The Tampa Tribune published a story today about this week’s upcoming Controversial Issues Workshop.
Among the groups participating are the National Center for Science Education, Florida Citizens for Science and the Coalition for Science Literacy.
Debra Walker, a Monroe County School Board member who served on the committee that rewrote the state’s science standards, will discuss “Top 10 Myths about Teaching Evolution.”
She said working on the science standards, approved in February 2008 by the Florida Board of Education, proved to be an eye opener.
“I was shocked at how many districts just totally ignored evolution,” Walker said.
Walker, an archaeologist, said one myth science teachers confront involves Earth’s age. Some students arrive with the misconception that Earth is just a few thousand years old. Scientists, though, gauge the planet’s age at about 4.5 billion years.
It’s good to see that the reporter didn’t try to provide a false “balance” by digging up any creationists or some such garbage. I do like how the reporter tied in the recent Pew Research Center poll, though.
Most of the comments readers left with the story are surprisingly positive. At least the ones I read so far.
