NCSE Evolution Education Update for 2009/04/10

(by NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch)

Dear Friends of NCSE,

Eugenie C. Scott will be on Science Friday today to discuss the fight over
evolution in Texas's state science standards. Plus two chances to
celebrate the Darwin anniversaries with video, and a cartoon contest to
promote science education.

SCOTT TO APPEAR ON SCIENCE FRIDAY

NCSE's executive director Eugenie C. Scott is scheduled to be a guest on
the first hour of NPR's Science Friday show for April 10, 2009. Science
Friday's description of the segment: "In late March, the Texas State Board
of Education held several days of debate over new curriculum requirements
scheduled to take effect in 2010. The school board eventually decided to
accept evolution as accepted, mainstream science -- but the standards were
modified to instruct that students examine 'all sides of scientific
evidence' on a range of topics. Critics of the school board say that
phrases such as 'all sides' and 'examine the strengths and weaknesses' (a
phrase rejected by the board after debate) are code words that would allow
the teaching of creationism in the science classroom. The large state of
Texas is considered a crucial battleground in the fight over teaching
evolution, as its purchasing power gives the state's curriculum standards a
good deal of influence over the content of textbooks sold around the
country. We'll find out how the topic of evolution will be taught under
the new standards." The segment airs and streams between 2:00 and 3:00
p.m. (Eastern) on many NPR stations across the country; a list of stations
is available on the show's website.

For Science Friday's description of the segment, visit:
http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200904101

For a list of stations airing and streaming Science Friday, visit:
http://www.sciencefriday.com/about/stations/

And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Texas, visit:
http://ncseweb.org/news/texas

CELEBRATE THE DARWIN ANNIVERSARIES WITH VIDEO

Two projects to celebrate the Darwin anniversaries -- the bicentennial of
Darwin's birth and the sesquicentennial of the publication of On the Origin
of Species -- are soliciting video contributions. For its Darwin Aloud
project, the Center for Inquiry West is asking people to videotape
themselves by a site of natural beauty or scientific importance reading
from the last chapter of the Origin. Entries are due by June 1,
2009. Evolution: Education and Outreach is inviting libraries that are
celebrating the Darwin anniversaries to videotape or photograph their
Darwin Year displays; a lucky winner will be featured in a forthcoming
issue of the journal. Entries are due by September 1, 2009.

The Society for the Study of Evolution already produced its own video
celebration in time for the bicentennial of Darwin's birth, featuring
members of the SSE's council, Alan Leshner of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science, Peter H. Raven, Francisco Ayala, Richard
Lenski, Susan Epperson, Neil Shubin and Tiktaalik, high school teachers
from Dover, Pennsylvania, George Coyne, Sean Carroll, faculty and graduate
students at the University of St. Andrews, staff of the NCSE, Darwin Day
celebrants at Cedar Crest College, and students at Michigan State University.

For information about the Darwin Aloud project, visit:
http://www.cfiwest.org/darwinaloud/

For information about the Evolution: Education and Outreach contest, visit:
http://www.springer.com/life+sci/darwin+year+2009?SGWID=0-167002-0-0-0

For the Society for the Study of Evolution's video, visit:
http://www.happybirthdaydarwin.org/

STICK SCIENCE CARTOON CONTEST

Florida Citizens for Science, a grassroots organization defending and
promoting the integrity of science education in Florida, is sponsoring a
cartoon contest! At the FCFS blog (April 1, 2009), Brandon Haught
explains, "The basic concept here is to draw a cartoon that educates the
public about misconceptions the average person has about science (or for
the 12-year-old and under folks, a cartoon about 'why understanding science
is important')." And lack of artistic ability isn't a problem: "all
entries must be drawn using stick figures. This is about creative ideas,
not artistic ability."

Entries are due (by e-mail or post) by May 31, 2009. Prizes include
various books, movies, and toys. Judges are NCSE's executive director
Eugenie C. Scott, Phil Plait, the author of Bad Astronomy and Death from
the Skies!; Carl Zimmer, the author of Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea
and Microcosm: E. coli and the New Science of Life; and Kate Miller, the
founder of the evolution toystore Charlie's Playhouse. Full details of the
contest are available on FCFS's website.

For Florida Citizens for Science's blog, visit:
http://www.flascience.org/wp/

For details about the contest, visit:
http://www.flascience.org/sshome.html

NOTICE AND REMINDER

In the near future, the Evolution Education Update is going to be
transferred to Google Groups. You'll continue to receive news from NCSE
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The process of transferring the list is proving to be a little slower than
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Thanks for reading! And as always, be sure to consult NCSE's web site:

http://ncseweb.org

where you can always find the latest news on evolution education and
threats to it.

Sincerely,

Glenn Branch
Deputy Director
National Center for Science Education, Inc.
420 40th Street, Suite 2
Oakland, CA 94609-2509
510-601-7203 x310
fax: 510-601-7204
800-290-6006
branch@ncseweb.org
http://ncseweb.org

Not in Our Classrooms: Why Intelligent Design Is Wrong for Our Schools
http://ncseweb.org/nioc

Eugenie C. Scott's Evolution vs. Creationism
http://ncseweb.org/evc

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