>Originator: paleonet@ucmp1.berkeley.edu
>From: plotnick@uic.edu (Roy Plotnick)
>
>Please send responses to Dale, not to me! -Roy
>________________________________________________________________________
> January 25, 1997
>
>Dear Colleague,
>
> H.G. Wells once said, "the future is a race between education and
>catastrophe."
>
> As part of our community's effort to stave off 'catastrophe', the PS
>Education Committee is designing a workshop on Evolution for pre-college
>teachers. We expect to offer the day-long course for the first time at the
>GSA Annual Meeting in Toronto (Fall 1998). The recent upsurge of
>Creationist and other pseudoscience activities suggests that this will not
>be a moment too soon.
>
> I am writing to you at this early stage in the planning to ask for your
>input. We need to give teachers a clear understanding of the nature of
>evolutionary theory, and of the evidence for evolution, in order for them
>to feel more confident as they deal with the subject in their classrooms.
>Most of us have strong opinions about the subject of evolution and how it
>should be taught. Obviously, in one eight-hour day we cannot hope to cover
>every aspect of evolution. Nor, I think, is it even desirable to try to do
>so. But, what are the concepts that are most important for a pre-college
>teacher to understand--and to teach?
>
> Will you please take a few minutes to answer the following questions
>and return this survey to me? PLEASE HELP. YOUR INPUT IS IMPORTANT. If
>you prefer to present your comments in a less structures manner, please
>feel free to do so. If you have any questions about this letter or the
>workshop, I would be happy to try to answer them. I can be reached at, and
>you comments can be sent to, any of the following:
>
>e-mail: dspringe@planetx.bloomu.edu
>FAX: 717-389-3028
>phone: 717-389-4747
>snail-mail: Dept. Geography & Earth Science
> Bloomsburg University
> 400 E. Second Street
> Bloomsburg, PA 17815
>
> Please feel free to share this note with interested colleagues: we
>welcome everyone's comments. On behalf of the PS Education Committee, I
>thank you for your time and thoughts on this important project.
>
>Best regards,
>
>Dale
>
>Dale A. Springer, Chair
>PS Education Committee
>_________________________________________________________________
>
>EVOLUTION WORKSHOP FOR K-12 TEACHERS: SURVEY
>
>We would appreciate your thoughts on the following questions. Please feel
>free to use a less structured format for your comments, if you wish.
>
>1. What are the key concepts of evolution that should be covered during
> the workshop?
>
>2. Who would you suggest as possible presenters (and for which concepts or
> topics)?
>
>3. Can you suggest any hands-on activities for the workshop? These might
> be a) activities to help teachers understand concepts, or b) activities
> teachers could take home for use in their own classrooms. Please feel
> free to send as a separate attachment. We would like to include
> supportive activities as a resource for the participating teachers.
>
>4. Any other comments or suggestions?
>
>Roy E. Plotnick
>Geological Sciences
>University of Illinois at Chicago
>845 W. Taylor St.
>Chicago, IL 60607
>plotnick@uic.edu
>phone: 312-996-2111 fax: 312-413-2279
>
>
>"The scientific celebrities, forgetting their molluscs and glacial
> periods, gossiped about art, while devoting themselves to oysters
> and ices with characteristic energy.." -Little Women, Louisa
> May Alcott
>