| The Creation Controversy & the Science Classroom |
| James W. Skehan and Craig E. Nelson |
| Consisting of two sections, “Modern Science and the Book of Genesis” by James Skehan and “Effective Strategies for Teaching Evolution and Other Controversial Topics” by Craig Nelson, The Creation Controversy & the Science Classroom aims to provide teachers with an understanding of the nature of science and the relationship between science and religion. Brian Alters described Skehan’s contribution as “a concise, detail-rich history of some of the relevant issues concerning science and biblical scholarship, with a good relevant criticism of creationism woven throughout,” and Nelson’s as “to the point, with a great number of useful ideas and strategies packed in a short read.” |
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| The Nature of Science and the Study of Biological Evolution |
| NSTA and BSCS |
| The Nature of Science and the Study of Biological Evolution, as its title indicates, adroitly interleaves a discussion of the nature of science with a broad perspective on evolution. Consisting of a text for high school students and a CD–ROM for teachers, the material discusses the nature and methods of science, the development of the theory of evolution, seven lines of evidence that converge on evolution, population genetics, natural selection, and primate and human evolution. Both the text and the CD–ROM are imbued with the pedagogical acumen characteristic of the National Science Teachers Association and the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study.
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| Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science |
| The National Academy of Sciences |
| Published in 1998 under the auspices of the National Academies of Science, which provides authoritative scientific advice to the federal government, Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science is addressed to “the teachers, other educators, and policy makers who design, deliver, and oversee classroom instruction in biology. It summarizes the overwhelming observational evidence for evolution and suggests effective ways of teaching the subject. It explains the nature of science and describes how science differs from other human endeavors. It provides answers to frequently asked questions about evolution and the nature of science and offers guidance on how to analyze and select teaching materials.”
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| Science as a Way of Knowing |
| John A. Moore |
| From the publisher: “For the past twenty-five years John Moore has taught biology instructors how to teach biology — by emphasizing the questions people have asked about life through the ages and the ways natural philosophers and scientists have sought the answers. This book makes Moore’s uncommon wisdom available to students in a lively and richly illustrated account of the history and workings of life. Employing a breadth of rhetoric strategies — including vividly written case histories, hypotheses and deductions, and chronological narrative — Science as a Way of Knowing provides not only a cultural history of biology but also a splendid introduction to the procedures and values of science.”
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| Investigating Evolutionary Biology in the Laboratory |
| William F. McComas |
| In Investigating Evolutionary Biology in the Laboratory, William F. McComas assembles a host of useful articles that together provide a complete introduction to the strategies and rationales for teaching evolutionary biology in the laboratory, including experiments and exercises. Topics include Foundations of Evolution Education, Examining the Evidence for Evolution, Using the Tools and Principles of Evolution, Variation and Adaptations within Species, Biotic Potential and Survival, Simulating Natural Selection, and The New Evolutionary Synthesis. A long-time member of NCSE, McComas was awarded the Evolution Education Award for 2007 by the National Association of Biology Teachers.
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| Evolution in Perspective: The Science Teacher’s Compendium |
| edited by Rodger Bybee |
| From the publisher, the National Science Teachers Association: “If ever a subject could benefit from a strong dose of perspective, it’s evolution. This important new book supplies the necessary insights by bringing together the views of leading scientists, professors, and teachers. Working from the premise that only those students whose schools teach them about the nature of science will truly understand evolution, the collection gathers 12 influential articles first published in the NSTA member journal, The Science Teacher. ... This collection comes from, and is developed for, the people on the front lines — educators who deal with the controversy.”
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| Defending Evolution in the Classroom |
| Brian J. Alters and Sandra M. Alters |
| Defending Evolution in the Classroom is a necessity for anyone concerned with evolution education. The late Ernst Mayr wrote, “This book should be in the hands of every educator dealing with the subject of evolution,” and Eugenie C. Scott, executive director of NCSE, agreed: “At last a book for teachers to help them cope with antievolutionism. Clearly written and filled with practical advice about the underlying religious and scientific issues prompting student questions, Defending Evolution should be on every teacher’s bookshelf.” A member of NCSE’s board of directors, Brian J. Alters directs the Evolution Education Research Centre at McGill University.
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| Teaching Biological Evolution in Higher Education: Methodological, Religious, and Nonreligious Issues |
| Brian J. Alters |
| Reviewing Teaching Biological Evolution in Higher Education for the McGill Journal of Education, NCSE’s deputy director Glenn Branch described the book as “a splendid vade mecum,” adding, “Alters provides a wealth of valuable suggestions for teaching evolution effectively at the college level, with sensible advice for understanding the misconceptions that students are likely to bring to class. ... Whether creationists are increasingly present or only increasingly visible ... they are definitely on campus, and Teaching Biological Evolution in Higher Education should be on the shelf of any instructor who teaches any aspect of evolution at the college level.”
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| The Top 10 Myths About Evolution |
| Cameron M. Smith and Charles Sullivan |
| From the publisher: “In this concise, accessible, ‘myth-buster’s handbook,’ educators Cameron M Smith and Charles Sullivan clearly dispel the ten most common myths about evolution, which continue to mislead average Americans. Using a refreshing, jargon-free style, they set the record straight on claims that evolution is ‘just a theory,’ that Darwinian explanations of life undercut morality, that Intelligent Design is a legitimate alternative to conventional science, that humans come from chimpanzees, and six other popular but erroneous notions. Smith and Sullivan’s reader-friendly, solidly researched text will serve as an important tool, both for teachers and laypersons seeking accurate information about evolution.”
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| Science, Evolution, and Creationism |
| The National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine |
| Designed to give the public a comprehensive and up-to-date picture of the current scientific understanding of evolution and its importance in the science classroom, Science, Evolution, and Creationism is twice as long as the second edition (published in 1999 as Science and Creationism), and teems with new examples of the predictive power and practical importance of evolution. Addressing creationism in its various forms, it concludes, “No scientific evidence supports these viewpoints,” and insists, “Given the importance of science in all aspects of modern life, the science curriculum should not be undermined with nonscientific material.”
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| Evolution 101 |
| Randy Moore and Janice Moore |
| Randy Moore and Janice Moore’s Evolution 101 aims, in the words of its publisher, to provide “readers — whether students new to the field or just interested members of the lay public — with the essential ideas of evolution using a minimum of jargon and mathematics.” It succeeds marvelously. The reviewer for NSTA Recommends writes, “Seldom is a book so well written and so well researched that it ought to be required reading for every thinking person,” adding, “Not only should every high school, community, and university library have a copy of Evolution 101 but every science teacher in the country should as well.”
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| Darwin and Evolution for Kids |
| Kristin Lawson |
| In Darwin and Evolution for Kids, Lawson provides a biography of Darwin combined with a sketch of his ideas and their development, along with “engaging and fun activities where children can: make their own fossils using clay, seashells, and plaster; keep field notes as backyard naturalists; investigate whether acquired traits are passed along to future generations; explore the adaptive strategies plants have developed to distribute seeds; observe how carnivorous plants trap and devour their prey; go on a botanical treasure hunt.” Darwin and Evolution for Kids was selected by National Public Radio’s Science Friday as one of the best science books of 2003. For ages 9 and up.
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