• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

A CHALLENGE TO EVOLUTION: Bill May Stir Darwin Issue: Lawmaker Says Scientific Theory Needs Testing

Posted on: Saturday, 28 January 2006, 06:00 CST

By Chris Christoff and Lori Higgins, Detroit Free Press

Jan. 28--A proposed law to create a rigorous state high school curriculum could spark a debate over the controversial teaching of intelligent design in science classes as a challenge to the theory of evolution.

Bill sponsor Rep. Brian Palmer, R-Romeo, said he had no intent to insert the intelligent design issue into the bill introduced earlier this week.

"That's almost humorous. I think some people like to see a bogeyman," said Palmer, who chairs the House Education Committee.

But some educators said Friday that Palmer's one sentence in his 14-page bill could ignite the kind of rancorous debate over teaching intelligent design that engulfed a Pennsylvania school district in a court battle last year.

Palmer's bill would require science classes to critically examine scientific theories "using relevant scientific data to assess the validity of those theories and formulate arguments for and against those theories."

"We don't want this bill to be used for any other agenda," said Margaret Trimer Hartley, spokeswoman for the Michigan Education Association, the state's largest teacher's union. "We don't need to further complicate the process by bringing in the argument of intelligent design or any other battle over specific curriculum."

Mike Barlow, director of curriculum for the Hazel Park school district, said the language in Palmer's bill could be volatile.

"It's one of those issues that is certainly going to divide people and opinions are going to cleave across very predictable lines," Barlow said.

The wording for Palmer's bill was taken from a bill by Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland. That bill would require a statewide high school curriculum to include a critical evaluation of the theories of evolution and global warming. Palmer's bill, however, doesn't mention evolution or intelligent design.

Moolenaar said Palmer's does not require the teaching of intelligent design, but that such a decision would be up to local school boards. He said Darwin's theory of evolution is under legitimate scrutiny, and that science students should know about the theory's possible weaknesses. "A scientific controversy should be viewed in a teachable moment for a student to learn the scientific method," he said.

Palmer said he hopes to hold a hearing Tuesday on the bill, which spells out guidelines for graduation requirements that include four years of English and math classes, three years of science and classes in economics, geography and U.S. history.

Intelligent design is a hypothesis that Earth's varied life species were created by an intelligent force. Supporters argue that evolution theory cannot explain some differences between life forms.

Critics, including most scientists, say intelligent design is not science, but thinly disguised religious philosophy based on Biblical explanations regarding the origins of life.

Palmer said his aim is to standardize what is taught in mandated courses. For example, it would require all world history classes to focus on cultures before 1600, starting with the Mesopotamian and Hebrew civilizations, designed to "acquaint pupils with the historical roots of the Western heritage."

Palmer said the science class requirement is logical.

"You're testing scientific theory," he said. "That's what science is. Anyone who argues this is not a general reference to science and scientific method, I would be pretty amazed."

The Legislature should not dictate the content of classes, said Kathleen Booher, executive director of the Tri-County Alliance, which represents school districts in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties.

"They're stepping out of their expertise when they're doing that," Booher said.

Contact CHRIS CHRISTOFF at 517-372-8660 or christoff@freepress.com.

To be heard

Legislation to establish a statewide curriculum for high schools awaits action in the House Education Committee. To express your opinion, contact committee chairman and main bill sponsor Rep. Brian Palmer, R-Romeo, at 517-373-0843 or repbrianpalmer@house.mi.gov. To contact your state representative or senator, go to www.house.mi.gov or www.senate.mi.gov. Phone numbers are in the Lansing telephone directory under State of Michigan, Legislature. If you don't know who your legislator is, contact your city or township clerk.

Science requirement

A bill to establish statewide guidelines for high school curriculums would make this requirement for science classes:

"The course content expectations for science shall include using the scientific method to critically evaluate scientific theories and using relevant scientific data to assess the validity of those theories and formulate arguments for and against those theories."

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, Detroit Free Press

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: Detroit Free Press

More News in this Category