Evolution, due to its importance in science, holds a prominent place in national science standards and many state standards. Scientists nearly universally agree that the theory of evolution best explains the unity and diversity of life. Accordingly, numerous science, science education, and religious organizations support the teaching of evolution…

When a federal court in 2005 rejected an attempt by the Dover, Pennsylvania, school board to introduce intelligent design as an alternative to evolution to explain the development of life on Earth, it sparked a renaissance in involvement among scientists in K-12 science instruction. Now, some of those teaching programs, studies, and research…

Approximately one-fourth of biology teachers in public schools include creationism in their biology courses. Most of these teachers 1) present creationism as a scientific alternative to evolution, and 2) present only the biblical (i.e., Christian) story of creation. State science-education standards, position statements from professional…

College honors courses provide an opportunity to tackle controversial topics in an atmosphere that encourages active learning, critical thinking, and open discussion. This venue is particularly appropriate for examining the debate about teaching intelligent design (ID) in public school science classes. A one-credit honors enrichment seminar taught…

The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of the Scopes Trial based upon the film "Inherit the Wind" (United Artists 1960) and how it helped to shape the public's perception of teachers, within the context of historical accounts of the trial, including the trial transcript and daily reports from individuals such as H. L. Mencken, a…

Discusses several topics central to the evolution/creationism dispute: (1) Darwin's ideas and influence; (2) rise of fundamentalism in America; (3) what fundamentalists think about evolution today; (4) effects of attacks on evolution in the public schools; (5) what creationism is; (6) creationist objections to evolution; and (7) court battles.…

Ohio's new set of science standards, adopted in December 2002, require that the state's public-school students learn Charles Darwin's theory of evolution as well as be allowed to criticize evolution in the classrooms. Includes a sidebar about some school boards' attempts to accommodate both sides in the evolution debate, and an article,…

A review of the major legal cases concerning the curricular debate over evolution and creationism shows how the courts, in recent cases, have applied fundamental constitutional principles in a way that preserves both intellectual freedom and freedom of belief. (CM)

People for the American Way, a civil liberties organization that monitors censorship, found fundamentalists more active, better organized, more emboldened, and more sophisticated in their censorship attacks. They are increasingly intimidating school boards, and their focused harassment has increasingly frightened publishers into removing…

Reviews the evolution-creationism issue in public schools from the 1925 Scopes trial to 1980s cases. Analyzes major aspects of "Edwards v. Aguillard" in which the U.S. Supreme Court found the 1981 Louisiana statute requiring balanced treatment of creationism and evolution unconstitutional. Suggests future implications of the issue for…

The forces seeking to subject the theory of evolution to greater criticism tasted both victory and defeat. Kansas officials approved an overhaul of their state science standards to do just that, while voters in a rural Pennsylvania district ousted advocates of "intelligent design" from the school board. Those two high-profile battles…

Details of the backgrounds of witnesses in the courtroom challenge to Arkansas' Act 590, which mandated inclusion of creationism in the school curricula, are given. Creationists look forward to the upcoming challenge of a Louisiana law. Public poll results favoring teaching of creationism in public schools are cited. (MSE)

The question of whether "intelligent design" amounts to legitimate science, pseudo-science, or religion masquerading as science has underwent a potentially historic legal test, as a federal court in Pennsylvania considered whether a public school district can require that students be exposed to the controversial concept. Eleven parents…

The teaching of evolution and creationism is controversial to many people in the United States. Knowledge of the many important court-decisions about the teaching of evolution and creationism in the United States can be used not only to resist anti-evolution activities of creationists, but also to help teachers address questions about the teaching…

The issues of science, religion, and the U.S. Constitution continued in 1979 in a creationist's Superior Court complaint against the teaching of evolutionary theory. The legal strategies by the adversaries were as significant as the arguments; and, in this case, academicians' scholarship was at a disadvantage in the courtroom. (Author/CM)