Emily Bergman Ivy Tech Community College

Standard #3: LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self- motivation. Name of Artifact: Current Event Power Point Date: February 13, 2014 Course: EDUC 101: Introduction to Teaching Brief Description: This assignment was to find a controversial current event in education and break down both sides of the topic. I researched the viewpoints people have on teaching Creationism and/or Evolution in the classroom. Then I was to provoke my peer to discuss their knowledge on the topic, and the rights they have along with their students. Rationale: To document my understanding of creating an environment that supports positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation I have selected my Current Event Power Point, because this project showed me that there needs to be a respectful environment and response to different backgrounds and perspectives the students have. It gave me a background on how to treat sensitive topics to enhance the student’s learning and encourage positive social interaction in the classroom. I also had to collaborate with classmates to discuss the rights of the students and teachers, and come to a shared conclusion on what would be best for the students to create a respectful environment.

Intelligent Design: Deliberate design Attributed to an entity Evolution: Began at simple primordial forms Go through a process of alteration and diversification All living organisms do this

Lemon v. Kurtzman Must have secular purpose Can neither advance nor inhibit religion Edwards v. Aguiliard (1987) Professor of Natural Science: “there is no religious teaching involved in teaching creationism” Texas Proclamation 66 requires all textbooks to: Present more than one theory of evolution Examine alternative scientific evidence and ideas Present evidence to test, verify, modify, or refute Judge John E. Jones III in a 1980’s ruling states: Intelligent Design is not science Supernatural causation is not scientific Flawed Dover School Board Orders that students be alerted of “gaps” Supplemental text must be listed Chapman agrees.

Scientific house divided Scopes Trial (1925) Bigotry to teach one theory of origins (creation) Censorship on evolution Truth from any source should not be feared The role of the scientist The how vs the why

True realm of Science: Observable, testable, and predictable Creationism is a politic or historic event ID does hypothesis not testable ID promotes attributing unknown things to a higher power No progress with ID

“Circumstantial evidence is a very tricky thing. It may seem to point very straight to one thing, but if you shift your own point of view a little, you may find it pointing in an equally uncompromising manner to something entirely different” – Arthur Conan Doyle. Is evolution/creationism observable, testable, or predictable? … Are either a science then? What would allowing both in the classroom do for our students? Would it: Promote individual and collaborative learning? Encourage positive social interaction? Motivate active engagement in learning? Inspire self-motivation?

“40 Days and 40 Nights: Darwin, Intelligent Design, God, OxyContin, and Other Oddities on Trial in Pennsylvania.” Education Next 7.4 (2007): 85+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Apr Carter, Philip B. “Knowledge and belief.” American Scientist 95.3 (2007): 194. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Apr Goodman, Rachel. “Darwin Day.” Should “Intelligent Design” be taught in schools? Web. 16 Apr Robert L. Si monds, Th.D Teachers Can Teach Creation Science in the Classroom. Acts & Facts. 18(10).