Why Teach Evolution
Scientists, authors, academics, and classroom teachers describe the beauty of evolution and the critical importance of evolution education for our nation's young people as part of our #WhyTeachEvolution campaign.
When I tell people that my sixth-grade life science course is based on evolution, I get some interesting looks. Some of those looks are because most folks think I am certifiable just for loving to teach sixth-graders! However, after they get past that, they are puzzled by the idea that I dedicate…
Evolution illuminates the nature of science. With evolutionary concepts embedded throughout biology courses, observational and experimental investigations provide opportunities for students to analyze data, argue the evidence, and draw connections regarding evolutionary change.
I came to my own realization of the importance of teaching evolution by discovering that several unconnected subjects that fascinated me were actually closely connected, and connected with all of modern evolutionary biology.
Are we really still asking this question in 2020?
You might as well ask why teach that the earth is round.
Why teach evolution? Because it’s not just a topic of academic interest for pointy-headed scientists. It’s more than figuring out the history of life through time: how ancestral microbes evolved into complex organisms, how aquatic animals conquered the land, and how we arose from our primate…
Why teach evolution? Evolution isn’t just a unifying concept that connects elements of the natural world: It’s also the link among science, our students, and their world. Why is that important? Evolution can be used as a “hook,” a way to show how the natural interests of all students—not…
As a scholar of human evolution, I’m biased in thinking that our own evolutionary history is the most compelling example of evolution that teachers can draw on to engage students in learning about evolution—and counter common misconceptions.
Why teach evolution? Here is one reason, from the introduction to the textbook, Evolution, that I coauthored:
Because closely related organisms tend to have similar biological features, evolutionary classification can help predict the biology of an organism through comparison with its…
Why teach evolution? Let me answer this question, first, as an educator, and, second, as a Christian theologian interested in the relationship of science to religion. As an educator I believe students need to understand the story of life on our planet accurately. By ignoring evolution, schools and…