[Evolidaho] Fwd: [AIBS-Evolution-l]Evolution education update: November 16, 2007

[Resources for teaching evolution]

----- Original Message -----
From: Holly Menninger <hmenninger at aibs.org>
Date: Friday, November 16, 2007 11:57 am
Subject: [AIBS-Evolution-l]Evolution education update:  November 16, 2007
To: evolution-l at aibs.org

>  From the National Center for Science Education:
>
> Dear Friends of NCSE,
>
> Judgment Day, the special documentary about Kitzmiller v. Dover
> that aired
> on PBS on November 13, 2007, received enthusiastic reviews from
> all over --
> even though the PBS affiliate in Memphis, Tennessee, decided
> that it was
> too "controversial" to air.  And a reminder about NCSE's
> special offer to
> libraries:  back issues of NCSE's various publications,
> absolutely free of
> charge.
>
> JUDGMENT DAY IN THE NEWS
>
> Judge John E. Jones III, the federal judge who presided over
> Kitzmiller v.
> Dover, appeared on The NewsHour on November 13, 2007, to discuss
> JudgmentDay:  Intelligent Design on Trial, the documentary
> that recently aired on
> PBS stations nationwide.  Following a clip from the
> program, Jones
> discussed his background knowledge of "intelligent design" and
> evolution,the Establishment Clause and its applicability in the
> Kitzmiller case, the
> role of the independent judiciary, and the influence of his seminal
> decision.  Jones commented, "It's not precedential outside
> of the middle
> district of Pennsylvania, but I thought that if other school
> boards and
> other boards of education could read it, they would possibly be more
> enlightened about what the dispute was all about."
>
> Judgment Day aired on PBS stations nationwide on November 13,
> 2007.  It
> will be available to watch on-line as of November 16, 2007, and
> it is
> likely to air again in various places -- schedules for local
> affiliates can
> be checked on-line via the PBS website.  Be sure also to
> visit the generous
> website, featuring interviews with Kenneth R. Miller on
> evolution, Phillip
> Johnson on "intelligent design," and Paula Apsell on NOVA's
> decision to
> produce the documentary; audio clips of Judge John E. Jones III
> readingpassages from his decision in the case, and of various
> experts (including
> NCSE's Eugenie C. Scott) discussing the nature of science;
> resources about
> the evidence for evolution and about the background to the
> Kitzmiller case;
> material especially for teachers, including a briefing packet for
> educators; and even a preview of the documentary.
>
> Meanwhile, Judgment Day is continuing to receive high praise from
> reviewers, both in Pennsylvania, where the historic trial took
> place, or
> across the country.  The York Dispatch, one of the two
> daily papers serving
> Dover, Pennsylvania, editorially offered (November 11, 2007),
> "Thumbs Up to
> PBS for bringing tribulations of the Dover Area School District
> to national
> attention in the two-hour Nova special 'Judgment Day:
> Intelligent Design on
> Trial' ... The blatant attempt to introduce religion-based
> 'creationism'into the public school classroom is detailed along
> with a recreation of the
> ensuing battle in a federal courtroom in Harrisburg that
> resulted in a
> humiliating defeat for the intelligent design proponents. 
> A reminder that
> fiddling with public education to impose an individual religious
> viewpointis a non-starter, 'Judgment Day' should be required
> watching."
> Reviewing Judgment Day for the Philadelphia Inquirer (November
> 13, 2007),
> Jonathan Storm praised not only the scientific content of
> Judgment Day but
> also its objective approach:  "Nova, the science show,
> stoutly defends
> science against the attack of the surprisingly hard-to-pin-down
> intelligent-design brain trust.  It does use such loaded
> words as 'claim'
> and 'so-called' to describe tenets of the supposed theory, but
> it is
> surprisingly clear of a 'nyah-nyah, we won' tone.  That
> makes this
> significant program more accessible to all."  He also
> quoted Judge Jones as
> saying, "If you glibly embrace intelligent design, or if you're
> in that 48
> or 50 percent who believe creationism ought to be taught in
> school, I hope
> [you] will watch this."
>
> It was as a legal drama that Judgment Day struck Rob Owen,
> writing in the
> Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (November 12, 2007).  Describing
> the program as "a
> fascinating and gripping look at the trial and both sides of the
> issue,"Owen wrote, "I didn't know much about so-called
> 'intelligent design' theory
> beyond its name and a sense that it's synonymous with
> creationism.  So I
> went into the film willing to be persuaded that maybe there's
> some validity
> to intelligent design.  If there is, those in favor of ID
> failed to prove
> it.  And failed miserably.  That's what makes
> 'Intelligent Design on Trial'
> such a thriller.  As a legal exercise, the pro-evolution
> team presents a
> slam-dunk case; in the end, even a defense attorney says his
> losing side
> received a fair trial."
>
> In The New York Times (November 11, 2007), Cornelia Dean admired the
> scientific content of Judgment Day, commenting, "the program as
> a whole
> recognizes that there is no credible scientific challenge to the
> theory of
> evolution as an explanation for the complexity and diversity of
> life on
> earth.  And it shows how witnesses attacked two of the
> central premises of
> intelligent design -- that there are no 'intermediate' fossils
> to show one
> creature morphing into another (there are) and that some body
> parts are too
> complex to have formed from the modification of other body parts (not
> true)."  She added, "But viewers also learn a more
> important lesson:  that
> all science is provisional, standing only until it is overturned
> by better
> information.  Intelligent design, relying as it does on an
> untestablesupernatural entity, does not fall into that category."
>
> Elsewhere, the Cincinnati Post's reviewer (November 13, 2007)
> wrote, "Leave
> it to the respected PBS science show "Nova" to put some common
> sense back
> into the often hysterical debate over whether intelligent design
> is science
> or religion -- and remind us that Darwin's theory of evolution
> is a solid
> one that should be taught in science classes."  The Deseret
> News's reviewer
> (November 13, 2007) described the progam as "captivating," and
> quoted Judge
> Jones as saying, "I think there's a lesson here for communities
> and how
> they elect their school board members."  And the
> Oregonian's reviewer
> (November 13, 2007) wrote, "'Judgment Day' offers an admirably
> compact and
> methodical presentation of the sides in the debate.  It
> should be highly
> useful in years to come."
>
> Finally, writing in Salon (November 13, 2007), Gordy Slack, the
> author of
> The Battle Over the Meaning of Everything:  Evolution,
> Intelligent Design,
> and a School Board in Dover, PA, looks forward from the trial,
> explainingthat although "intelligent design" aspired to be a big
> tent under which
> creationists of all stripes were welcome to shelter, "Judge Jones'[s]
> decision was like a lightning strike on the big top, sending
> many of the
> constituents running home through the rain."  He ends by
> quoting NCSE's
> executive director Eugenie C. Scott's warning:  "Evolution
> remains under
> attack ... If creationists have their way, teachers will
> eventually just
> stop teaching evolution.  It'll just be too much trouble .
> And generations
> of students will continue to grow up ignorant of basic
> scientific realities."
>
> For Judge Jones on The NewsHour, visit:
> http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/education/july-dec07/evolution_11-
> 13.html
> To watch Judgment Day on-line after November 16, 2007, visit:
> http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/id/program.html
>
> To check to see whether Judgment Day will be aired on a PBS
> station in your
> area, visit:
> http://www.pbs.org/tvschedules/
>
> For the website for Judgment Day, visit:
> http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/id/
>
> For the York Dispatch's editorial, visit:
> http://yorkdispatch.inyork.com/viewpoints/editorial/ci_7441434
>
> For the mentioned reviews, visit:
> http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/jonathan_storm/20071113_Jonathan_Storm___2-hour_Nova_reviews_Pa__intelligent_design_trial.html
> http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07317/833303-42.stm
> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/arts/television/11dean.html
> http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071113/LIFE/711130351/1005
> http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695227059,00.html
> http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/119490270485010.xml&coll=7&thispage=1
>
> For Gordy Slack's article in Salon, visit:
> http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/11/13/intelligent_design/
>
> JUDGMENT DAY CENSORED IN MEMPHIS?
>
> Although Judgment Day:  Intelligent Design on Trial, the
> recent documentary
> on Kitzmiller v. Dover, aired on PBS stations around the
> country, residents
> of Memphis, Tennessee, were not able to watch it on the regular,
> analogue,channel of WKNO, the local PBS affiliate.  A
> locally produced documentary
> about World War II was aired instead.  The Memphis
> Commercial Appeal
> (November 15, 2007) quoted a spokesperson for the station as
> explaining,"We had plans to do our local programs to honor
> veterans this week during
> Veterans Day.  We thought Tuesday night was a good spot for
> local programs
> of this nature, and we were concerned about the controversial
> nature of the
> ... program as were 15 percent of the top 50 public television
> stations in
> the country."
>
> Although Judgment Day was aired on WKNO's digital broadcasts,
> the station's
> failure to air it on the regular channel elicited complaints; the
> spokesperson for the station would not disclose how many. 
> The Commercial
> Appeal quoted one disgruntled viewer, David O. Hill, as saying,
> "I really
> appreciate what service they do, but when they step out of line
> like this
> it violates the whole premise of what NPR and PBS stand for
> nationally ...
> This was an historical review of an important judicial decision
> in America,
> and they chose not to do it."  Trained as a biologist, Hill
> added,"Evolution is as important a building block to biology as
> atomic theory is
> to chemistry and gravitation to physics."  The station now
> plans to air
> Judgment Day in January 2008, "with a local followup to discuss
> the various
> views on the show."
>
> For the Memphis Commercial Appeal's story, visit:
> http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/nov/15/topic-too-hot-
> for-wkno/
>
> THE GREAT NCSE JOURNAL GIVEAWAY
>
> NCSE is still extending a special offer to libraries.  Both
> because we are
> eager for libraries to maintain holdings of our journals, and
> because we
> are eager to make space in our storage facility, we are offering free
> copies of any or all of the back issues of Creation/Evolution (ISSN
> 0738-6001, nos. 1-39, 1980-1996), NCSE Reports (ISSN 1064-2358,
> vols. 9-16,
> 1989-1996), and Reports of the NCSE (continuing both, ISSN 1064-
> 2358, vol.
> 17 ongoing, 1997-present) to libraries.  Libraries can take
> advantage of
> the offer to replace missing or damaged individual copies or to
> extend the
> range of their holdings.
>
> Probably academic libraries will be most interested -- and we
> urge our
> members and friends who work at colleges and universities to
> bring the
> offer to the attention of the periodical departments of their
> libraries --
> but the offer is open to public and school libraries as
> well.  Interested
> librarians should write to Archivist, NCSE, PO Box 9477,
> Berkeley CA
> 94709-0477, fax (on letterhead) to (510) 601-7204, or e-mail the NCSE
> archivist at archivist at ncseweb.org to request further
> information or order
> back issues at no cost to their libraries.  The offer is
> good only while
> supplies last, and may be withdrawn at any time at NCSE's sole
> discretion.
> For the above announcement on NCSE's website, visit:
> http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/news/2007/ZZ/475_tell_your_librarian_9_12_2007.asp
>
> For information about subscribing to Reports of the NCSE, visit:
> http://www.ncseweb.org/membership.asp
>
> Thanks for reading!  And as always, be sure to consult
> NCSE's web site:
> http://www.ncseweb.org
> where you can always find the latest news on evolution education and
> threats to it.
>
>
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