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Symposium looks at opposition to teaching evolution

January 24, 2012

Cross a biology professor with an education professor and what do you have? A class that analyzes the tension surrounding the teaching of human evolution in U.S. classrooms.

Karin Sconzert
Deborah Tobiason

Prof. Karin Sconzert said Teaching Evolution, the January Term class she teaches with Prof. Deborah Tobiason, is a "perfect manifestation" of the intent behind the Carthage Symposium. Carthage students are required to take one such symposium, a unique collaboration of faculty from two different disciplines.

Prof. Tobiason, an assistant professor of biology, laid out the scientific data for students. Prof. Sconzert, an associate professor of education, helps them examine the public objections that sometimes greet evolution in a school curriculum. She finds it odd that it's the only segment of science that evokes such strong reactions from the public.

"Nobody is denying volcanic geology," Prof. Sconzert said.

Students watched "Inherit the Wind," a classic movie based on the famous 1925 Scopes trial. They also delved into more recent court cases, namely a 2005 court decision in Dover, Pa., that forbade a school district from including "intelligent design" as an alternate theory in science classes.

The topic hit home early in her career. She was a student teacher at a school in Appleton when a furor led officials to cancel a theater production of "Inherit the Wind."

One apparent source of tension is a misunderstanding of the word "theory" in science, the professors said. In common lingo, that can mean something as flimsy as a hunch. Evolution, like many other scientific theories, is supported by a vast compilation of scientific data, they said.

Religious opposition often lies at the heart of the tension. Profs. Sconzert and Tobiason went over the various beliefs people have about the origins of life on Earth, ranging from intelligent design to “flat-Earth creationism.”

They're not out to denigrate people of faith. In fact, a class assignment determined most major religions find evolution to be consistent with their beliefs.

“There’s no reason, as a scientist, you cannot be religious,” said Prof. Tobiason.

While their prime target in the class is prospective science teachers, Profs. Tobiason and Sconzert see value for future parents as well. The instructors stress the importance of knowing what children are being taught in science classrooms.

The J-Term students must survey other post-high-school students, asking them to look back at the treatment of evolution in their own science courses. The Carthage class is also scheduled to visit a relevant exhibit at The Field Museum in Chicago, and the final project involves teaching classmates a lesson on evolution.

The class was previously offered during J-Term in 2010. During that session, students surveyed science teachers about their handling of evolution in classes. A sampling of those results is among the information the two professors will share during a talk from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6, at the Niemann Media Theatre as part of the 2011-12 Natural Sciences Colloquium Series.