feature5
wingspan • february 25, 2011
Starting Line Spring takes us by surprise
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pod apps, news channels, online sites, hot lines — technology has created endless sources for us to check the weather without ever stepping outside, whether we want to know if it will rain tomorrow in a city across the country or if the temperature will warm up this afternoon for soccer practice. With the accuracy and easy access to weather Kiersten Ellsworth forecasts in today’s society, why do we still celebrate Groundhog Day? The holiday originated with an ancient Celtic festival, Imbolc, held on Feb. 1 to predict the coming of spring with primitive meteorology. With the introduction of Christianity to the British Isles, the festival evolved into a religious holiday, Candlemas, dedicated to the patron saint of Ireland that took place every year on Feb.2. Although primarily a religious holiday, the day continued to be a big event for weather forecasting, too. If the day was sunny and cast shadows, the tradition held that winter was not over. So how did groundhogs get involved? When was it decided that these furry little animals possessed abilities to predict the weather? Fast forwarding through history, German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1800s brought with them the custom of predicting the end of winter based on bears’ and badgers’ hibernation habits. In the late 1880s Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper city editor Clymer H. Freas became engrossed with reporting on a group of local groundhog hunters and folklore. Freas even went on to promote Punxsutawney, Penn., as the home of a weather-predicting groundhog. The story quickly spread and now we are all acquainted with the world-renown “Punxsutawny Phil.” And here we are today; with crowds of up to 30,000 people swarming the city on Feb. 2 to watch Phil make his annual prediction. This year Punxsutawny Phil did not see his shadow, predicting the early arrival of spring. While the National Climatic Data Center shows Punxsutawney Phil’s winter predictions have only held true 39 percent of the time, I can only hope Phil is right. I’m desperate to see the sun.
Teachers accommodate students’ beliefs State mandates biology curriculum
Lauren Stepp Staff Writer
Y
ou are going to hell. You are going to hell for teaching me this,” yelled a student who had been sitting quietly through biology teacher Leanna Racquer’s lesson. Surprised by both the interruption and the student’s hateful words, Racquer looked down to adjust the papers on the tabletop in front of her classroom. She took a deep breath and then looked across her classroom of surprised students. Anger had fueled the shouts — as well as frustration caused by the discrepancies between religious beliefs and biology curriculum standards. Almost as quickly as the interruption had started, the student sat down and went back to work scribbling down notes. Controversy has surrounded the theory of evolution since Charles Darwin first presented the theory in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species. Evolution is the scientific theory; the religious view is sometimes referred to as creationism, the belief that the Bible’s account of God’s creation in Genesis is literally true. Public high schools have taught the theory of evolution, which tries to put scientific evidence to the creation of the earth, since the late 19th century. At first, the teaching of evolution was often paired with the teaching of creationism. As a result there have been numerous court cases concerning the constitutionality of teaching both evolution and creationism (see graphic below). Some parents and students feel creationism should be taught alongside the theory of evolution, but recent district and federal court cases have held that the teaching of creationism in public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Biology teachers say they try to show respect for their students’ religious beliefs and try to accommodate them. “I have had very few students become
upset. When I do have an upset student Austin Downing or parent, I explain to the student that it Staff Writer is separate,” biology teacher Alex Lawson said. “Science is separate. I am not teacharwin was an atheist Ku Klux ing it as a fact, and that it is true. I am just Klan member living in Alabama. teaching it. That seems to be the end of it.” “What?” biology teacher Leanna Some teachers struggle to accommo- Racquer thought. “That’s not true.” date both the religious beliefs of their stuShe scanned the student’s paper dents and the required topics the state of again, hoping to find some accurate inforNorth Carolina considers important. mation about biologist Charles Darwin. “I am a science teachTen minutes er. I only teach scientific Nature of Scientific earlier, Racquer had theory,” Lawson said. “Crebeen handed an exKnowledge ationism is a belief, not a tra credit paper on theory. If I started teach- • Theories explain phenomena, Darwin. Racquer being beliefs, then I would lieved it was full of they are never proved. be teaching religion. In information on EngTheories become stronger as my opinion, the theory of lish naturalist Charles more evidence is gathered. evolution does not conflict Robert Darwin, but with anyone’s religious the “atheist KKK beliefs. The theory of evo- • Laws are universal member” statement generalizations based on lution is proven through caught her eye. observations of the natural scientific inquiry, and peo“Obviously that world. ple’s religions are based on was incorrect,” she their faith, their beliefs. It’s said, “but the student • Scientific explanations two different things.” wrote a whole paper must adhere to the rules of Biology teacher Haley about it because he evidence, make predictions, Watkins takes a different found it on the Interbe logical, and be consistent position. net. So it was ‘true.’ with observations and “I always give my stuThere probably is a conclusions. dents the chance to exguy named Charles press their side,” she said. Darwin who is liv(North Carolina Public Schools, Standard “A couple of kids have said ing in Alabama, but Course of Study, Biology Curriculum that they don’t believe in that’s not the bioloGrades 9-12) the theory of evolution gist Charles Darwin I and therefore don’t want was looking for.” to learn about it because it doesn’t reflect Biology students sometimes become their religious background. I always give confused about what the theory of evoluthem a chance to state their beliefs and tion really is. Evolution is the adaptation the scientific evidence behind that.” of organisms over a gradual change of According to Lawson, the theory of time due to the changing of the natural evolution is defined as change over time. surroundings, according to Racquer. “Evolution should not be taught as fact, “The theory of evolution is the basic and a good science teacher should never idea of biology and lots of other sciences, teach anything as fact. That would be including geology and anatomy,” she said. against the whole tenet of science,” LawThis theory is controversial to some son said. “If you say it is fact, then you stop students because of their religious beasking questions and you stop learning. liefs. Some churches teach creationism, You stop investigating, you stop exploring the belief that a supreme being created — you shut down learning and curiosity.” the world. Biology teacher Alex Lawson
D
the
creationismevolution
debate has been
raging
for
more than
85 years
1925 State of Tennessee v. Scopes High school biology teacher John Scopes was found guilty of unlawfully teaching the theory of evolution.
has had one student explain to her why she didn’t believe in evolution: “The devil planted the fossils in the ground to trick us,” the student told Lawson. However, some students find no discrepancies between what evolution teaches and what creationism teaches. “My dad introduced me to the possibility that God and evolution could coexist in the world,” AP Biology student Catherine Swift said. According to Racquer, students need to learn the theory of evolution because three out of the 17 chapters in the biology curriculum have to do with evolution. “There is a chance that if the students don’t learn the theory, they could fail the EOC (end-of-course test),” AP and honors biology teacher Haley Watkins said. “Although the theory of evolution is approximately 15 percent of the curriculum, many of the questions on the EOC have indirect ties to the theory of evolution.” Students do not have to believe in the theory; they only have to answer questions about it, Lawson said. “There is a difference between knowing something and believing in it. You can know that drugs hurt you, but you can choose not to believe in that and do them anyway. I am teaching the knowledge of the theory of evolution, just knowledge, not a belief,” she said. “A part that I stress throughout my class is that theories change. Once you get more knowledge you can change your theory. So what I am teaching is the current theory and level of knowledge.” West’s biology teachers agree that the theory of evolution should be part of the curriculum. “I am a science teacher and the theory of evolution is a big basis for science and explaining why things are the way they are now,” Lawson said. “Everyone should have their own opinions and their own beliefs, and they should be able to see all sides of the argument,” Watkins said. “I want them to see all sides of the theory and see all sides of the science behind it and formulate their own opinion.”
1982
1994
McLean v. Arkansas Board of Education A Federal Court felt that balancing creationism and evolution in schools violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. The Court ruled creationism should not be taught in public schools.
Peloza v. Capistrano, Calif. School District A teacher claimed that her First Amendment freedom of religion had been violated when she was asked to teach the scientific theory of evolution. The court ruled that it had not.
1968
1987
Epperson v. Arkansas The Supreme Court held a hearing on an Arkansas law that the teaching of evolution is prohibited in public schools. The Court felt that the state does not have the right to tailor a curriculum to appease a certain religion.
Edwards v. Aguillard The Supreme Court declared Louisiana’s “Creation Act,” which prohibited evolution being taught unless it was paired with creationism, unconstitutional because it catered to one religion.
2008 Louisiana was the first state to pass a scholastic “Academic Freedom” bill. This bill prevents teachers from being terminated from their job if they introduce controversial material against the theory of evolution.
2005 Selman v. Cobb County, GA. School District The U.S. District Judge proclaimed that a disclaimer sticker placed on textbooks regarding evolution violated the Establishment Clause. of the First Amendment. The decision was to remove the stickers.
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