I want to say "Amen," but I'd better not. Humor doesn't go over well via email, and certainly not on this subject. I do, however, want to show support, for what it may be worth, for ' . . . it seems if we can encourage students to search for answers themselves so that they can reconcile their "religious" and "scientific" sides we will be much more successful than if we simply push down their throats that "evolution is a fact---so just accept it."'
If teaching needs a "Holy Grail," perhaps this would be a good candidate. WT ----- Original Message ----- From: Wayne Tyson To: Frank T. Kuserk ; [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 2:27 PM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Gallup poll on evolution ----- Original Message ----- From: "Frank T. Kuserk" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 11:45 AM Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Gallup poll on evolution >I actually think the results of the Gallup poll are quite positive. > More people were in the "believe" column (39%) than either the "do > not believe" (only 25%) or "no opinion" (36%) columns. That's not > bad for the general population! Furthermore, the results show that > education works--more than half (52%) of college graduates "believe" > and this increases to almost 3/4 of the population (74%) of > postgraduates. > > Each year I teach a course, From Ape to Madonna: The Evolution of > Humankind, in which besides doing the "scientific" side of evolution > and anthropology we also discuss the impacts that the "evolutionary > idea" has had on American society. One of the assignments that I > give to the students is for them to research and write a paper that > outlines what their own (if they have one) religious tradition says > about evolution and what they now believe on the subject of > evolution, especially human evolution, after nearing the end of the > course. Many of the students write in their papers how they had > never discussed the topic with their parents at home or in Sunday > school and were quite surprised to find that their religious > tradition was not in disagreement with evolution (contrary to what > many had first thought---especially Roman Catholics!). Of course, > I've had a few Fundamentalists (only 2) who could not reconcile their > religious beliefs with what they had learned in the class. One of > these students, however, still earned an A in the course for her exam > grades and her well-researched and written paper---I don't ask them > to "believe" what I teach, only that they "understand" it. From my > experience it seems if we can encourage students to search for > answers themselves so that they can reconcile their "religious" and > "scientific" sides we will be much more successful than if we simply > push down their throats that "evolution is a fact---so just accept it." > > ************************************************ > Frank T. Kuserk, Ph.D. > Professor of Biological Sciences and > Director, Environmental Studies Program > Moravian College > 1200 Main St. > Bethlehem, PA 18018-6650 > 610-861-1429 > [email protected] > ************************************************ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.0.237 / Virus Database: 270.10.25/1955 - Release Date: 02/16/09 06:55:00
