Shot By Shot Analysis

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Nicole Paulsen

ANT101

Susan Smiley

1 October 2005

Evolution

What is evolution? What and who is involved in evolution? Did humans evolve from

monkeys? These are all questions that today's society wants to know the answers to. But yet,

science is still making new discoveries and concise conclusions cannot be made. There are many

controversial issues surrounding the theory of evolution and whether if it should be taught in

schools. There are many benefits to teaching children about evolution and Intelligent Design.

But, many creationist critics feel it is not right to incorporate evolution and Intelligent Design

into middle and high school science curriculum. I feel that this is narrow-minded and selfish of

critics to want to rob society's youth of knowledge and opinion of evolution and Intelligent

Design. I believe that teaching both evolution and Intelligent Design in the middle and high

school science curriculum should be offered to all students.

So what is the theory of evolution? According to module 1, "Is Evolution "Just" a

Theory?" evolution is a way of studying changes from one generation to the next as the

population genetically responds and adapts to a changing environment. A man named Charles

Darwin is known as the creator if evolution. However, this is not true. The idea of evolution had

been around for a while before Darwin even began his studies. What Darwin did invent is the

concept of natural selection and descent with modification. He felt that an unseeing, arbitrary

force of nature called natural selection was responsible for determining which individuals lived

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to produce the most offspring. Darwin based his theory on three assumptions: that a population

has an unlimited ability to expand, but the food and other resources are limited. The lack of

resources results in a struggle for existence between individuals. Individuals within the

population vary in their abilities. Nature acts on these variations, and some individuals

reproduce in greater numbers than others. The third assumption is that offspring inherit their

parents traits. Individuals, who are better adapted to the environment, reproduce in higher

numbers. They pass on their characteristics to their offspring. Over time, new species can

develop. (Module 2, 9-12-05) Therefore, humans did not evolve from chimpanzees and that fact

would be taught and explained if incorporated into the science curriculum.

There are many who agree with the idea of the theory of evolution. Stephen Jay Gould

wrote an article titled, "Evolution as Fact and Theory", in which he states that, "evolution

occurred on the basis of three points: first, abundant, direct, observational evidence of evolution

is in action, from both the field and the laboratory. Secondly, Gould states that the imperfection

of nature reveals evolution. Finally, transitions are often found in the fossil record. (Gould) The

Dover, Pennsylvania school board adopted the teaching of Intelligent Design in biology classes

in October of 2004. Dover is the first school board in the country to have adopted intelligent

design as part of the biology curriculum. (Module b, 9-18-05) Another article supporting the

theory of evolution titled, "The Evolution Wars", states that Darwin's theory is regarded as one

of the best-supported ideas in science, the only explanation for the diversity of life on Earth,

grounded in decades of study and objective evidence. (Wallis, et al) Even President Bush

commented on the idea of supporting lessons of evolution with a discussion of Intelligent

Design. In a pole conducted in June 2005, fifty-five percent of adults said children should be

taught creationism and Intelligent Design, along with evolution in public schools.

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(Wallis, et al) Students should be offered the opportunity to learn about evolution as well as

other theories.

So who is to say whether or not evolution should be a part of science curriculum?

Certainly it is not just one individual who has the power to make it happen. It will take a long

time of educating and compromising before the theory of evolution can be taught and discussed

freely, without someone getting offended. People just need to learn to be open-minded and

allow others to have their own opinions and express them freely. Students should have the right

to know the different theories in science. Therefore, I feel that evolution and Intelligent Design

should be incorporated into