Sticker-Mania: Approach Evolution with an Open Mind

"This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered."

- text of disclaimers placed in Cobb County biology books

Parents in Cobb County, Georgia have settled in a case against the teaching of evolution, saying they would bring no further legal action and that the district would do nothing to undermine the teaching of evolution. The settlement follows a long and frankly embarrassing battle in which parents battled the school board over teaching evolution. In 2002, the school board had ordered that stickers be put in all biology textbooks saying that evolution was "a theory, not a fact." Parents filed suit against the stickers, saying they violated the separation of church and state. Even state officials got into the act, with State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox proposing that the word "evolution" be banned from the curriculum in 2004. Textbooks would instead use "biological changes over time." Cox felt that evolution was too much of a buzzword.

I wonder about the state of our education system sometimes, especially in states like Georgia, where the religious right has a powerful influence. We can give the parents credit for standing up to their beliefs, but if we look more closely at the infamous stickers, we see that the parents have got the right idea, about one thing, at least. By arguing for critical thinking, the Cobb County parents are really arguing for the best kind of education. Wouldn't it be great if they could apply that thinking to other areas?

Evolution is a Theory, not a Fact

Cobb County is an affluent suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, with many college educated residents. You'd think they would realize that the word "theory" in popular usage differs from scientific usage. In science, a theory is a set of explanations for something that happens. It exists to be tested and changed if needed. As it so happens, evolution is the best explanation we have for those "biological changes over time." It's not perfect, but other alternatives have failed to be supported by as many facts, that is, scientific evidence.

Those who claim that intelligent design should be taught in schools are misguided because intelligent design is, for the most part, unsupported by scientific fact. If all alternative explanations should be allowed in schools, then we might as well give the geocentric model of the universe equal time with the heliocentric view. As we all know, the Earth revolves around the sun, the sun doesn't revolve around the Earth, and there are plenty of facts to prove it. Just because something is an alternative doesn't mean it should be given the same weight as the best theory. But we can still consider them, leading to the next point.

This Material Should be Approached with an Open Mind and Considered Critically

Any biologist would admit that evolution isn't a perfect explanation. But it's the best one we have. An essential trait for scientists is open-mindedness. They have to be willing to put their ideas to the test and be willing to admit it if the facts don't support their hypothesis. Part of testing their ideas means being able to judge evidence as objectively as possible and not let biases cloud their thinking.

Schools should teach students to keep an open mind. Unfortunately, schools don't always do that. Some, including educational psychologist David Berliner, have pointed out two different ways to look at schooling. One is a conservative view held by many of the religious right. This is the idea that schools exist to "fill up" children with knowledge. The right answer is the teacher's answer, and there is usually only one right answer. Sound like a multiple choice test to anyone? Children are trained to be good workers and follow directions. The conservative view dominates K-12 education.

Another view of schooling is a more liberal view. It states that schools exist to help students construct knowledge. Students aren't empty vessels; instead they have their own experiences that they can bring to help them understand the world around them. This idea allows for multiple answers to the same question. It produces people who think critically about their environment and don't accept something just because one authority figure says it's true. This view, in my opinion, advocates the type of schooling that exists in many colleges and universities. It is the type of schooling that creates scientists. Scientists have to understand that there are many ways to approach a question, that their answers may not be right, and that there may not even be a right answer.

When it comes to evolution, a theory just like any other, students should keep an open mind about it. The Cobb County parents were right to think that their children might just take their teacher's word as the ultimate truth, because that's how schools run. It shouldn't be that way. Nevertheless, K-12 schools are not the place to allow just any belief to be presented as fact. In the end, it appears that the parents who called for the stickers really didn't want their children to "keep an open mind" at all. They were trying to replace the truth of one authority, science, with the truth of another, their churches. A better way would be to give students the ability to think for themselves. If schools and these parents actually taught their children to think critically, stickers asking them to do so wouldn't be necessary.