Can Teachers ...
... Teach Creation Legally?
Darwinists promote the myth that the U.S. Supreme
Court has banned the teaching of creation. Yet the
National Center for Science Education, the leading
advocate of teaching evolution in government schools,
admits that the courts have established only five basic
standards:
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Supervisors may forbid teaching creation.
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Supervisors may not forbid teaching evolution.
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Supervisors may require teaching evolution.
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Supervisors may not require teaching creation.
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Whatever is done, it may not be done dogmatically.
The take-home lesson is this: “If your supervisor
says it’s okay for you to teach creation, then it’s
okay.” In government schools I taught creation/evolution
as a two-sided issue in biology and earth science (from
middle school through college level) without incident
for 14 years; but surprisingly when I taught that
creation is a viable alternative to evolution at a
“Christian” college, I was denied tenure.
... Make Creation Lesson Plans?
Many teachers say they want to teach creation but
aren’t sure how. Consider these ideas:
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Pick a topic and cover both the creation and
evolution side. My favorite is “fossils.” The
compare-contrast method is easy to do, and all grade
levels get the concept. Other topics include
mutation, inheritance, dinosaurs, extinction,
continental drift, glaciers, origin of the earth,
and origin of the universe. Pick an area in which
you feel confident.
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Find a magazine or newspaper article about the
creation/evolution debate that seems fair, make
copies for your class, assign it for reading, and
then conduct class discussions. They’ll be the best
you’ve ever had, but only if you prepare students to
open their minds and to sharpen their critical
thinking, while respecting each other’s opinions.
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One teacher had students write “evolution” on a
paper. Their homework was to record their parents’
opinions. In discussion the next day, students could
offer their parents’ thoughts, their own thoughts,
or remain silent. Students had input, parents had
input, and the teacher only moderated. Only a
teacher could be so creative!
Don’t think you can’t make creation lesson plans. You
can!
Dr. G. Charles Jackson,
who earned his doctorate in science education from
the University of Virginia, has been speaking to
school groups and churches about biblical creation
for over 30 years.