The Idea of an Essay, Volume 2

136 believe students must have an evolutionary background in order to fully appreciate and understand science. Without this teaching, schools limit their students’ potential through intentionally avoiding this important topic. EugeneC. Scott quotesTheodosiusDobzhansky saying, “Without…[the light of evolution, biology] becomes a pile of sundry facts some of them interesting or curious but making no meaningful picture as a whole” (2008). This side, also, accuses its opponent of an ignorance regarding intelligent design, which prevents most educators from teaching the subject in an appropriate and academic manner (Discovery Institute, 2013). On the other hand, intelligent design advocates believe the teaching of only evolution limits students’ intelligence, while adding intelligent design to the curriculum improves critical thinking along with science education (Ratvitch, 2012, p. 199). Some claim the teaching of their theory should be allowed for the sake of “fairness” and “academic freedom” (Ravitch, 2012, p. 192). Other supporters of this recent theory call out for “fairness” in a different manner. These individuals desire the elimination of evolution form the classroom due to its relation to a religion, secular humanism. They see this as a fair response to court decisions, which have pushed intelligent design out of the classroom based on its religious background and parallels. If their theory cannot be taught in school because of its religious tendencies, then evolution should be banned on the same terms (Scott, 2008). This seemingly unsolvable debate has become a problem for science educators. For many teachers, this debate has resulted in reassignments, loss of jobs, and lawsuits, as with John Scopes. Most do not understand what they can or cannot say, leading to avoidable legal action. Despite the confusion, teachers can gather several guidelines for teaching the origins of the earth from the mass of court cases involving the two prominent theories (Stader, Graca, & Stevens, 2010, p. 73). This essay discusses the guidelines for teaching the origins of the earth as determined in several court case rulings. Before looking at court cases and rulings, an understanding of the relationship between creationism and intelligent design, the Frist Amendment, the Establishment Clause, and the definition of science is necessary. Though intelligent design does not mention God but an intelligent designer, it was ruled as an equivalent to