UA ALLELE Lecture Series Explores Teaching Evolution in American Classrooms

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Teaching evolution in American classrooms will be examined in the Alabama Lectures on Life’s Evolution, known as ALLELE, lecture series Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in room 127 of the Biology Building on The University of Alabama campus.

It will include a screening of the documentary film “No Dinosaurs in Heaven,” featuring National Center for Science Education executive director Dr. Eugenie Scott and filmmaker Greta Schiller. It is free and open to the public.

“No Dinosaurs in Heaven” examines how religious groups have influenced science education in today’s classroom by pointing out issues of creationists who earn science education degrees only to advocate anti-scientific beliefs in their own classrooms. The film also follows Scott as she rafts down the Colorado River and uses the Grand Canyon to debunk, according to the film, many creationists’ explanations for its formation.

Scott is an internationally-known expert on the creationism and evolution controversy, and she is the author of “Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction” and co-editor, with Glenn Branch, of “Not in Our Classrooms: Why Intelligent Design is Wrong for our Schools.”

She is the recipient of numerous awards from scientists and educators and is called upon by the press and other media to explain science and evolution to the general public.

Schiller is an Emmy Award-winning director and more recently, a science educator, who launched her career in 1984 with the PBS broadcast of “Before Stonewall.” She is the first recipient of the Fulbright Arts Fellowship. She has taught informal science-by-inquiry classes for the Central Park Conservancy, The After-School Corp. and the Audubon Society, and she has done professional development for science teacher training programs.

While on campus, Scott and Schiller will visit classes in anthropology and telecommunications and film. They will also be available to field questions after the screening of their film.

Scott will also give a talk titled “Creationism, Evolution, Education —and Politics” on Friday, Jan. 27 at 3:30 p.m. in room 22 of ten Hoor Hall.

The presentation is part of the 2011-2012 ALLELE series, now in its sixth year. It is supported by UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, Honors College, Blount Undergraduate Initiative, New College, Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology and Counseling, and the departments of anthropology, biological sciences, chemistry, English, gender and race studies, geological sciences, history, philosophy, psychology and telecommunications and film.

The ALLELE lecture series is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.