Resources on Evolution And Creationism

BOOKS for Adults

Berra, Tim M. “Evolution and the Myth of Creationism” (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1990). A concise, readable 200-page guide to the theory of evolution and some of the creationists’ common objections. A good reference for the non-scientist.

Gould, Stephen Jay. “Bully for Brontosaurus: Reflections in Natural History” (New York: Norton, 1991), and “Dinosaur in a Haystack: Reflections in Natural History” (New York: Harmony Books, 1995). Both of these books by the popular Harvard paleontologist give the reader a digestible dose of sophisticated evidence supporting evolutionary theory, and the attempts by religious fundamentalists to twist that evidence to support their own claims. “Bully for Brontosaurus” in particular provides a revealing history of the objections raised by anti-evolutionists.

BOOKS for Children

Cole, Joanna. “The Human Body: How We Evolved” (New York: William Morrow and Co., 1987). Traces the development of humans from early prehistoric ancestors to the modern-tool user who walks upright. 3rd grade and up.

Sattler, Helen Roney. “Hominids: A Look Back At Our Ancestors” (New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1988). Describes through line drawings and text the various hominids which preceded homo sapiens, as deduced from fossil remains. 5th grade and up.

Stein, Sara. “The Evolution Book” (New York: Workman Publishing Co., 1986). A 390-page book bursting with experiments, investigations, projects, and pictures that show readers how to unlock the wonders of nature and evolution. 5th grade and up.

ASSOCIATIONS

Americans United for Separation of Church and State. 1816 Jefferson Place NW, Washington, DC 20036. 202-466-3234; fax 202-466-2587. e-mail: americansunited@au.org; Web site: http://www.au.org. Founded in 1947, Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a nonpartisan, nonprofit educational organization promoting the principle of church-state separation as an essential constitutional guarantee of religious liberty.

The National Association of Biology Teachers. 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, #19, Reston, VA 20190-5202. 703-471-1134 or 800-406-0775; fax 703-435-5582. e-mail: : NABTer@aol.com; Web site: http://www.nabt.org. The largest national association of biology and life science educators, with more than 7,000 members. It offers position papers and resources on a variety of issues, including the teaching of evolution.

The National Center for Science Education. PO Box 9477, Berkeley, CA 94709-0477. 510-526-1674 or 800-290-6006; fax 510-526-1675. e-mail:ncse@NatCenSciEd.org ; Web site: http://www.natcenscied.org. The National Center for Science Education supports the teaching of evolution and keeping religious views that masquerade as science out of the classroom. It offers a variety of resources including publications, workshops, expert testimony for school board hearings, and advice on how to organize for political action.

National Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty (PEARL). 165 E. 56th St, New York, NY 10022. 212-750-6461. A coalition of 55 member groups, ranging from the Baptist Joint Committee to the National Education Association and the National Council of Jewish Women, committed to keeping church and state separate in school systems and to maintaining public schools as safe havens for people of all creeds. PEARL focuses on litigation.

The National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201-3000. 703-243-7100. Web site: http://www.nsta.org. The largest science-teaching organization, with more than 53,000 members, NSTA produces a wide variety of publications for children and adults, and provides programs and services for science educators, including professional certification for science teachers in eight teaching-level and discipline-area categories. Its position paper on evolution includes detailed curriculum recommendations.

People for the American Way. 2000 M. St., NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20006. 202-467-4999. e-mail: : pfaw@pfaw.org ; Web site: http://www.pfaw.org. Probably the best single source of information on the religious right, this group publishes a variety of reports.

The Institute for Creation Research. 10946 Woodside Ave., North Santee, CA 92071. 619-448-0900; fax 619-448-3469. Web site: http://www.icr.org. One of the most vocal and prolific organizations promoting creationism and attacking evolution, ICR puts forth the position that “all genuine facts of science support the Bible,” and states its mission as “to see science return to its rightful God-glorifying position.” A very candid and comprehensive look at what creationists believe and what they seek to accomplish.

ALSO ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB

The Talk.Origins Archive. Web site: http://www.talkorigins.org. The archive is an outgrowth of the talk.origins Usenet newsgroup, where discussions focus on the creation/evolution struggle and related science topics. It includes a tremendous volume of material on the scientific basis of evolutionary theory and those who seek to discredit it, arranged in a very accessible fashion. This is a great first step to see what’s “out there on the web” on evolution and creationism.