Here Is What Louisiana Schoolchildren Learn About Evolution

[octoberlib]

Fifth graders in some state-sponsored schools in Louisiana study both creationism and evolution as competing theories. “Fact or Theory?”









http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/here-is-what-louisiana-schoolchildren-learn-about

[2theleft]

1. I'm actually at a loss for words...

I mean, if they want to offer a world religions class, maybe... but this is their SCIENCE???

[octoberlib]

3. It is. Thanks to Bobby Jindal. nt

[IDoMath]

2. How aggravating -

Some of this is good. It talks about how belief creates bias and impairs scientific objectivity ... then it goes off the rails.

"evolutionists" do not believe points 1,3 & 5 as listed above.

1. Natural Selection & the Big Bang are orthogonal/independent theories.
2. Fossils do not show the great geologic ages, but the rock strata they are found in do.
3. This is eugenic theory - which tries to back up a moral belief with scientific data. In fact that notion about humans being the "highest" animal comes directly from christian teachings and has impaired Darwinian theory from the beginning.

[yardwork]

4. This is greatly slanted toward Christian beliefs.

There's even a threat in there - "The Bible says that Christians should be discerning. That means that Christians should understand what is right and wrong."

In other words, kids, if you aren't careful then you might choose the "wrong" thing to believe and you know what that means. You'll end up in hell. Don't be fooled by that creationist stuff. That's the lies of the Devil!"

And we wonder why the deep south votes Republican against their own interests.

[dem in texas]

5. And the taxpayers are footing the bill for this?

I feel sorry for the future of Louisiana if this is what they are teaching. One other thing I notice is that the reading level is very low, I would think it would be more complex for a fifth grader. I guess you have to dumb em' down and reduce their comprehension level so they will believe this garbage.

[spanone]

6. do they teach the earth is flat too?

[GReedDiamond]

12. Don't be silly...if the Earth was flat...

...the Sun couldn't revolve around it!

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. But that allosaurus is damn cool!!!

And kids love them!!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Oh and one last thing

Dinos do indeed live, to this day no less, with humans.

We call it dinner (chicken is a descendant of T-Rex) and some of us share our homes with pet dinosaurs...they just evolved...devil banish me, into parrots.

[PennsylvaniaMatt]

9. "So dinosaurs and man would have lived at the same time"

My IQ dropped down to the single digits when I read that.

[BarackTheVote]

10. This is from a PUBLIC SCHOOL?!

Can't they be sued or something? This is f*cking ridiculous!

[arthritisR_US]

11. This is so bloody sad

[Glassunion]

13. There was a caveat in the article. This is NOT what Louisiana Schoolchildren Learn About Evolution.

These are NOT excerpts from a text book in any public school in LA.

If you read the only comments in to the copy/pasted pages is the following: "Fifth graders in some state-sponsored schools in Louisiana study both creationism and evolution as competing theories. “Fact or Theory?” "

What are "Some state-sponsored" schools? How many are some? And why are they state sponsored?

Is this from a science book from a public school or theology text book from a private school?

The article speculates and seems a bit nefarious in how it is presented. There are zero specifics as to what schools this material is from, what class it is being taught, or even the name of the text book. Is there a reason that the information presented is not given in its full context? Why are the pages presented out of order?

I'm not going to get my feathers ruffled when information is presented in such a preschool manner.

[Ash_F]

14. Voucher schools. Check out this article for details

The article in the OP linked to this same article on another site but the link was broken for me. I still tracked it down with the headline.

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20121119/NEWS01/121119011/Louisiana-may-skip-private-school-certification-rule-?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7C

PS - here is the textbook in question also linked to in the OP article:

http://www.bjupress.com/resources/science/grade-5/

[Glassunion]

17. So how many of the "voucher schools" are teaching this?

According to the article you linked, there are 377 non-public schools. How many of the 377 schools are teaching this? Is it 1 or all 377? Like I said in my other post. The article speculates and seems a bit nefarious in how it is presented.

There are about 1,400 public schools in LA. I would guarantee from the language in the article that not one single one of the public schools in all of LA are teaching this.

The article with the "textbook" pages is a non sequitur to the linked article.

[Ash_F]

20. That's not an article. That is the publisher's own site

Open the preview pages, it is indeed the same textbook.

But you are right in that we don't have any confirmation if all or any of the 377 charter schools use that specific book, but there are not a lot of textbook publishers in this country. There are even fewer creationist textbook publishers. So it is probably a lot more than one.

I too would like more specifics, but the AP article on private school certification does not bode well for outright denying this either.

"We don't look at the quality of the curriculum," said James Garvey of Metairie, who co-chairs the board's School Innovation and Turnaround Committee.

oh boy

[Care Acutely]

21. 1 = too many if ANY tax dollars are involved. n/t

[Glassunion]

23. I agree, however the article is intentionally vague and misleading.

To make the statement "Here Is What Louisiana Schoolchildren Learn About Evolution" followed by textbook clippings would seem to state that in 1700+ schools and 700,000+ students in Louisiana are being taught this curriculum.

This is what I called bullshit on.

This paints a bad picture on the entire state and can be misleading to the outsider that this is what is happening in their entire school system. This leads to a low opinion of the residents of the state. This article is intentionally misleading and is bullshit at best. To label himself as a "reporter" is like me calling myself a doctor because I have applied a band-aid for a paper cut.

[octoberlib]

18. Here's another article

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/louisiana-voucher-program_n_1724259.html

Public dollars in Louisiana's landmark new voucher program will go toward sending children to schools that teach creationism and reject evolution, the Associated Press reports.

Under the new initiative, the most sweeping voucher program in the country, tens of millions of taxpayer dollars will be shifted from public schools to pay private schools, private businesses and private tutors to educate students across Louisiana.

The program is the cornerstone of Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal's bold effort to reform public education in the state. Critics are concerned about funding and fairness -- vouchers would cover the full cost of tuition at more than 120 private schools, including small, Bible-based church schools. Jindal says the program will spur school competition and expand parental choice.

Several of those religious schools that will be receiving public funds to take in new students from public schools also teach curricula that question the age of the universe, defying scientific evidence and theory and promote religious doctrine that "challenges the lessons central to public school science classrooms," according to the AP.

[Glassunion]

19. Again, how many voucher schools are teaching this?

This article does not mention how many schools this is being taught at.

Again, I'm not going to get my feathers ruffled when the "evidence" is presented in such a nefarious manner.

[leftlibdem420]

15. Indian-American governor helps train next generation of David Duke supporters.

How wretchedly ironic. No wonder that asshole (Duke, not Jindal) won over 60% of the White vote in LA.

[Marr]

16. Why can't Creationists seem to understand that evolution has nothing to do with the origins

of the universe?

Without FAIL, these idiots bring up the Big Bang.

[exboyfil]

22. They also bring up abiogenesis which is also

not part of the theory of evolution. Abiogenesis only has hypotheses to explain it at this point. Evolution has a much firmer footing and understanding than cosmological origins (Big Bang). The age of the earth within 200 million years is firmly established. The age of the universe is also pretty much established. All of these things fit together in a self consistent series of established facts based upon physics, observation, and experimentation.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

24. Dover v. Kitzmiller case. Intelligent design is NOT science.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitzmiller_v._Dover_Area_School_District

[Volaris]

25. Lol I only have a problem with this, if the first chapter of that book is NOT

Critical Thinking Skills, or
The SCIENTIFIC METHOD.

But, I would bet like Hell that theyre NOT

And, yes, Kitzmiller v. Dover for the motherfucking WIN. Discovery Instititute got spanked hard. If anyone hasent seen it, go find it online and watch it, it's badass.

[chelsea0011]

26. Dinosaurs were on the ark? All 2 of them? One male and one female? LOL