Becoming a Campus and Community Resource on Science and Evolution

1. Becoming a Campus and Community Resource on Science and Evolution Michael A. Phillips Professor of Geology Illinois Valley Community College mike_phillips@ivcc.edu

2. What’s the problem? • Americans favor teaching creation science. • Americans do not understand the science of evolution. • Americans do not understand that creation science and intelligent design are not science.

3. Favor teaching creation science in addition to evolution

4. Favor teaching creation science instead of evolution

5. Confusion about scientific support for evolution • Evolution is: • scientific theory supported by evidence: 35% • one theory among many: 35% • don’t know: 29% • Human origins • created as is 10K years BP: 45% • theistic evolution: 38% • non-theistic evolution: 13% (Gallup poll, Nov. 2004)

6. More Confusion • Evolution is “based on an overwhelming body of scientific evidence, which strongly confirms that its key ideas are correct” • 56.3% agreed • Intelligent Design is “based on an overwhelming body of scientific evidence, which strongly confirms that its key ideas are correct” • 44.2% agreed (Nisbet & Nisbet, 2005)

7. Information on the debate • TV and newspapers • Primary source of information • Treat the two sides as equals • Education • K-12: avoid controversy • Post secondary: hit-and-miss

8. K-12 Education • Under fire • State standards • Local school boards • Parental complaints • Teachers • Undereducated in science • Understaffed • Concerned about maintaining employment & respect • Result: Many students receive little, if any, instruction regarding evolution.

9. Colleges & Universities • Undergraduate education • 5% of college students are science majors • 8% in the health and related professions • remainder rely on general education for science knowledge • Result: Many graduates receive little, if any, instruction regarding evolution.

10. Teacher Education • Focus has been on pedagogy • Result: As generalists, many teachers are ill-prepared to face deep scrutiny of the subjects they teach.

11. Teacher Education • Under NCLB, science endorsements (in Illinois) now require one of the following: • Pass the Content-Area Test • Have a major or coursework equivalent in each area of teaching responsibility • Have a graduate degree or advanced certification in each area of teaching responsibility • Result: deeper content knowledge!

12. General Education • Many students can miss evolution • Evolution is dealt with piecemeal • biology: fossil record and deep time are usually not covered • geology • not covered in physical or environmental • historical geology may not cover biological aspects well • other sciences: most make no mention

13. What to do • Become a “guest lecturer” • in other classes • at teacher workshops • at schools • in the community

14. How to do it • Research aspects of evolution within your area of expertise • Develop several off-the-shelf presentations • Make yourself available • Key: Don’t hold back!

15. Presenting • Get the word out • “Advertise” in house and in the community • Exchange with other faculty • Make connections • Customize for audience • Assess and revise

16. Benefits • Deeper coverage of evolution • Exposure across the curriculum • Recruitment opportunities • Coverage of classes for absent faculty • New courses • Useful interdepartmental exchanges • Collegial critique

17. Example Presentations & Target Audiences • Evolution Basics • teacher prep courses • teacher workshops • Geology of Evolution • Biology • Anthropology • teacher prep courses

18. Example Presentations & Target Audiences • “Science, Evolution, and Creationism” • Philosophy of Religion • Government • teacher workshops • teacher prep courses

19. “Science, Evolution, & Creationism”Research • BOTH Evolution & Creationism • Know both sides! • Sources • texts • recent books & articles • web sites (ie. talkorigins.com) • Stay up to date!

20. “Science, Evolution, & Creationism”Structure of Presentation • What is science? • history • foundational philosophy • methodology • what science is not • Why is science important? • utility of structured inquiry • accomplishments

21. “Science, Evolution, & Creationism”Structure of Presentation • What is evolution? • history of evolution • evidence for evolution • cover what you know • give references • Is it science? • What is ID/creationism? • basic tenants • Is it science?

22. from “Science, Evolution, & Creationism”Foundations of Science • Natural Cause: The universe behaves in a predictable way under “rules” that can be determined through observation and experimentation. • Efficient Cause: effect follows cause (no Final Cause or teleology)

23. from “Science, Evolution, & Creationism”Scientific Explanations • no arguments from or appeals to authority • science can & should build on published work of others, however: • scientists must be prepared to defend that work as well as their own • if the cited work is shown to be false, the new worked based on it comes into question

24. from “Science, Evolution, & Creationism”Should we use biblical explanations instead? • St. Augustine:No. He was concerned that if Christians asserted that the Bible contradicted reason and experience with natural phenomena, potential converts would reject the spiritual message. • Isaac Newton:No. He was concerned that mixing science and religion would corrupt religion. (Believed nature operates according to God’s laws.)

25. Evolution derived from observation: yes natural cause: yes supported by natural data: yes change with new data: yes Creationism derived from observation: no natural cause: no supported by natural data: no change with new data: no from “Science, Evolution, & Creationism”Is it science?

26. from “Science, Evolution, & Creationism”The Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics • We deny that extrabiblical views ever disprove the teaching of Scripture or hold priority over it. • We deny that any genuine scientific facts are inconsistent with the true meaning of any passage of Scripture.

27. from “Science, Evolution, & Creationism”ICR Tenets of Scientific Creationism • 8. Since the universe and its primary components were created perfect for their purposes in the beginning by a competent and volitional Creator, and since the Creator does remain active in this now-decaying creation, there do exist ultimate purposes and meanings in the universe. Teleological considerations, therefore, are appropriate in scientific studies whenever they are consistent with the actual data of observation, and it is reasonable to assume that the creation presently awaits the consummation of the Creator's purpose.

28. from “Science, Evolution, & Creationism”Biblical Astronomer Credo • We believe that the creation was completed in six twenty-four hour days and that the world is not older than about six thousand years. We maintain that the Bible teaches us of an earth that neither rotates daily nor revolves yearly about the sun; that it is at rest with respect to the throne of him who called it into existence; and that hence it is absolutely at rest in the universe.

29. from “Science, Evolution, & Creationism”From Science Digest (July 1980) International Flat Earth Research Society Johnson's beliefs are firmly grounded in the Bible. Many verses of the Old Testament imply that the earth is flat, but there's more to it than that. According to the New Testament, Jesus ascended up into heaven. "The whole point of the Copernican theory is to get rid of Jesus by saying there is no up and no down," declares Johnson. "The spinning ball thing just makes the whole Bible a big joke."

30. Become a “guest lecturer” • Research aspects of evolution within your area of expertise • Develop several off-the-shelf presentations • Make yourself available • Customize for audience • Key: Don’t hold back!

31. Thank you Mike Phillips Illinois Valley Community College mike_phillips@ivcc.edu http://www.ivcc.edu/phillips