NCSE Evolution and Climate Education Update for 2018/01/19
Submitted by Peter Burns on Fri, 2018-01-19 15:24.
National Center for Science Education
(by NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch)
Dear friends of NCSE, NCSE's Ann Reid and Brad Hoge express their hopes for science education in 2018 to EdSource. And Darwin Day 2018 is on its way!
HOPES FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION FROM NCSE'S REID AND HOGE NCSE's Ann Reid and Brad Hoge were among the science educators and leaders in California asked by EdSource (January 11, 2018) what they'd like to see happen in the world of science education in 2018, as the state enters the final stages of implementing the Next Generation Science Standards. Reid answered, "I wish for all teachers to have access to the professional development they need to teach climate change confidently and accurately; our survey found that more than 67 percent of middle and high school science teachers want and would benefit from such professional development," adding, "While I'm at it, I'd like science teachers to have the resources they need to provide state of the art inquiry-based learning, including laboratory equipment and supplies, data analysis tools, field trip expenses, and professional development, especially as they implement the Next Generation Science Standards." Hoge answered, "I would like to see more chemistry and physics teachers teach about climate change. I would like to see more hands-on lessons using local data developed for place-based learning, especially around extreme weather events. I would like to see more project-based learning used for science lessons in general, in response to the Next Generation Science Standards framework. I would like to see more evolution topics taught in elementary and middle school. And I would love to live in a world where teaching evolution and climate change is expected and welcomed!" Also responding were the president of the California Science Teachers Association, the non-profit Education Trust -- West, the director of the STEM Network at Children Now, a member of the state board of education, an elementary science teacher, and the chief executive of the environmental education non-profit Ten Strands. For EdSource's article, visit: https://edsource.org/2018/funding-teacher-training-top-educators-wish-lists-for-science-education-in-2018/592277 DARWIN DAY APPROACHES It's time to dust off your Darwin costume again: less than a month remains before Darwin Day 2018! Colleges and universities, schools, libraries, museums, churches, civic groups, and just plain folks across the country -- and the world -- are preparing to celebrate Darwin Day, on or around February 12, in honor of the life and work of Charles Darwin. These events provide a marvelous opportunity not only to celebrate Darwin's birthday but also to engage in public outreach about science, evolution, and the importance of evolution education -- which is especially needed with assaults on evolution education already under way in state legislatures. NCSE encourages its members and friends to attend, participate in, and even organize Darwin Day events in their own communities. To find a local event, check the websites of local universities and museums and the registry of Darwin Day events maintained by the Darwin Day Celebration website. (And don't forget to register your own event with the Darwin Day Celebration website!) And with Darwin Day comes the return of Evolution Weekend! Hundreds of congregations all over the country and around the world are taking part in Evolution Weekend, February 9-11, 2018, by presenting sermons and discussion groups on the compatibility of faith and science. Michael Zimmerman, the initiator of the project, writes, "Evolution Weekend is an opportunity for serious discussion and reflection on the relationship between religion and science. One important goal is to elevate the quality of the discussion on this critical topic -- to move beyond sound bites. A second critical goal is to demonstrate that religious people from many faiths and locations understand that evolution is sound science and poses no problems for their faith. Finally, as with The Clergy Letter itself, Evolution Weekend makes it clear that those claiming that people must choose between religion and science are creating a false dichotomy." At last count, 171 congregations in forty states (and three foreign countries) were scheduled to hold Evolution Weekend events. For the Darwin Day registry, visit: http://darwinday.org/events/ http://darwinday.org/events/community/add For information about Evolution Weekend, visit: http://www.evolutionweekend.org/ 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. -- Sincerely, Glenn Branch Deputy Director National Center for Science Education, Inc. 1904 Franklin Street, Suite 600 Oakland CA 94612-2922 510-601-7203 fax 510-788-7971 branch@ncse.com http://ncse.com Check out NCSE's blog: 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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