ERS Charles Darwin and other early evolutionists were fascinated by religious phenomena and how they might be explained from an evolutionary perspective. Nevertheless, evolutionary theory became restricted to the biological sciences and excluded from the study of many human-related subjects for most of the 20th century. Only now is the theory being used to explain all aspects of humanity in addition to the rest of life. The new field of evolutionary religious studies is part of this larger trend. This website provides an introduction to the study of religion from an evolutionary perspective. Please visit the EvoS web site for a more general introduction to evolution in relation to human affairs. This website is funded by a TARP (Templeton Advanced Research Program) grant from the John Templeton Foundation, which is administred by the Metanexus Institute. For questions and comments, contact the program director, David Sloan Wilson.
Interactive Science Notebooks Those of you that follow know that I am just crazy about interactive science notebooks. I especially like the use of 3-d graphic organizers or foldables to help students demonstrate their learning in a creative and meaningful way. First I teach an inquiry based lesson, such as a learning cycle. Entries should have the following information: Title (or Focus Question) Date Explorations (What did I do?) Here are some student pages following a lesson on animal adaptations. The tri-fold give them plenty of room to write their great ideas and conclusions. In a related lesson, student learned about Camouflage and Mimicry. Because the pale moths sat quietly on the pale lichens during the day, predatory birds could not easily see them. Students colored a paper moth and hid it in the hallway for others to find. A piece of newspaper was used to make a small square. šDate šExplorations (What did I do?) šRecording Data: lists, charts, graphs, diagrams, pictures, descriptions, foldables šTeacher Tips
How Do I Read the Bible? Let Me Count the Ways en español by Peter M. J. Hess, Director, Religious Community Outreach Opponents of evolution often claim that their opposition is based upon a lack of supporting scientific evidence. In reality, their objection frequently stems from a separate issue: how to read the Bible and interpret the view of nature it projects. Figure 1 An early-twentieth-century conceptualization of ancient cosmology. The Bible reflects the specific pre-scientific world-view of the ancient Hebrew people. Of course, all ancient peoples had pre-scientific cosmologies, whether Mesopotamians and Egyptians, or Mayans and Native Americans, or peoples of the Indus River valley. In light of this history, how are we to read the Bible? in contrast to the efforts of the masses. From the earliest days of the Church, Christian clerics and theologians have also argued that there are multiple layers to scriptural meaning, and multiple ways of reading the Bible. Augustine of Hippo. Charpentier, Etienne. Dyck, Elmer, ed.
Science News, Articles and Information | Scientific American The Skeptic's Dictionary MARE's Build a Fish This resource can be used to complement instruction on ocean habitats as well as a general lesson on adaptations. Make sure that students see that there are a variety of fish that can survive in each habitat, but that some combinations (of body parts, coloration, etc.) are better than others. This interactive is most appropriate for grade levels 3-5 and 6-8. Younger students may wish to take advantage of the “Who Lives Here?” link that provides an example of an actual fish that lives in a particular habitat. Animal Adaptations 3-5 | Interactive Food Webs in the Bay 6-8 | Oceans 6-8 | Hands-On Marine Reserves 6-12 | Audio Coral Reef Adventure Fun Zone 3-8 | Interactive
Evolution : Pharyngula Teachers, come to Minneapolis this summer! Not for the Republican convention, but for the other great big important meeting that will be taking place: Evolution 2008. Teachers in particular get a really good deal: a special workshop is planned, specifically on the teaching of evolutionary biology in the schools. Evolution 101 Workshop for K-12 Educators Friday, June 20, 2008 Bell Museum of Natural History University of Minnesota .625 CEUsOne $20 registration also gives K-12 teachers access to sessions and symposia by the sponsoring scientific organizations, as well as social events and keynote speakers for the full conference, June 20-24.The EVOLUTION 101 workshop provides K-12 educators with information to effectively teach evolutionary biology in public and private school science classrooms.
Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc | Founded 1970 Charles Darwin and On the Origin of Species Photo Credit: Clipart.com No conversation about evolution is complete without a discussion of British naturalist Charles Darwin and his biological studies touchstone, On the Origin of Species, which introduced evolution to the general public. Darwin, whose Feb. 12 birthday is celebrated annually as Darwin Day, came from a family of doctors and was expected to follow in their path. However, he did not have the stomach for medicine and went to school to study theology instead. It was during his time at university when he became close with members of the science faculty. It was his biology professor who suggested to him that he accept a berth on the HMS Beagle, about to set sail to explore the South American coast. Darwin was not the first scientist to propose the idea of evolution. Natural selection states that living things with superior traits for a given environment, such as good camouflage or the ability to jump particularly high, are less likely to be killed off by day-to-day life.