Thread: Happy Birthday, Charles Darwin

<jaw hitting the floor>

Seriously? I didn't mention anything about it with my classes, but now I wonder what the response would've been.

Do you think perhaps they are purposefully sheltered from Darwin because of their parent's religious beliefs and fear of the questioning that inevitably follows?

Mary, I think the kids are just ignorant of history and even current events. I can think of any number of things that I've mentioned in class in the past couple of years that have been met with blank stares. Things they should have known if they'd been paying any attention to the world around them. They don't just don't know. Now the reasons they don't know may well be varied, but . . .

That's fantastic that you took the time out and are so well rounded in your teaching. At our school we feel so rushed to "cover" what we have to and every minute you feel like you're in a race for time.

For the first time ever this year, as we ended our evolution unit and I addressed the controversies, I had a student ask "Is evolution bad?" and I wanted to leap through the roof with jublilation because it was the first time that the students seemed unaware that there was a controversy. They took it in, processed it, understood it, and had no preconceived, inbred notions I had to combat. They knew nothing either way. I then explained how a local high school cut the chapter out of their books and there was a riot of disbelief from my students at to why they would do such a thing....only then did they understand why I addressed the controversy. I was grinning from ear to ear.

Thanks!
Tammy