Teaching Evolution and the Nature of Science

This symposium will address the nature of scientific inquiry and the teaching of evolution as fundamental to modern biology. Aims of this symposium are to broaden the audience's understanding of the basic tenets of the concept of evolution, to illustrate the central role evolution plays in modern science, to elaborate on the investigative nature of science, and to recognize approaches to the teaching of science that reflect non-scientific propositions.

The audience for this event is high school science teachers, college faculties who teach science classes or train future science teachers, and state and local officials responsible for education policy. The symposium will also be of interest to others with an interest in science, education and evolution.

The primary goals of this symposium are to (1) address the need to respond to the increasingly effective challenge of intelligent design (ID) advocates in science classes; (2) provide science educators with the tools, both rhetorical and scientific, that can help them deal with the current issues in the context of the day-to-day delivery of science education; (3) enable science teachers to develop skills of scientific inquiry among their students in order to train both scientifically literate citizens and future generations of scientists and engineers; and (4) help science education meet an obligation in ensuring students understand that evidence is a necessary, not optional, component of the scientific process.

Organizing Committee

Hessy L. Taft (St. John's University)
Claudia M. Toback (Science Council of New York City)
Sydel Silverman (Graduate Center, City University of New York)
Lucie W. Saunders (Lehman College)
Federica Raia (City College of New York)