October 23, 2002

"Teaching the Controversy" Wins in Ohio

By Mark Hartwig

On Oct. 15, the Ohio Board of Education unanimously approved new science education standards that mandate teaching the controversy about biological origins. Instead of presenting a Darwin-only curriculum, Ohio schools will be required to teach students about the scientific controversies surrounding evolutionary theory. The new science standards also allow the state's school districts to decide for themselves whether or not to teach scientific alternatives to Darwin's theory of evolution.

The new standards specifically require that students be able to describe how scientists continue to investigate and critically analyze aspects of evolutionary theory. Students will be required to demonstrate this ability on state tests.

Mark Edwards, a spokesman for the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, which has been stumping for such language since March, praised the board's action.

The new standards acknowledge that there are scientific criticisms of evolution and that these criticisms are ongoing, Edwards said. The board acknowledged the existence of the ongoing debate and called for this to be an item for students to be educated on.

One of the growing alternative theories to Darwinism is called intelligent design, which teaches that living organisms arose not from blind natural processes, but from an intelligent, purposeful source. Although the new Ohio standards do not mention intelligent design, board members emphasized that Ohio school districts have the freedom to choose for themselves whether or not to teach it. This freedom is reinforced by a definition of science in the standards that effectively dethrones the philosophy of naturalism. The new definition reads:

Science is a systematic method of continuing investigation, based on observation, hypothesis testing, measurement, experimentation, and theory building, which leads to more adequate explanations of natural phenomena.

This replaces a definition which said scientific knowledge is limited to natural explanations for natural phenomena.

After a period of public comment, the Ohio Board of Education plans to take a final vote on its proposed science standards in December. While the vote is expected to be more of a formality, board members are expected to be lobbied by Darwin supporters to reverse course.

Teaching the Controversy Resources

If you live in another area of the country and are troubled by your school's or district's one-sided treatment of evolution, here are some resources to help you bring about a change:

Articles

• The World of Design
  Is intelligent design legitimate science? Or is it just religion in disguise? Here are the answers to some basic questions about intelligent design.
• Crumbling Icons
  A review of biologist Jonathan Wells' book, Icons of Evolution. The book recounts some of the textbook evidence for Darwinism that scientists know is wrong.
• Teaching the Origins Controversy: Science, Or Religion, Or Speech?
  An article from the Utah Law Review in which the authors argue that the current practice of censoring dissent in the science classroom far from being constitutionally required constitutes viewpoint discrimination, and is contrary to U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

Books

• Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds
  What's the best way to defeat Darwinism? With good thinking habits. This book provides a good discussion of intelligent design and Darwinism, giving solid advice on spotting deceptive arguments and grasping the scientific issues.
• Getting the Facts Straight: A Viewer's Guide to PBS's Evolution
  This video series flopped on television, but millions of dollars have been spent on promoting it in the schools. The series distorts and even falsifies science and history. Get the real story with this online guide, produced by the Discovery Institute.
• Icons of Evolution: Science or Myth
  Remember what you learned in high school about such things as the peppered moth, the fossil tree of life, and Haeckel's embryos about how they provided powerful evidence for Darwin's theory of evolution? This book by biologist Jonathan Wells shows not only that this evidence is wrong, but that working scientists have known it for years.
• Intelligent Design in Public School Science Curricula: A Legal Guidebook
  Is it legal to teach about intelligent design in public school science classrooms? Yes, and this guidebook gives you the tools you need to defend a more open-minded approach to teaching origins.
• What's Darwin Got To Do With It? A Friendly Conversation About Evolution
  Intimidated by science? Want a simple, reader-friendly way to learn about intelligent design and Darwinism? Then this book may be just what you're looking for. Great for all ages.
• Signs of Intelligence: Understanding Intelligent Design
  Essays on the fallacies of evolutionary theory and the key arguments for design. A solid introduction to key issues.

Videos

If you want to introduce others to intelligent design and criticisms of Darwins theory, the videos Icons of Evolution and Unlocking the Mystery of Life, may be just the ticket. These videos were aired in Cobb County, Ga., and major viewer markets in Ohio.

Other Helpful Resources

• Teaching Resources for Parents, Teachers and School Officials
  This Web page, put together by the Intelligent Design Network, provides legal information, a sample origins science policy, public statements by scientists and more.
• The Santorum Amendment
  Did you know that federal education policy now favors teaching the controversy about biological origins? It's true, thanks to language adopted by Congress in the conference report of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Here's a stack of resources from the Discovery Institute to help you understand what the amendment says and what it means for public school science classrooms.

Public Opinion Polls

Scientific polls of public opinion have consistently shown overwhelming support for teaching the controversy. That includes a Zogby national poll, conducted in September 2001, a Zogby Ohio poll conducted in May 2002 and a poll conducted for the Cleveland Plain Dealer in June 2002.

Intelligent Design Organizations

• Access Research Network
• Discovery Institute
• Intelligent Design Network
• Science Excellence for All Ohioans

Copyright 2002 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
File Date: 10.23.02