in a chemistry classroom who have been raised to believe that the periodic table comes from the devil and that if they believe in it they are going to go to hell.”
For Oldham’s article, visit:http://hechingerreport.org/content/the-evolution-of-teaching-evolution_5146/
For NCSE’s coverage of the Berkman and Plutzer column, visit:http://ncse.com/news/2011/01/too-many-teachers-ignore-evolution-006454
For the cited resources, visit:http://evolution.berkeley.edu/http://www.biokids.umich.edu/http://www.concord.org/projects/evolution-readiness
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