A number of new resources on evolution education, and in particular that focus on dealing with challenges to teaching evolution, have become available in the past year. In November 2007, NOVA aired Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial, a documentary about Kitzmiller et al. vs. Dover Area School District. Accompanying the program is a series of resources designed to help teachers deal with the controversies encountered when teaching evolution. Also, the National Center for Science Education launches a new website in 2008, complete with new evolution education resources for teachers. We will present resources developed by staff at the National Center for Science Education which include both actions teachers can take to better prepare themselves for dealing with the controversy as well as lesson plans based on the evidence for evolution presented during the trial.

The Kitzmiller v. Dover trial striking down Intelligent Design was a victory for science education, but an expensive, time consuming, and distracting experience for the school district and its teachers. The panel has decades of experience on avoiding such lawsuits to share with teachers. It is important to avoid corrupting science education by either denigrating evolution, or encouraging some form of creationism to be taught. Case studies will be discussed and questions taken.

Join us for a discussion of common roadblocks and some new ways to use jelly beans to teach natural selection.

Barbara Forrest, Professor of Philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University and a member of NCSE's board of directors, will discuss "Inside Creationism's Trojan Horse: A Closer Look at Intelligent Design" when she delivers SUNY Oswego's 21st annual Warren Steinkraus Lecture on Human Ideals on Saturday, Oct. 4. The annual Steinkraus Lectures are free and open to the public.