Reports of the National Center for Science Education
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Volume
29
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No.
6
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November-December
2009

Print Edition Contents: 29 (6)

NEWS

  1. A Creationism Row in Hong Kong
    Virginia Yue
    The Hong Kong Education Bureau considers "exploring" scientific ideas and alternatives singling out evolution. Scientists and educators responded.
  2. Updates
    News from California, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, the United Kingdom, the blogosphere, and the world.

NCSE NEWS

  1. News from the Membership
    What our members are doing to support evolution and oppose pseudoscience wherever the need arises.
  2. Scott versus Comfort
    When US News & World Report set up an internet debate between Eugenie Scott and the distributor of a free "altered" version of Darwin's classic, readers learned exactly why it is worth what they paid.
  3. (Very Gradual) Change We Can Believe In
    Mike Rosulek
    An NCSE member has a bright idea to tap into popular culture, honor Darwin, and support NCSE.
  4. NCSE Honors "Friends of Darwin" for 2007
    All over the nation, people stand up for good science. Here are some of the folks who made a big difference in 2007.

ARTICLES

  1. Teaching the "E-Word" in Tennessee: Student Misconceptions and the Persistence of Anti-Evolutionary Ideas
    Andrew Kramer, Arthur C Durband, and Daniel C Weinand
    Ten years of surveying university students' understanding of evolution shows that evolution education "works": Students describe evolution more accurately after taking more evolution-related courses.
  2. The Effect of Viewing NOVA's Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial Docudrama on College Students' Perception of "Intelligent Design" and Evolution
    Beth E Lueck and Greg Q Butcher
    Before-and-after surveys of student responses to questions about "intelligent design" show decreases in support of ID and "don't know"answers.
  3. Engaging the Controversy in Science Education: Scientific Knowledge and Democratic Decisions
    Rebecca P Lewis
    Phillip Johnson said,"this is not about science"com ment; for US public education, curriculum and educa tional policies are made in the political arena.The sciences need to be in that debate.

FEATURES

  1. The State of High School Teachers' Understanding of Evolution
    Patricia Palko
    RNCSE readers get a first look at new research into how secondary biology teachers understand evolution. Since most people have their last biology instruction in high school, how their teachers understand evolution is critical.

SPECIAL FEATURE

  1. People & Places: Going Back to Glen Rose
    Randy Moore
    After his previous column had gone to press, Randy Moore had an opportunity for a visit to the new, improved Creation Evidence Museum.

MEMBERS' PAGES

  1. Why Teach Evolution?
    An adaptation of a recent NCSE brochure that explores basic issues in evolution education.
  2. Teaching and Learning about Evolution
    These books examine the science of evolution, and teaching and learning about it.
  3. NCSE On the Road
    Check the calendar here for NCSE speakers.

BOOK REVIEWS

  1. Darwin's Illness by Ralph Colp Jr
    Reviewed by Keith Thomson
  2. Darwin's Sacred Cause: How a Hatred of Slavery Shaped Darwin's Views on Human Evolution by Adrian Desmond and James Moore
    Reviewed by John Waller
  3. Darwin's Universe: Evolution from A to Z by Richard Milner
    Reviewed by Carol Anelli
  4. The Genius of Charles Darwin presented by Richard Dawkins
    Reviewed by Timothy H Goldsmith
  5. The Paleobiological Revolution: Essays on the Growth of Modern Paleontology edited by David Sepkoski and Michael Ruse
    Reviewed by Kevin Padian

ERRATA

  1. Errata
    Some details that slipped by us in the editing process of the previous issue of RNCSE.