Archive for September, 2008
Monday, September 22nd, 2008
Skeptics in the Pub
October 14, 2008 at 7:30 PM
Al’s Whiskey Bar
321 S Clinton St
Syracuse, NY 13202
Map
Come hang out with us at the next Skeptics in the Pub. We can’t wait to see old friends and meet new ones. We’re changing the time because our Skeptics in the Pub super organizer, Jess, has a class and can’t make it any earlier than 7:30.
Speaker Meeting
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
“First Contact: Teaching Evolution to Middle Level Students”
Speaker: Vince Sperrazza
Close View, Shell Imprint Fossil by cobalt123 on Flickr
Business meeting at 6:30
Program at 7:00
Our October meeting will be at a new location. We are moving our meetings around this year to see if we can find a place with the right mix of accessibility, parking, and general ambiance for our needs.
DeWitt Community Library
Buckland Meeting Room
3649 Erie Blvd E
Shoppingtown Mall
DeWitt, NY 13214
Map
The middle school science classroom is often students’ first contact with a scientific presentation on evolution. Veteran middle school teacher Vince Sperrazza will share experiences, recommendations, and resources designed to help educators and prospective educators give students a stimulating, positive introduction to the science of evolution.
The presentation and discussion will include answers to these questions:
What are middle school students like?
What does the NY State Curriculum say about evolution?
How is evolution integrated as the unifying theory of biology in a middle level science classroom?
What successful strategies are useful in introducing the concept of evolution to 12 year olds?
Vince Sperrazza taught middle level science, including evolution, at the Mount Markham Central School District, located in Herkimer County, for 33 years before retiring in June 2006. During his years in the classroom, Vince mentored many student teachers. He authored the article “Evolution and Middle Level Education: Observations and Recommendations” which appeared in the January-April 2005 issue of the journal Reports of the National Center for Science Education. The National Center for Science Education is a “not-for-profit, membership organization providing information and resources for schools, parents and concerned citizens working to keep evolution in public school science education.”
Tags: biology, Evolution, meetings, skeptics in the pub, teaching
Posted in Events | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008
By Mahlon Wagner, Ph. D.
It is estimated that 75% of all Americans will suffer from lower back pain (LBP) at some time. Treatment of this common ailment has been estimated to cost $24 billion every year. (Compare this to the annual cost for treating lung cancer of $4 billion.) continue reading
Tags: alternative medicine, chiropractic, mahlon wagner
Posted in Articles, Members Writings | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008
By David Harding
Ben Stein’s Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed is certainly the most dishonest movie I have ever seen, portraying Intelligent Design supporters as political martyrs to Big Science, academia as the equivalent to the USSR, and doing everything it can to link Charles Darwin and evolution directly to the Holocaust. It truly is despicable and intellectually insipid in a way I thought not possible until now. continue reading
Tags: ben stein, creationism, david harding, Evolution, expelled movie, intelligent design
Posted in Articles, Members Writings | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008
By Bryce Hand
This letter was featured in the Kansas City Star newspaper on November 9, 2005.
To the Editor:
Tuesday was a sad day for Kansas.
Yes, there is controversy surrounding evolution, but only among nonscientists. Those who reject evolution present no arguments scientists haven’t heard (and adequately countered) again and again, and have no special knowledge that scientists have overlooked. continue reading
Tags: bryce hand, creationism, education, Evolution, intelligent design
Posted in Letters, Members Writings | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008
By Janet Factor
When the Ithaca Journal began its “Alternative Ithaca” series, I turned to it eagerly, hoping to find stories of local residents trying out innovative solutions to life. I expected perhaps to read of people whose homes depended only on solar power, or who practiced sustainable farming. Instead, disappointingly, the Journal has chosen to profile a collection of persons who advocate unproven methods of health care. continue reading
Tags: alternative medicine, janet factor
Posted in Articles, Members Writings | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008
I’m a believer in education. I think we need to do a much better job helping science teachers understand the nature of science, understand how to think critically, and help them devise ways of passing this on to the student body more effectively than they are today (at obviously an age-appropriate level). continue reading
Tags: bill busher, creationism, education, eugenie scott, Evolution, intelligent design, national center for science education, theory
Posted in Articles, Interviews, Members Writings | No Comments »
