Below are two articles from the New York Times about evoluti

Below are two articles from the New York Times about evolution in the classroom: one about teaching evolution in Florida and the Sunshine State Standards and one about textbook review in Texas. Like Texas, Florida adopts statewide science standards and has a large population of K-12 students in public schools: Florida decision-making on textbooks and curricula impacts students in other states.

There have been three legislative efforts to weaken evolution education in Florida since 2008. A Teacher on the Front Line as Faith and Science Clash, The New York Times, August 23, 2008, 2011. (https://mobile.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/education/24evolution.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&referer=) Creationists on

Texas Panel for Biology Textbooks, New York Times, September 28, 2013 (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/education/creationists-on-texas-panel-for-biology-textbooks.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&)

Consider these questions as you read and be prepared to address them when completing the assignment: What should be the role(s) of the State and local Boards of Education, of local educators, and of expert reviewers in the discipline? Will revisions suggested by each of these actors (educators, Boards of Education, disciplinary experts) improve the educational quality and integrity of the textbooks?

directions: In your own words, summarize each article Propose a method by which you would like to see textbooks reviewed at the state level

Solution

1. What should be the role(s) of the State and local Boards of Education, of local educators, and of expert reviewers in the discipline?

State and local Boards of Education, of local educators, and of expert reviewers should try and introduce evolution as an integral part of the curriculum in a more innovative way such that hand on evidences seen by the students, make them believe in a theory that has been opposed for so long. More real life and practical examples are greater convincing points than any other form. There has to be a search for teachers like Mr Campbell who truly believe int the theory and who want to take up the initiative of answer all the arising questions in order to bring about a change.

2. Will revisions suggested by each of these actors (educators, Boards of Education, disciplinary experts) improve the educational quality and integrity of the textbooks?

Revisions suggested by these educators and disciplinary experts might increase the integrity of the textbooks as with the acceptance of the publishing houses for the change. They do want to maintain the integrity of science by putting the theory of evolution in their textbooks, even though stating the fact that evolution does not have ALL of the answers.

Though, the fact still remained that even with a print on the textbook, there are always teachers teaching in the class who are primarily involved in shaping the minds and beliefs of the students. Even though some students wouldn\'t believe in evolution, but on the teacher\'s words, they might be inclined to do so, but if the teacher himself is not a complete believer of what he\'s teaching, then it is very difficult to raise the standards even with a change in textbook prints.

One article is a narrative by a biology teacher and his struggle amongst his colleagues and students in order to make them belief that evolution as a theory does exist. The other article emphasis on the more administrative part and the conflicts within the reviewers and the other members of the board some of who believe in evolution while the others who do not and to maintain a balance within providing correct information in the textbooks such that it would maintain the integrity of science .