NCSE Evolution and Climate Education Update for 2014/12/26
Submitted by Peter Burns on Fri, 2014-12-26 15:21.
National Center for Science Education
(by NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch)
Dear friends of NCSE, Congratulations are in order for a member of NCSE's Advisory Council. Michigan's anti-NGSS bill is dead. And a voice for evolution from Leeds.
CONGRATULATIONS TO PATRICIA KELLEY NCSE is pleased to congratulate Patricia Kelley -- a professor of geology at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and a member of NCSE's Advisory Council -- on her selection as one of four Outstanding Professors of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The award, launched in 1981, is the only national initiative specifically designed to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. According to a November 20, 2014, press release from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, "Judges said they admired Kelley as a 'highly creative teacher' who has revitalized the study of paleontology at her college, transformed classes to use more active learning strategies and given students a real science experience. They also noted her efforts to help students explore evolution in a spirit of respect." For the press release, visit: http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/newsroom/news-releases/professors-recognized-best-american-higher-education/ ANTI-NGSS BILL DIES IN MICHIGAN Michigan's House Bill 4972, which would, if enacted, have required that Michigan's "model core academic curriculum standards shall not be based on the Next Generation Science Standards," died in the House Committee on Education when the legislature adjourned on December 19, 2014. Although the bill's primary sponsor, Tom McMillin (R-District 45), told the Petoskey News-Review (September 18, 2013) that he was primarily worried about "turning over our standards to unelected bodies," he and cosponsor Greg MacMaster (R-District 105) also acknowledged their concern about the NGSS's inclusion of global warming. "It does get into controversial issues such as man-made global warming as fact,” said McMillin. "That's still somewhat controversial." Michigan, as one of the twenty-six states that collaborated in the development of the NGSS, is committed to giving serious consideration to their adoption. Michigan Radio (November 18, 2014) predicted that the state board of education would adopt the NGSS, or a Michiganized version thereof, perhaps as soon as December 2014. For information about Michigan's House Bill 4972 from the legislature, visit: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2013-2014/billintroduced/House/htm/2013-HIB-4972.htm For the story in the Petoskey News-Review, visit: http://articles.petoskeynews.com/2013-09-18/next-generation-science-standards_42192403 For the story from Michigan Radio, visit: http://michiganradio.org/post/state-education-officials-gearing-new-science-standards And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Michigan, visit: http://ncse.com/news/michigan A VOICE FOR EVOLUTION FROM LEEDS The chorus of support for the teaching of evolution continues, with a position statement on evolution from Leeds Museums and Galleries. The statement reads in part: *** A significant part of the work we do in communicating ideas through our collections is concerned with the diversity of life and the natural world. Central to this, is the theory of evolution, which for two hundred years has been challenged and debated and yet it endures as the best interpretation of the evidence for the origin and development of the diversity of life on Earth. We subscribe to the view that rigorous science and collation of evidence tells us that the Earth is approximately 4.56 billion years old and that life has evolved through processes of random genetic mutation and natural selection. We take a firm position on the acceptance of evolution as the best explanation of how the diversity of life on Earth came to be and it is our policy to present evolution as such in our displays, events and activities concerned with life on Earth. *** The statement is now reproduced, by permission, on NCSE's website, and will also be contained in the fourth edition of NCSE's Voices for Evolution. For the statement from Leeds Museums and Galleries (PDF), visit: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries/Release%20Documents/LMG%20Evolution%20Position%20Statement%20with%20CC%20license.pdf And for Voices for Evolution, visit: http://ncse.com/voices WHAT'S NEW FROM THE SCIENCE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Have you been visiting NCSE's blog, The Science League of America, recently? If not, then you've missed: * Josh Rosenau musing about science and opinion journalism: http://ncse.com/blog/2014/12/unexpected-journey-into-science-opinion-0016065 * Stephanie Keep explaining the dating of fossils: http://ncse.com/blog/2014/12/misconception-monday-how-old-is-that-fossil-window-part-1-0016032 http://ncse.com/blog/2014/12/misconception-monday-how-old-is-that-fossil-window-part-2-0016048 http://ncse.com/blog/2014/12/misconception-monday-how-old-is-that-fossil-window-part-3-0016059 * Josh Rosenau and Glenn Branch celebrating the ninth anniversary of Kitzmiller in verse: http://ncse.com/blog/2014/12/happy-9th-kitzmas-0016054 And much more besides! For The Science League of America, visit: http://ncse.com/blog Thanks for reading. And don't forget to visit NCSE's website -- http://ncse.com -- where you can always find the latest news on evolution and climate education and threats to them. -- With best wishes for the new year, Glenn Branch Deputy Director National Center for Science Education, Inc. 420 40th Street, Suite 2 Oakland, CA 94609-2509 510-601-7203 x303 fax: 510-601-7204 800-290-6006 branch@ncse.com http://ncse.com Check out NCSE's new blog, Science League of America: http://ncse.com/blog Read Reports of the NCSE on-line: http://reports.ncse.com Subscribe to NCSE's free weekly e-newsletter: http://groups.google.com/group/ncse-news NCSE is on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter: http://www.facebook.com/evolution.ncse http://www.youtube.com/NatCen4ScienceEd http://twitter.com/ncse NCSE's work is supported by its members. Join today! http://ncse.com/join
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