Not in Our Classrooms: Why Intelligent Design Is Wrong for Our Schools

by Eugenie C. Scott (Adapted by), Reverend Barry Lynn (Afterword), Glenn Branch, Glenn Branch (Adapted by)

Overview

The book . . . is an excellent resource to deal with the attack on evolution, which is a surrogate, and indeed a wedge, for a wide-ranging crusade against the scientific integrity of the public education system in America."—Rev. Barry W. Lynn from the Foreword

More than eighty years after the Scopes trial, creationism is alive and well. Through local school boards, sympathetic politicians, and well-funded organizations, a strong movement has developed to encourage the teaching of the latest incarnation of creationism—intelligent design—as a scientifically credible theory alongside evolution in science classes. Although intelligent design suffered a serious defeat in the recent Kitzmiller v. Dover trial, its proponents are bound to continue their assault on evolution education. Now, in Not in Our Classrooms, parents and teachers, as well as other concerned citizens, have a much-needed tool to use in the argument against teaching intelligent design as science.

Where did the concept of intelligent design originate? How does it connect with, and conflict with, various religious beliefs? Should we teach the controversy itself in our science classrooms? In clear and lively essays, a team of experts answers these questions and many more, describing the history of the intelligent design movement and the lack of scientific support for its claims. Most importantly, the contributors—authorities on the scientific, legal, educational, and theological problems of intelligent design-speak specifically to teachers and parents about the need to defend the integrity of science education by keeping intelligent design out of science curriculums. A concluding chapter offers concrete advice for those seeking to defend the teaching of evolution in their own communities.

Not in Our Classrooms is essential reading for anyone concerned about defending the teaching of evolution, uncompromised by religiously motivated pseudoscience, in the classrooms of our public schools.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807032787
Publisher:	Beacon
Publication date:	10/01/2006
Edition description:	1ST
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	5.53(w) x 8.49(h) x 0.44(d)

About the Author

Eugenie C. Scott and Glenn Branch are the executive director and the deputy director of the National Center for Science Education, a nonprofit organization in Oakland, California, that defends the teaching of evolution in the public schools. Scott's Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction was named an Outstanding Academic Title of 2005 by Choice.

Since 1992 the Reverend Barry W. Lynn, a minister in the United Church of Christ, has served as executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Editorial Reviews

The future of our species probably depends on science education and our understanding of the natural world. If you're concerned about science literacy, read this book. —Bill Nye the Science Guy®

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From the Publisher

Despite the recent court defeat in the Kitzmiller, et. al. vs. Dover Area School District case, efforts to have intelligent design taught in public schools as an alternative to or replacement for evolution continue. Backed by powerful conservative Christian religious institutions, teaching the biblical fundamentalist perspective on creation nationwide is still deemed a paramount goal. This concisely written handbook is an excellent resource for understanding and dealing with the challenges posed by the proponents of intelligent design. The six essays included cover the history and impact of the creationist perspective as it affects public education; a critical analysis of such elements of intelligent design as "irreducible complexity"; the fit of both intelligent design and evolution into theological frameworks; the Constitutional perspective on the instruction of intelligent design (Church-State relations, the First Amendment, academic freedom, and relevant court decisions); the teaching of evolution; and strategies and tactics for defending such instruction. Extensive source notes act as a de facto bibliography. As is the case with any such handbook, this resource more or less preaches to the choir, but for those in need of in-depth information and penetrating analysis of a timely topic, it is an excellent starting place, more focused on activism than Scott's previous Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction (Greenwood, 2004/VOYA February 2005).

VOYA - Ann Welton

Editors Scott and Branch are the executive director and deputy director, respectively, of the National Center for Science Education, which monitors attacks on teaching evolution in public schools and seeks to counter them. This book of essays by scientists, theologians, and legal experts begins with a historical account of anti-evolutionist tactics during the 20th century, from the trial of John Scopes in 1925 through the Supreme Court's 1987 ruling that a government mandate to teach creationism in the public schools is unconstitutional. The book then focuses on the more recent promotion of intelligent design as a theory to be offered in tandem with, if not in place of, the theory of evolution. The book offers a substantial synopsis of the crux issues for lay readers, and it could serve as an excellent resource for students looking for a well-documented yet succinct pro-evolution overview. The final chapter offers strategies for activism on this matter and concludes with a call to action to protect scientific literacy in the public schools. Recommended for public and academic libraries.-Jean Caspers, Linfield Coll. Lib., McMinnville, OR Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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