What they teach you about creationism + evolution in school??!

i can't remember a thing about every being taught anything about creationism or evolution!

In a strict Catholic school in Ireland, I was taught evolution - no questions asked. In religion class we more or less ignored the Bible.Pretty cool huh?------------------
"Science constantly poses questions, where religion can only shout about answers."

Contrary to popular belief, my experience is that evolution is basically ignored until the high school level where it can no longer be avoided since it is central to Biology. Even then, it is watered down so as to avoid conflict with local fundamentalists attitudes.

All I remember is hearing and reading about Adam and Eve and the Flood as if they were myths at a young age. I didn't really learn about evolution until I took my first biology class in high school - 9th grade. Although, growing up we watched a lot of science shows, so I knew about evolution before actually learning it.

My girlfriend has a biology degree that she would like to apply to teaching high school students; she's not really as into the whole evolution vs. creationism thing. As you might expect, her position is that evolution is so supported by the data that there's no point in arguing. For her it's like discovering a heated debate about whether the sky is blue or not - it's kind of silly. At any rate, when we discuss the teaching of students, I propose a lesson plan along the lines of the biology classes I had in college - start with population studies, then speciation, then jump into cellular biology, DNA, and all the rest.It was only when I began to study biology with populations in mind that evolution began to make sense. It's bound to piss off the creationists in town, but so what? Honestly I don't know what they watch out for; I never really got anything about evolution in high school either.Creationists, were you ever indoctrinated in high school? In particular, where you ever told that life had no meaning because there was no Creator God? I mean, you may think the theory implies that, but did it ever actually come out of a teacher's mouth? That's a pretty common charge against evolution is schools.Added by edit: If I were teaching a class I'd do Rrhain's K-type E. Coli/T4 Phage experiment. It sounds pretty compelling.[This message has been edited by crashfrog, 07-19-2003]

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it's like discovering a heated debate about whether the sky is blue or not - it's kind of silly.

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Except that the sky is in fact not blue, that's simply the color refracted by the water molecules in the atmosphere.Anyway, my folks always watched a lot of nature shows, so it never bothered me to hear about organisms 'evolving' certain defenses. I don't remember any high school biology teacher being squeamish about Darwinism, but a college biology professor felt obliged to say he had never considered evolution an affront to his faith. Ever since, I've wondered why creationists have placed such an unfair restriction on the abilities of their God.Incidentally, what did they teach the author of this thread about grammar in school?------------------
Quien busca, halla

He can't remember!

crashfrog writes:

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If I were teaching a class I'd do Rrhain's K-type E. Coli/T4 Phage experiment. It sounds pretty compelling.

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Then let me suggest the book I got the experiment out of:Life: The Science of Biology by Purves/OriansI have the second edition, but tt has since gone through a few more editions and I think another author has been added, though I'm too lazy at the moment to look it up. I had the exquisite honor of being taught biology by Dr. Purves. He has since retired, alas. The experiment is described in the beginning of Chapter Thirteen in my edition, "Molecular Genetics of Prokaryotes":"This simple series of events illustrates the basic ways in which bacteria and bacteriophages are grown in the laboratory, as well as the consequences of certain mutations. What we have seen is, by the way, an example of evolution on a small scale. Mutations of E. coli K to K/4 occur at a low rate all the time in nature, as do mutations of bacteriophage T4 to T4h. The mutants normally do not take over the entire population but exist in low frequency numbers of the bacterial or phage population. However, when the environment exerts selection upon a population, the proportion of different genotypes in the population undergoes a shift. Here, for example, T4 kills E. coli K, but not K/4, so K/4 soon becomes predominant in the progeny of survivors."------------------
Rrhain
WWJD? JWRTFM!

oops.. sorry about my grammer, i didn't even notice it till now :

I was a weird kid I always had different books about animals and Evolution though I was rasied a catholic. when I was 14 I finally Told my Family I don't Believe in the Bible and I haven't for some time. everytime we get together someone ALWAYS starts something with me. this last time they told me give them an example of a Problem in the Bible.(text) I brought up how Adam and Eve Never sinned(if I am not mistaken there is a thread about this now) I think they ask me to get on my nerves and I go on to get on theres...........

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I was a weird kid I always had different books about animals and Evolution though I was rasied a catholic.

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As far as I know, the Catholic church hasn't had quite the same sort of Creationist views as the "Genesis-is-historical-literal-fact" Fundie crowd for quite a long time.In fact, when some Jesuit monks happened to meet S. J. Gould, they asked him about the Supreme Court hearings in the US regarding the teaching of Creationism in public school. They were concerned that there was some huge problem with the ToE that they didn't know about.The implication being, of course, that they accepted the ToE, and had done for a long time.

I don't know about now but when I made my conformation(right before I stopped going to church but it helped me to learn about it and think. I am 25 now) they told us the science has made mistakes in what they say that evolution never took place we where all created so....... however they never criticize them(they never do to any religion either) they simply say they are misinformed. which is a good way to do it I think

DC85
Could you clarify that last post?This part has too many pronouns with very unclear antecedents.
"they told us the science has made mistakes in what they say that evolution never took place we where all created so....... however they never criticize them(they never do to any religion either) they simply say they are misinformed. which is a good way to do it I think "Thanks.

I am a student currently studying y11 at a private anglican school. As such the school obviously has some obligation to provide religious instruction as a part of the curriculum. From years prep to six this consisted of a weekly class during wihich the teacher read from a book of bible stories or songs - not unenjoyable even for the primary-aged atheist - and a once a week chapel service. However during the first year of high school the school chaplain changed and the weekly classes became much more of a trial during which the priest would regularly initiate class debates of creation vs. evolution during which he would put down any student whose view did not correspond to his own and occasionally hand out punishments. After serveral complaints from parents he rewigned himself to videos (eg. sister act) and to teaching us about "world religions" - thus ended the compulsory religious study at the school.
As for evolution - whilst being officially confined to a single term as a part of yr 12 biology my experience was that most teachers would accept the basic theory and their classes would reflect such

The last question seems to run along the same lines as: does teaching about the reproductive system, conception, birth, menstrual cycles, and various methods of birth control encourage kids to go out and have sex? Most lessons in school are taught with a total lack of moral, ethical, and spiritual spin, and don't encourage children one way or the other.like teaching kids the meaning of various four letter words. They know the meaning, but don't quite understand the social implications that we put on those words.