>Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 22:47:10 -0500 >From: "Donald G. York" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [CUIP-Tech] [CUIP-UofC] Fwd: FYI #16 - New Kansas Science Stds. > > >>Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 15:55:11 -0500 (EST) >>From: AIP listserver <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Subject: FYI #16 - New Kansas Science Stds. >> >>FYI >>The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy >>News >>Number 16: February 15 , 2001 >> >>Biological and Cosmological Evolution Adopted in Kansas >>Education Standards >> >>Yesterday, the Kansas State Board of Education voted 7-3 to >>accept Science Education Standards requiring twelfth grade >>students to "understand the major concepts of the theory of >>biological evolution" and "develop an understanding of the >>origin and evolution of the dynamic earth system." >>Yesterday's action was in response to a controversial vote by >>the board in August 1999 revising the standards to de- >>emphasize evolution and remove the Big Bang Theory and the >>Earth's age. These 1999 revisions were criticized by numerous >>organizations, including the AIP Governing Board which issued >>a statement that "The AIP Governing Board views with alarm the >>recent action taken by the Kansas State Board of Education to >>remove biological and cosmological evolution from the State >>Science Standards...." The AIP Board supported other similar >>statements opposing the revised standards (see >>http://www.aip.org/gov/policy7.html). >> >>The standards adopted yesterday cover all twelve grades, and >>are based the on work of the National Research Council, the >>American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the >>National Science Teachers Association. These new standards >>recognize the controversy, stating "Science studies natural >>phenomena by formulating explanations that can be tested >>against the natural world. Some scientific concepts and >>theories (e.g., blood transfusion, human sexuality, nervous >>system role in consciousness, cosmological and biological >>evolution, etc.) may differ from the teachings of a student's >>religious community or their cultural beliefs. Compelling >>student belief is inconsistent with the goal of education. >>Nothing in science or in any other field shall be taught >>dogmatically." >> >>Under an introductory section, "Unifying Concepts and >>Processes in the Kansas Science Education Standards" there is >>a paragraph entitled "Patterns of Cumulative Change." As >>examples of such change are the "biological theory of >>evolution," "fossilization," and that "patterns of cumulative >>change also help to describe the current structure of the >>universe." >> >>The eighth grade standard includes material on biological >>evolution and earth processes. About the latter, "students >>should know" that "Earth's history is written in layers of the >>rock, and "Some fossil beds enable the matching of rocks from >>different continents, and other fossil beds show how organisms >>developed over a long period of time." >> >>One of the twelfth grade life science standards is that "all >>students will develop an understanding of . . . biological >>evolution." "Students will understand the major concepts of >>the theory of biological evolution," with one of the >>"indicators" being "That the theory of evolution is both the >>history of descent, with modification of different lineages of >>organisms from common ancestors, and the ongoing adaption of >>organisms to environmental challenges and changes . . . " A >>related "example" for one of the indicators is that "patterns >>of diversification and extinction of organisms are documented >>in the fossil record. The fossil record provides evidence of >>simple, bacteria-like life back as far as 3.8+ billion years >>ago." Another example: "Natural selection and its >>evolutionary consequences provide a scientific explanation for >>the fossil record that correlates with geochemical (e.g., >>radioisotope) dating results. The distribution of fossil and >>modern organisms is related to geological and ecological >>changes (i.e. plate tectonics, migration.)" At this point, >>the standards add, "'Understand' does not mandate 'belief.'" >> >>The twelfth grade earth and space science standard states >>"students will develop an understanding of . . . the formation >>and organization of the earth system and the organization and >>development of the universe." "Students will develop an >>understanding of the origin and evolution of the dynamic earth >>system." "The students will understand . . . the geological >>time scale and how it relates to the history of the earth." >>In addition, "Students will develop an understanding of the >>organization of the universe, and its development." "The >>students will understand" "expansion of the universe from a >>hot dense early state." Regarding the later, examples given >>are that "By studying the light emitted from distant galaxies, >>it has been found that galaxies are moving apart from one >>another. Cosmological understanding including the Big Bang >>Theory is based on this expansion." Also required is an >>understanding of the "organization and development of stars, >>solar systems, and planets." As an example, "Nebula, from >>which stars and planets form, are mostly hydrogen and helium. >>Heavier elements were, and continue to be, made by the nuclear >>fusion reactions in stars. The sun is a second generation >>star, which along with its planets was formed billion of years >>after the Big Bang." >> >>The introduction to the revised set of standards states: >>"These standards should not be viewed as a state curriculum >>nor as requiring a specific local curriculum. A curriculum is >>the way content is organized and presented in the classroom. >>The content embodied in these standards can be organized and >>presented with many different emphases and perspectives in >>many different curricula." The standards are to be used in >>"assessing students' progress" and "they will serve as the >>foundation for the development of state assessments in >>science." >> >>The standards may be viewed at http://www.ksbe.state.ks.us/ >> >>############### >>Richard M .Jones >>Public Information Division >>The American Institute of Physics >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>(301) 209-3095 >>http://www.aip.org/gov >>##END########## > >-- >Dr. Donald G. York >Horace B. Horton Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics > > >_______________________________________________ >Tech maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] >http://cuip.uchicago.edu/mailman/listinfo/tech -- This is the CPS Science Teacher List. To unsubscribe, send a message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For more information: <http://home.sprintmail.com/~mikelach/subscribe.html>. To search the archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/science%40lists.csi.cps.k12.il.us/>
