Homework Assignment: Understanding Evolution

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What to send and write

Florida Citizens for Science has produced a simple four-page fact sheet that outlines several common misconceptions and outright fallacies concerning evolution education. The fact sheet is in both PDF and Word formats. We encourage you to print the fact sheet and mail it out, or download it and then send it out as an e-mail attachment.

It's important that you also send a personal note, whether by mail or e-mail. Explain who you are, where you are from, what expert qualification you might have (such as teacher or scientist), and why this issue is important to you (such as the future of Florida's economy or because you have children in the school system). Keep in mind that if a lot of people participate in this Call to Action, the BoE members will get several copies of the fact sheet. What makes your individual submission stand out is the personal touch. If you find yourself stuck for ideas on what to write, you can visit this petition website for ideas. That petition was created by Florida Citizens for Science in support of evolution education. Many of the hundreds of signers have left thought-provoking messages there. (By the way, you can also sign the petition while you are there!)

Go through the address list and choose who you want to contact. The most important ones to write to are the state board of education members. But the governor and others could benefit from hearing our message, too. These are our main targets, but there are several more people who can benefit from hearing what you have to say and learning from the fact sheet. Go to our comprehensive list of education decision makers who have made public statements against evolution education to see if anyone in your local area needs to hear our message.

The following are some quoted materials that can spark your own original message ideas. Or you can use these quotes whole, provided you clearly attribute them to the people or organizations that originally wrote them.

"A fair science curriculum is one that teaches children the most up-to-date, accurate information that is accepted in the scientific community — not one that is determined by pressure groups. A good curriculum also requires science teachers and students to use scientific standards of evidence and inference in classroom discussions, rather than dogma and unsupported opinions." -- Molleen Matsumura, National Center for Science Education website. (http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/articles/8446_facing_challenges_to_evolution_12_7_2000.asp)

"Heliocentrism, as Galileo discovered, was once considered a challenge to religion, because it was thought to conflict with the Bible. The Bible, read literally, assumes the ancient view of the cosmos that the earth is the center of the solar system and the sun revolves around it." -- Eugenie C. Scott, National Center for Science Education. (http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/articles/6261_creation_or_evolution__1_9_2001.asp)

"Like all biological systems, both disease-causing organisms and their victims evolve. Understanding evolution can make a big difference in how we treat disease. The evolution of disease-causing organisms may outpace our ability to invent new treatments, but studying the evolution of drug resistance can help us slow it. Learning about the evolutionary origins of diseases may provide clues about how to treat them. And considering the basic processes of evolution can help us understand the roots of genetic diseases." -- Understanding Evolution website (http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/medicine_01)

"For too long, the misperception that science and religion are inevitably in conflict has created unnecessary division and confusion, especially concerning the teaching of evolution. I wanted to let the public know that numerous clergy from most denominations have tremendous respect for evolutionary theory and have embraced it as a core component of human knowledge, fully harmonious with religious faith." -- Michael Zimmerman, Clergy Letter Project (http://www.butler.edu/clergyproject/clergy_project.htm)

"In everyday use, the word "theory" often means an untested hunch, or a guess without supporting evidence. But for scientists, a theory has nearly the opposite meaning. A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate laws, hypotheses and facts. The theory of gravitation, for instance, explains why apples fall from trees and astronauts float in space. Similarly, the theory of evolution explains why so many plants and animals—some very similar and some very different—exist on Earth now and in the past, as revealed by the fossil record." -- American Museum of Natural History website (http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/darwin/evolution/theory.php)