Teach Evolution better?

[Peter Rauch]

"We need to find out why people don't understand evolution," Alters
said. "Then we need to craft lessons, activities, curricula to
specifically address that." [Excerpted from the full article
cited below]:

Anyone who listens to the answers given in Jay Leno's
on-the-street interviews of people, in which he asks hard
questions like "What do we celebrate on the 4th of July?" or "How
many sides does a triangle have?", knows that our education
problem in the U.S.  reaches far deeper than understanding
evolution!
 Peter

Excerpt from "inthenews".

Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 10:46:55 -0400
From: inthenews <inthenews at SIGMAXI.ORG>
To: SCIENCE-IN-THE-NEWS at LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG

IN THE NEWS
Today's Headlines - July 3, 2000

SCIENTISTS AIM FOR MORE EFFECTIVE TEACHING OF EVOLUTION
from The Associated Press

BOSTON - In the 140 years since it was first proposed by naturalist Charles
Darwin, scientists have made enormous progress building upon the theory of
evolution.

But some are particularly puzzled by one unsolved mystery: Why do so many
people continue to have their doubts?

A Gallup Poll conducted last year found that 47 percent of Americans believe
God created human beings, while 49 percent accepted the theory of evolution
- that mankind developed over millions of years from more primitive species.

"I think all that shows is that most Americans are woefully badly educated
in science, which is our fault, not theirs," said Harvard paleontologist
Stephen Jay Gould.

Scientists, who almost universally accept evolution, believe all the
evidence is on their side. Facing activists who want creationism taught
alongside evolution in public schools, they say they'll have to make a
stronger case to the public.

[See the full article at:]
<http://www.nandotimes.com/healthscience/story/0,1080,500223827-500320958-501808616-0,00.html>