Connecticut schools tackle climate change and evolution – Danbury News Times

The new head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, says carbon dioxide is not a primary cause of climate change despite a clear scientific consensus that it is.

Sen. James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, goes even further: He says climate change isnt happening at all, and he once held up a snowball in Congress to prove that global warming isnt real.

But a recent survey showed that most Americans, and most Connecticut residents, accept climate change as a fact. Seventy percent of Americans over 25, and 72 percent of Connecticut residents, agreed with the proposition that global warming is happening.

And if climate change is controversial among todays adults, its likely to be much less controversial among tomorrows: Climate change and similarly controversial topics like evolution are taught as the accepted scientific consensus in Connecticut biology and environmental classes.

And while not every student accepts or should accept the scientific consensus without question, educators say theres seldom much contention in class.

John LaRosa, chair of the science department at Danbury High School, said he hasnt had a student challenge evolution or the reality of climate change since he started at the high school 12 years ago.

Even if they dont believe it, they want to see what science has to offer on the subject, he said.

LaRosa compared studying climate change in science classes to taking a religion course that includes learning about religions different from your own; merely studying one doesnt mean youre required to believe in it, he said.

The state is in the midst of converting school science curriculum to the Next Generation Science Standards, an inquiry-based program created by several states, the National Research Council, the National Science Teachers Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Under the standards, teachers will increase the number of lessons on climate change and related environmental topics.

Evolution, meanwhile, is typically covered in biology classes.

Evolution is not taught as a controversial topic, because its not considered controversial in that discipline, said Newtown Assistant Superintendent Jean Evans Davila.

The Advanced Placement biology curriculum, in use at many schools, is designed according to the standards of the College Board. Its course outline lists four Big Ideas, the first of which is that evolution explains the diversity and unity of life.

Evolution is one of the cornerstones of biology, said Scott Werkhoven, the science department chair at Shepaug Valley School. Its one of the central themes that explains how life arose to what we have today and how things are related.

Ive seen that students are receptive to being presented with evidence they were not aware of, he added. Its up to the student, though, to come up with their beliefs.

But if the existence of climate change is widely accepted, its cause is more controversial.

A nationwide study recently published by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication showed that while 70 percent of adults 25 and older accept it as fact, just 59 percent believe its caused mostly by human activity.

Kim Gallo, principal of Shepaug Valley School in Region 12, said students are encouraged to review scientific literature from multiple viewpoints and to examine data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Students use that information to arrive at their own conclusions but are expected to defend those conclusions with facts.

Students also discuss alternative fuel sources and weigh benefits against costs to see which remedies for climate change make sense to pursue, Gallo added.

In Newtown, teachers discuss the carbon cycle, the natural and human influences on climate change and use the Paris Climate agreement as a way to illustrate how countries can come together to create solutions for global problems. They also focus on how to interpret data, such as correlation and causation.

Theyre thinking as scientists when they approach it, Evans Devila said.

Last year, she said, students did a case study on climate change, researching the issue from scientific, sociological and economic standpoints.

Evas Devila said teachers also have to adhere to state or national standards, which can put boundaries on classroom discussions for certain topics.

This is standards-based age of education, she said.

Like many school districts in the area, Easton, Redding and Region 9 focus on the scientific method more than the political or religious aspects of the issues, said Superintendent Thomas McMorran.

McMorran said educators have to be careful about giving time for expression of viewpoints that conflict with scientific consensus. Students are free to believe what they want, he said, but school programs need to be based in science and religious belief ultimately has no place in the discussion.

The duty of any science program is to teach kids the scientific method of inquiry, he said. When we erode our respect for that process, we are denying the students the benefit of being able to employ critical thinking and make science-based decisions.

kkoerting@newstimes.com; 203-731-3345

See the article here:

Connecticut schools tackle climate change and evolution - Danbury News Times