Fw: Ohio Votes 13-5 to Adopt Lesson Plan Critical of Evolution

Any comments George?

Don't forget the only country in the world in which the state allows the
teaching of YEC is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. You dont
want Unlce Sam to follow suit

Michael
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rob Crowther" <notabene@discovery.org>
To: <michael.andrea.r@ukonline.co.uk>
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 11:11 PM
Subject: Ohio Votes 13-5 to Adopt Lesson Plan Critical of Evolution

Nota Bene Special Announcement

FOR RELEASE MARCH 9, 2004
Discovery Institute
(206)292-0401

OHIO ADOPTS "CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF EVOLUTION" CURRICULUM

COLUMBUS, OH, MARCH 9 - Discovery Institute called it a victory
for students, academic freedom, and common sense when the Ohio
state board of education today voted 13-5 to adopt a model lesson
plan on the "Critical Analysis of Evolution."

"The board's decision is a significant victory for students and
their academic freedom to study all sides of current scientific
debates over evolutionary theory," said Bruce Chapman, president
of Discovery Institute. "It's also a victory for common sense
against the scientific dogmatism of those who think evolution
should be protected from any critical examination."

Chapman added that the lesson plan is exactly the approach to
teaching evolution that Discovery Institute has advocated all
along, helping students learn both the scientific strengths and
weaknesses of Darwin's theory.

The lesson plan asks students to examine various debates over
parts of evolutionary theory that are discussed in science
journals, such as whether microevolutionary processes are
sufficient to explain macroevolution. The lesson plan was created
to implement a benchmark in the state science standards that
requires students to be able to "Describe how scientists continue
to investigate and critically analyze aspects of evolutionary
theory."

The lesson plan does not discuss religion or alternative
scientific theories such as intelligent design. Created with
input from a science advisory committee that included teachers,
science educators, and scientists from across Ohio, the lesson
plan was defended by a number of scientists in public testimony
before the board on Tuesday.

"Ohio's science standards and this lesson will stand as a beacon
to other states as they review their own approach to how
evolution is presented in the classroom," said Chapman. "This is
a common-sense approach that avoids the extremes and focuses on
teaching students about the scientific debates over evolution."

To speak with a spokesperson for Discovery Institute contact Rob
Crowther at (206) 292-0401 x107 or by e-mail at
rob@discovery.org.

###

About Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture
Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture is the
nation's leading think tank and research center examining
scientific challenges to Darwinian evolution. Discovery Institute
is a non-profit, non-partisan, public-policy, think tank which
promotes ideas in the common sense tradition of representative
government, the free market and individual liberty. Current
projects include: technology, the economy, regional
transportation, and the bi-national region of "Cascadia."
http://www.discovery.org/.
Received on Wed Mar 10 04:14:51 2004