why is georgia still teaching science???

Didn't their religious overlords tell them that science "is the Devil's
playpen"??
Not to worry , we'll just hire foreign scientists to do our work..





"Some students burst into tears when a high school biology told them they'd
be studying evolution. Another teacher said some students repeatedly
screamed "no" when he began talking about it." Mmm, the future of America...
Emory workshop teaches teachers how to teach evolution
By LAURA DIAMOND

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Friday, October 24, 2008

Some students burst into tears when a high school biology told them they'd
be studying evolution. Another teacher said some students repeatedly
screamed "no" when he began talking about it.

Other teachers said students demanded to know whether they pray and
questioned why the had to learn about evolution if it was just a theory.

About 60 public high school teachers from the Atlanta area were at Emory
University last week, swapping stories about the challenges they face when
teaching evolution.
They said students often walk in with grave misconceptions about the
subject, and many parents fear teachers will tell kids that they can't have
their religious beliefs.

"I've seen churches train students to come to school with specific questions
to ask to sabotage my lessons," said Bonnie Pratt, a biology teacher at
Northview High in north Fulton County. "We need parents and the community to
understand why and how we teach evolution."

The teachers were at a workshop on teaching evolution organized by Emory's
Center for Science Education. They discussed ways to teach it and how to
address challenges and misconceptions. The training was part of a two-day
evolution conference on campus that ended Friday.

Evolution is the scientific explanation for the gradual process that
resulted in the diversity of living things.

Teaching evolution has long stoked a debate over science and religion in
public schools. Some view it as incompatible with their religious views
about how God created the universe and human beings. But many educators and
scientists say it's the basis for biology, which is a gateway course to
future studies of life sciences.

These conflicting ideas have battled in Georgia.

State schools Superintendent Kathy Cox triggered debate in 2004 when she
proposed striking references to evolution from state science teaching
standards. Cox changed her position following public pressure. The State
Board of Education later approved standards calling for students to learn
evolution and supporting concepts.

In 2002, Cobb County school officials put stickers in science textbooks
warning that evolution was a "theory, not a fact." A judge ordered the
district to remove the stickers in 2005, saying they endorsed a particular
religious belief.

Teachers at the Emory conference said the challenges they face now come from
the communities around their schools, and that they must find ways to
confront them. Many said they tell students that regardless of what they
believe, they need to know and understand evolution.

A few years ago, Pratt started holding meetings - open to parents, students,
church members and others - to address their questions about evolution. She
holds the annual session a few weeks before she begins the unit and gets
about 200 people.

"It used to be that the whole unit was a struggle, and we were butting
heads," Pratt said. "This meeting helps everyone understand that science
teachers are not the enemy. Now, the kids are showing up ready to learn
about evolution."

Other teachers said they try to fix students' misconceptions. They explain
how humans and apes share a common ancestor that no longer exists, not that
humans and apes evolved from one another. They say that while "theory" may
describe a hunch in everyday language, in science it is defined as an
explanation supported by factual evidence to describe events that occur in
our world.

Graham Balch, a biology teacher at Grady High in Atlanta, addressed the
controversy head-on. He had his students read about Cox's actions and the
response she got. They learned about efforts across the country to water
down lessons about evolution and how other public and private schools teach
the material. They debated the cause of the conflict and whether evolution
should be taught in public schools.

"I wanted to help them feel comfortable and open so they can embrace
evolution," Balch said. "I wanted them to want to learn about evolution and
didn't want them to be afraid."

A few of Balch's students attended the Emory workshop. While they doubted
all of their classmates believed in evolution, they said there was agreement
they needed to learn about it.

Freshman Caitlin Wade said the activity helped her realize she can balance
her religious beliefs with her love of science. "I can pray, read my Bible
and study science," she said. "I don't have to choose."



--
Randy Savage, the dangerous man in any sport ... from wrestling to checkers.
You name it.

-Bobby Heenan


.