Bakalar, Nicholas. “On Evolution, Biology Teachers Stray From Lesson Plan.” New York Times 02072011. n. pag. Print. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/science/08creationism.html>.
This article reports on the percentage of high school biology teachers that are teaching evolution in the classroom, and of that percentage, who is teaching creationism, who is telling students that the don’t actually have to believe in anything, and those teachers who choose not to teach evolution at all. Also, there are different opinions from professors of biology and political science on how to handle this situation.
This information affects my understanding of my topic because it provides me with the statistical information on the percentage of Biology teachers that actually teach evolution in the classroom. This source will help me to write a strong paper because it provides well-researched results. This article will definitely provide me with new insights. For example, I was surprised to read that creationists weren’t more of an influence in the study. I originally chose this source for my paper because it seemed to fit the biggest controversy within my field. This source could lead me to other articles concerning creationists versus evolutionists.
This information is presented to me in a way that is accessible to a reader in the sense that I was able to quickly comprehend the facts without having to look up anything I didn’t know; the grammar wasn’t difficult. As for the information, it isn’t entirely detailed but it does provide me with a clear thought with its straight-to-the-point facts. The information itself isn’t generalized either. Like I stated earlier, it contains more of straight-to-the-point, no bullshit facts. And I wouldn’t say that it is very broad either, but it does allow you to think more and research the topic further. The source is definitely legitimate because all of its information is from a study.
If I had to explain this article to someone, I would begin about what the issue actually is: high school biology teachers not teaching evolution in the classroom. Then I would summarize the article and state what high school teachers are doing instead. The main points that the source wants to communicate with me include the statistics and how we might handle this situation. When I need to start writing this paper, I think that coming back to this blog can help me remember my source’s content.
abilitski 
I know that evolution is a huge deal because there are many people who believe in it, and there are also many people who don’t. I can imagine it also being a very controversial topic in your field of Biology Education. In my own experience with biology in high school, I can’t remember this issue ever being brought out into the open in the classroom. I feel like this topic was avoided all together. Maybe this is because the administration at my school was afraid of the consequences of talking about evolution. Maybe they were afraid of how this topic might affect the district or how some parents might make a big fuss about it. Whatever the case was, I can honestly say that evolution was never spoken about in my high school. I am interested to read what you have to write about in your paper!
Hello Amanda! The paper you will be writing for the field controversy assignment sounds very interesting! I am sure that the topic gets an extremely large amount of attention in your field. I would suggest that you try to find sources that contain good/interesting statistics. Finding strong sources which debate both sides of the controversy should be less of a challenge. I am interested in where you stand on the issue as well as I would imagine that his is something that the people in your field frequently discuss. I am currently taking a Biology class here at IUP rwhere the professor is reluctant to discuss evolution even in the college setting because of its ability to frustrate certain students. I’m interested to see what kind of sources you come up with!
This article seems really interesting! It also sounds like it will definitely be useful in writing your paper, since it contains plenty of statistics and research data. I can relate to this topic because I am an education major, and although my degree is aimed towards younger grades, I still may land a job that requires me to teach a science or biology class. The topic of evolution is a very common matter of all biology classes. This seems like such a heated topic where not only are the teachers and students involved, but I am sure the parents of the students have plenty to say as well. I would definitely be timid if it were my duty to teach this sensitive topic. I am interested in seeing what other research you find!
Amanda,
This is an interesting article to me. After reading, I am wondering why it is that teachers are allowed to choose whether or not to teach evolution in the classroom? Is it not part of the curriculum, or is it part and some teachers just choose not to teach it? This is cool to read about because I never really thought before about if the teachers have a say in what they want to teach us. Also, I wonder if a teacher who is very religious and doesn’t believe in evolution would be opposed to teaching it.
-Taylor
This is a very controversial topic and this article seems very interesting. The why you explained gave me more insight as to what is being taught. It interests me and leaves me wanting to knwo more about the topic. Good job!
It is interesting to note how many different approaches there are when it comes to creationism, evolution etc. It would seem as though the people who hired the teachers should be aware of how a teacher aproaches the topic. This will be a good controversy to cover for this paper.