How Can Evolution Be Taught In Schools

Improved Essays
Although students are required to learn and make interpretations about evolution, they should not feel compelled to believe in the theory if they are not passionate about it. It is important to understand the key components of evolution because it helps people explain biological problems that occur throughout life. If the concept of evolution was removed from science classes, students would be deprived of essential knowledge about biology and the environment, which would lead to a lack of scientific knowledge among the American youth. On a list of countries that publicly accept evolutionism, the United States is at the near bottom, right above Turkey (Branch). Americans do not understand how essential evolutionism is to understanding life and students, ultimately, are cheated of the opportunity of enhancing their …show more content…
Rob Boston poses a series of questions in his article, Standing Up for Science, such as “Do parents want their children to be lost in Biology 101 because they didn't receive proper instruction about evolution? Do they want to see their children bomb the AP Biology test? Do they want to see them denied scholarships?” to show the importance of evolutionism in schools and how beneficial it is for children to learn the material. Also, Boston points out how around the world, public schools do not have creationism in their curriculum, nor do they support it, which further proves how unnecessary it is for a child’s schooling since education beyond the United States is much more effective and cultivated. Society must fight for evolutionism to remain in public schools because the public perception of science is slowly weakening. Matters such as global warming, cloning, and stem-cell research are intricate topics that require knowledge about evolutionary science in order to make the correct

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    John Scopes Case Study

    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Therefore, the Butler Act “held unconstitutional statutes prohibiting the teaching of evolution as violative of the First Amendment” (Linder, 2008, Retrieved from http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/appctdec.htm). The case of “Epperson v. Arkansas, 393 U.S. 97, 89 S.Ct. 266, 21 L.Ed.2d 228” aided in this disapproval of the Butler Act. (Linder, 2008, Retrieved from http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/appctdec.htm). Educational Implications…

    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Scopes: The Battle over America’s Soul The battle between science and nature seems to be one that is never ending. One of the times when this battle came to a head was in 1925 when a trial occurred over whether evolution was okay to be taught in school. In Tennessee, the practice was outlawed, but when a teacher in Dayton Ohio was coerced into using a textbook that contained evolution, the debate became one of major national attention. John Scopes, a twenty-four year old math and science teacher, were approached by George Rappleya and Fred Robinson.…

    • 1255 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Christopher Lynch HIS 4150 In The Beginning As theocracy encroaches further and further into politics and curricula, and especially so in the South, examining antievolutionary thought is both timely and sometimes necessary. Even though evolution—which, with its mounting evidence, seems more and more irrefutable—is nowadays practically a hallmark of modern science, many Americans still doubt it, and many even lobby and shape legislation that prevents it from being taught in classrooms. A startling and relatively recent example is Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, who signed into law in 2008 the Louisiana Science Education Act, which was opposed by 78 Nobel laureates. It made it possible to introduce into public schools “intelligent design” and…

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In Should Public Schools "Teach the Controversy" About Evolution? Gregory Bassham examines the controversial subject of teaching evolution in public schools. As it stands, religious entities have made numerous efforts to limit the teaching of evolution and demand the education of creation in public schools. However, for the many attempts, the federal courts have rejected the demands as unconstitutional. Bassham asserts teaching the controversy is a bad idea.…

    • 236 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    We have often talked about our position as teachers in a school, whether public or private, is that of a missionary in a mission field. Therefore, it is important for us to know the legal capacities for us to be the light in the schools where we will teach. This paper will address several court cases that have affected the teachings of evolution and creationism in public schools and the implications for Bible-believing teachers. One of the most famous events regarding the teaching of Creation in public schools was the Scopes Monkey Trial.…

    • 939 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Scopes Monkey Trial Essay

    • 919 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Back in 1925, the school board had a law (Butler Act) that evolution (the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth) or any theory of creation other than the biblical Creation could not be taught in public schools. This law was targeted at English scientist Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, which was that human had ascended from apes. Some people did not agree with this law but others did. One man in particular did not agree with this law, so he tested it. A man by the name of John Scopes (high school science teacher) taught the theory of evolution in class.…

    • 919 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The concluding opinion stated that it was indeed unconsitutional to teach intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in a public school science classroom, as ID is grounded in religion. However, the process of forming that conclusion is much more important to determining…

    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Scopes Trial

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Throughout history there have been many debates about whether or not evolution and the Bible should be taught in public schools. In fact, there was once a court case, the Scopes Trial, in which many issues had arisen and were resolved about this controversy. One of the main issues discussed was a debate on evolutionism being taught in school. Clarence Darrow, an atheist lawyer, asked William Jennings Bryan, a devout and vocal politician and a Christian, a series of questions in regards to what Bryan believed to be true about the Bible. Darrow later then explained that science had said otherwise about certain issues which even today are still referred back to .…

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Scopes Monkey Trial

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Over many years, the controversy between Evolution and Creationism has taken on a whole new perspective. John Scopes, a young high school substitute teacher, was charged with illegally teaching the theory known as evolution in 1925. During this time, Creationism was mainly taught in all schools. This theory that God created the world and all life within it. At this point in time, Evolution has dominated our curriculum, it is the process by which living organisms evolve and adapt (“Introduction”).…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Katha Pollitt Creationism

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Why in today's world is Creationism still a major point of debate? From a scientific standpoint, the theory of evolution has been proved time and time again, yet, the fight still rages on. In Katha Pollitt’s argumental piece titled “What’s the Matter with Creationism?” she attempts to explore this continual issue and how it is affecting Americans today in the classroom and later in adult life. She claims that the high percentage of those who believe in creationism or some form of it are a direct indication of the public school system's failings.…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Pledge Of Allegiance

    • 1339 Words
    • 6 Pages

    This means that some students may actually want to learn about how we as humans became so developed throughout the millions of years we’ve been on this planet. It’s a crucial part of school to be able to learn about how we evolved from other species that came before us. Parents can keep that from their own child if they choose to do so, but keeping it from millions of other children isn’t a fair choice. Teachers believe students should learn evolution no matter what religion they are so they can have a mind of their own and decide what they believe in and what they…

    • 1339 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Theory of Evolution, conducted by Charles Darwin brought a grateful amount of controversy in the science and education fields today. Debates between is Darwin’s evolution theory correct and if it should be taught in schools. Many disagree that Darwin’s theory should be taught in public schools because it is not proven and it’s a religious belief. Yet Darwin’s theory has all the characteristics of applying to science education. Teaching evolution in public schools wouldn’t change one’s morals or beliefs.…

    • 1521 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Yes it is a book but the evolution textbook is not the only book. Students should be able to choose whether they would like to study evolution or creation not just force one belief upon them. As an example, in Inherit the Wind Bertram Cates is put into jail for teaching evolution to his students when it was strictly against the law; so now think about it. In the country where we live, there is freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but if a teacher were to teach creation in a public school where it is strictly against the law, they would most likely be exactly where Bertram Cates was in Inherit the Wind; be fined, put in jail and put on trial. Many people need to understand that when creation is being taught, it is not meant to offend anyone.…

    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    1. In the documentary video of Judgement Day: Intelligent Design on Trial, the basic conflict in the town of Dover, PA is that the school board of Dover High school intended to introduce the theory of Intelligence Design to the science class in the ninth grade, trying to break the exclusive mode of setting Darwin’s evolution theory as monopoly. Some residents, mainly the parents of the ninth grade students who insisted their beliefs on Darwin’s theory sued the school board for enforcing the teaching policies of including the intelligence design theory in the science classes. 2. The basic principles and origin of the theory of evolution by natural selection is that species arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations…

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Research completed for the “War on Science” (2015) shows that “less than half of all Americans believe the earth is warming because humans are burning fossil fuels” (p. 45), and “a third of Americans believe humans have existed in their present form since time began” (p.41), can now be effectively changed. When misconceptions such as this arise in my classroom, the standard will be set that if a question is asked, it will be exhaustingly researched using techniques that have been discussed to constantly improve upon our scientific literacy as students and teachers. Answers without relevant evidence will not be acceptable and independent thinkers with the ability to question everything will be created. Not only will this help improve the scientific mind it will also help improve thinking and general literacy in all other subject areas also. So in a classroom setting, when the topic of evolution is taught and a student asks, how do you know evolution happened, “were you there?”…

    • 1087 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays