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Evolution Debate in Ohio (3/11/04)

   

After passing a resolution of intent to adopt a creationist lesson plan last month, the Ohio Board of Education decided to adopt the controversial lesson plan on March 9th. After eight hours of impassioned testimony from science teachers, professors, lawyers and parents the board rejected those concerns and voted in favor of the lesson plan, 13-5. According to the Columbus Dispatch, the scientific community in Ohio is concerned that the lesson plan includes language from Jonathan Wells' "Icons of Evolution," an intelligent design book. While intelligent design is not mentioned by name, and references to Wells book along with web sites supportive of intelligent designwere removed from the plan, critics are worried that the "imprint of religious belief" remains on the lesson plans.

The lesson plan originally had three intelligent design web sites and two pro-evolution web sites listed in the "Technology Connections" portion for students to investigate. This section now directs the teacher to a Critical Thinking Curriculum Model on the Los Alamos National Laboratory web site. But, some scientists still have concerns about the overall message in the lesson plan. Florida State University professor Steven Gey was quoted in the Columbus Dispatch as saying, "You can remove the Web sites, you can remove Jonathan Wells [book] but you still have the structure." Gey also told the board that the lesson plan violates the Constitution by promoting religion, predicting that the U.S. Supreme Court would strike it down. Click here to view the lesson plan. (3/11/04)

On February 10th the Ohio Board of Education passed a resolution of intent to adopt lesson plans that endorse the teaching of intelligent design in the science curriculum. The vote signifies only the Board's intent and a final vote will be taken at next month's Board meeting. One of the Board members that opposes the inclusion of intelligent design vows to ask Ohio Governor Bob Taft to overturn the decision. The new lesson plans would be voluntary guidelines on how to teach the standards; however, the lesson plans will form the basis of proficiency and graduation tests, making their content extremely important to educators.

This is a blow to evolution proponents in the state who were victorious in December 2002 when the State Board of Education passed a science curriculum that endorsed evolution and excluded intelligent design. (2/20/04)

Sources: AP, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Columbus Dispatch, Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette

Contributed by Emily M. Lehr, AGI Government Affairs Program and 2004 AGI/AAPG Spring Semester Intern Gayle Levy

Please send any comments or requests for information to AGI Government Affairs Program.

Last updated on March 11, 2004

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