Academic freedom has been denied to religion professors wishing to broach controversial issues in the college classroom. The American Association of University Professors' 1940 statement perpetuates that discrimination and should be repudiated. (MSE)

Provides suggestions on how science teachers can, and should, deal with the nuclear weapons debate in a balanced and critical way. Includes a table outlining points for and against deterrence and disarmament. (JN)

As the United States enters the 21st century, the rich diversity of its people may be its greatest promise and its greatest challenge. The country still struggles with a legacy of racial discrimination and ethnic disparity, even if their forms are subtler today. This book is designed to promote public deliberation that can help individuals find…

This book is intended to assist teachers in dealing with sensitive and controversial topics in secondary U.S. history classes. The book explores topics such as gender, race, Vietnam, and civil rights. It provides specific lessons teachers can use to study conflict. All manner of resources are explained, with an emphasis on how to access those…

Instead of ignoring the controversial issues that emerge from discussions of gender, race, and sexuality, the author of this book addresses these issues head-on through the literature and writing he assigns. The book is about creating opportunities in the English classroom for students to become thoughtful, committed citizens. It is about…

Cites the recent United States State Department's labeling of recent Canadian films--one on nuclear war and two on acid rain--as political propaganda as a sign of the need to review the nature of propaganda. Suggests that teaching students to intelligently evaluate propaganda is preferable to submitting to government dictum. (MM)

Legal decisions and other arguments support the argument that the exclusion of creationism from school curricula is not the result of censorship or bias. Equal-time legislation for creationism has the potential to entangle the state and religion and to make the task of teachers, textbook authors, and publishers nearly impossible. (PP)

Discusses why there are creationists, fundamentalists, and evolutionists. Topics addressed include: modern, primitive and creationist thought; myths; appeal of occult; experiments in naturalistic thought; early evolution of American fundamentalism; militant fundamentalism; fundamentalist activities; Islamic fundamentalism; and others. Suggestions…

Discusses three examples of evolutionary transition in the vertebrate fossil record, considering evolutionary transitions at the species level. Uses archaic squirrel-like Paleocine primates, the earliest primates of modern aspect, as examples. Also reviews new evidence on the origin of whales and their transition from land to sea. (JN)

Regarding sex education in the schools primarily as a means of preventing teenage pregnancy creates misunderstanding about the subject and about human sexuality. This approach is likely to: (1) concentrate on junior/senior high students; (2) focus primarily on females; (3) stress biological rather than emotional development; and (4) cause public…

Discusses the nature of the movement to include scientific creationism in the school curriculum and science textbooks, explains the extent of scientists' acceptance of evolution, and describes actions being taken to counteract creationist efforts in an organized and effective manner. (PGD)

Some of the testimony of the scientists supporting creation science in the creationism trial in Little Rock, Arkansas, is reported. (PB)

Maintains that a comprehensive approach to sex education, emphasizing the central role of human sexuality in the life cycle and devoid of the subterfuges of the past, is imperative and long overdue. Delineates qualities of the sex educator and sounds a challenge to follow the Russian model for sex education. (NEC)

For the past 25 years, environmental education has been a widely discussed, highly politicized cross-curricular area in Great Britain and the United States, with disagreements about its composition and social purpose. Explores whether either or both historical cross-national experiences can guide today's environmental educators. The…

Although teachers often hesitate to raise controversial issues with students, they are in a powerful position to encourage students to get involved and ask questions. At its best, committed teaching redeems education as a moral force. Educators can give students a sense that they should work to improve the world. (SLD)