Workshop: Controversial Issues in the Science Classroom

Several of us from Florida Citizens for Science will be heading over to Hillsborough County to participate in a Controversial Issues in the Science Classroom workshop next week. The four-day event for science teachers features talks by folks from Hillsborough County Public Schools, the University of South Florida College of Education, the National Center for Science Education, the Coalition for Science Literacy, and Florida Citizens for Science. It will be held on the USF campus Monday through Thursday.

I’m looking forward to giving my History of Anti-evolution Efforts in Florida presentation Wednesday afternoon. Folks who have seen the presentation tell me afterwards that they had no idea there was such a long, rich history here in our own state. It’s quite an eye-opener. The talk is based on my ongoing Florida’s Greatest Menace series. My trip to Hillsborough is a great bonus for me as I will be able to do a little research while I’m there. I’m currently working on part 8 of the series, which focuses on the trial by fire Hillsborough schools staff was going through in the early 80s as they tried to develop a curriculum that included creationism as mandated by the school board. I hope to return home with a stack of historical documents that will really flesh out that upcoming article.