NOT FOR DEBATE: When I was in school, evolution was...

[PachiSusan]

I am very interested in this topic, but not wanting to have a debate over it. My major in college was anthropology/archaeology/sociology/psychology (Called Behavioral Science) and fossils and geology fascinate me. :)

 

I am curious to know what the Moms (and a few Dads that are here) have had as an educational experience about evolution and the origins of life on Earth in Grade/Middle School. I'm not asking about electives in HIgh School, or majors in college, or self education on the subject. I am just wondering how much we were taught in Grade/Middle school about the topic. If you want to answer how old you are and what type of schooling you went to (Private, Public, Charter, Home Educated, etc...) that would be fine. :)

 

For clarity's sake: I don't mean did you have an "Evolutionary Theory" class, but was the concepts of evolution addressed in your science classes?

 

Since I started this thread:

 

I went to a private Catholic school and we were taught evolutionary theory as science's best educated guess as to what might have happened.

 

I am 48 years old, so much scientific studies have advanced tremendously since my days in school. :)

 

ETA that after reading the responses, a thought came to me. I was never even introduced to a Young Earth/Creationist point of view until I came into the home schooling circles and was first introduced to Apologia's Science products. We were taught that evolution was a theory that was the best possible answer, but that God was the agency that caused everything.

[Thea]

I went to public school, however, between 1st and 8th grade, I attending 9 different schools in 4 different states (military step dad) and have no recollection whatsoever. :)

[albeto]

Had to vote "other," sorry! Evolution wasn't taught as a subject, it wasn't separated out. It was simply a part of biology: Dinosaurs lived umpteen millions of years ago; the digestive system evolved to include omnivorous, carnivorous, or vegetarian diets according to umpteen variables; green beans or peas or something show genetic traits; etc, etc, etc. There was no more unit on evolution in my science classes than there was a unit on the numeral zero in math.

[kitten18]

I was in public high school in the lates '80s in a smallish town in Nebraska (almost everyone in town attended a Catholic, Lutheran, or Methodist church).

 

We were taught about evolution in great detail.

 

Eta - evolution was not a separate subject but it was covered fully in life science (jr high) and biology (hs).

[Soror]

I don't remember that far back. It seems I remember the basics from High School ie Darwin, evolution, etc.

[PachiSusan]

Had to vote "other," sorry! Evolution wasn't taught as a subject, it wasn't separated out. It was simply a part of biology: Dinosaurs lived umpteen millions of years ago; the digestive system evolved to include omnivorous, carnivorous, or vegetarian diets according to umpteen variables; green beans or peas or something show genetic traits; etc, etc, etc. There was no more unit on evolution in my science classes than there was a unit on the numeral zero in math.

 

LOL - sorry - I didn't think I needed to get THAT specific. I'll edit into my original post. What I meant was, "Was the subject addressed in your science classes?"

[Element]

Had to vote "other," sorry! Evolution wasn't taught as a subject, it wasn't separated out. It was simply a part of biology: Dinosaurs lived umpteen millions of years ago; the digestive system evolved to include omnivorous, carnivorous, or vegetarian diets according to umpteen variables; green beans or peas or something show genetic traits; etc, etc, etc. There was no more unit on evolution in my science classes than there was a unit on the numeral zero in math.

 

This is how my (Midwestern, 1980s/early 90s) school was too. I voted for cupcakes, though, because... Hey, cupcakes.

[*Michelle*]

1st through 6th grade is pretty much a blur. It may have been a vocabulary word on a worksheet. I know we talked about it in 9th grade biology, but it wasn't a big deal.

 

I went to a parochial school through 3rd grade, public school through 6th, and a public college prep school from 7th-12th

[mazakaal]

Had to vote "other," sorry! Evolution wasn't taught as a subject, it wasn't separated out. It was simply a part of biology: Dinosaurs lived umpteen millions of years ago; the digestive system evolved to include omnivorous, carnivorous, or vegetarian diets according to umpteen variables; green beans or peas or something show genetic traits; etc, etc, etc. There was no more unit on evolution in my science classes than there was a unit on the numeral zero in math.

 

This is how I remember it being covered in my public school in a New York suburb in the 70's/early 80's - not as a subject or unit, but as an assumed fact in other science studies - biology, geology.

[albeto]

 

LOL - sorry - I didn't think I needed to get THAT specific. I'll edit into my original post. What I meant was, "Was the subject addressed in your science classes?"

 

*snort*

 

The answer would be Yes, Yes evolution was addressed in my science classes,

 

:laugh:

[PachiSusan]

 

*snort*

 

The answer would be Yes, Yes evolution was addressed in my science classes,

 

:laugh:

 

You snort, but I know of people who were taught NOTHING of evolution at the age we are talking about here. :ohmy:

[stripe]

Discussed, with an apparently obligatory one sentence nod to Christian anti-evolutionists with some vague language about it being a theory. I don't really remember learning anything in much detail though.

[albeto]

 

You snort, but I know of people who were taught NOTHING of evolution at the age we are talking about here. :ohmy:

 

 

I snorted at the idea that I read so much more into your post than you intended. I was laughing at myself.

 

:)

[Pawz4me]

I'm gonna have to go with "other" because I truly don't remember.

[Aslana]

I was taught it on Biology class along with who Darwin was and what exactly he actually did with his finches. And I was also taught the difference between what science says a theory is and what people understand the definition to be. But it was all done in Biology class in the 80s.

[PachiSusan]

 

I snorted at the idea that I read so much more into your post than you intended. I was laughing at myself.

 

:)

 

 

Ahh, okay!!!! :)

[twoxcell]

I only attended PS for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. The amount of science taught in 4th and 5th was laughable. I believe there was mention of evolution when we talked about dinosaurs and space. In 6th grade we had a separate science class and it was mentioned a bit more but the teacher was a nut and the class was frankly boring so I barely remember.

[Erin]

In grade school it was basic information (we all do know that the Big Bang has nothing to do with evolution, right?), but by upper middle school science classes were fully inclusive of the various systems that make it all work... I remember talking about it in Confirmation class, actually, when I was in 7th grade.

Small town in rural Nebraska, but it was a college town, so there were/are pretty high educational expectations.

[AimeeM]

Had to vote "other," sorry! Evolution wasn't taught as a subject, it wasn't separated out. It was simply a part of biology: Dinosaurs lived umpteen millions of years ago; the digestive system evolved to include omnivorous, carnivorous, or vegetarian diets according to umpteen variables; green beans or peas or something show genetic traits; etc, etc, etc. There was no more unit on evolution in my science classes than there was a unit on the numeral zero in math.

 

I don't remember any science from school, lol. I'm 28. I attended private until grade 3 and then was homeschooled until grade 5, then public middle and high school.

What Albeto described is what my husband remembers from his Catholic school days - no separate subject. He doesn't recall much science before high school though, so what he remembers is from that time. My husband is 45 (just because the OP mentioned her age, lol) and attended Catholic K-12 in a philly outskirt.

[PachiSusan]

In grade school it was basic information (we all do know that the Big Bang has nothing to do with evolution, right?), but by upper middle school science classes were fully inclusive of the various systems that make it all work... I remember talking about it in Confirmation class, actually, when I was in 7th grade.

Small town in rural Nebraska, but it was a college town, so there were/are pretty high educational expectations.

 

 

Of course. I mentioned it because people put it in conjunction with evolutionary theory as well. :)

[Matryoshka]

Well, in grade school I can't remember that we were taught any science whatsoever. We may have grown beans in the window.

 

In jr. high (7th) we had a whole year of Life Science. I can't remember if it came up as a topic. I mainly remember that we did classification, a lot of dissections, and a really cool project involving identifying local flora and fauna. We may have, but I always knew about evolution and accepted it as a normal part of Life Science, so we could well have and I just took it as a matter of course. We always had an annual membership to the science museum, so that and Nova, Nat'l Geographic specials, etc.is where most of my elementary science education came from.

 

We most certainly learned about it quite a bit in the two years of Biology I took at a Catholic high school.

[Mnemosyne]

We covered the basics in science class, but never went really in depth. Most of evolution that was covered was in my high school biology class, having to do with Mendel and his peas and Darwin and that type of thing.

 

The Big Bang was mentioned, but we never really went into it. I'm 22, if it matters, public school educated in the Pacific NW.

[SKL]

In elementary school through 7th grade, I don't believe much was said, but I'm sure it was mentioned. I attended a Lutheran school (LCMS) and the grade 5-8 science teacher made it clear that if evolution theory conflicted with the Bible, the Bible was right. However, the belief was that the 7 days of creation were probably not really 7 "days." There was a verse often cited, that to God, a thousand years is as a day and a day as a thousand years. So they didn't reject evolution outright, but didn't embrace Darwin either. (You didn't ask, but the same was true of my 10th grade biology teacher in public school.) I'm 46. ... Some more info if you care: my Baptist "youth club" had a comprehensive unit on creationism vs. evolution (I was about 14 then). This was the only time I really heard or thought much about the controversy.

[Guest Lumpy]

I'm 33 (for another 2 weeks... eeek!) and went to Catholic schools. Honestly, I don't remember much about science until I hit middle school, and then it was biology and physical science... I think the admin was afraid to touch on evoloution.

[Serenade]

I am 50 and this wasn't discussed much at all. I'm sure it was touched on, and I know I had at least one or two books that talked about evolution, but it wasn't a big deal. I grew up Catholic, and it wasn't a big deal in our family, either. Honestly, I don't think it was much discussed in either middle school or high school. Sure, it was mentioned, and I believe in one class or other we had to memorize the different eras, but it was never a BIG DEAL. I don't think my church ever touched on it, but then again, I was Catholic.

 

In college, I took only two science classes (Geology and Oceanography), and again, I believe the basics were mentioned, but again, it was not a big deal. Nor was it greatly discussed in Anthropology. Honestly, evolution was never something I thought about a whole lot until I started homeschooling about 7 years ago. Now, I was not a particularly scientific person -- my areas of expertise were in the liberal arts category. I am more interested in the sciences now in my old age. :-)

 

What I wonder is, IRL, how many people talk about evolution versus creationism? I never remember, in all my life, a discussion about this topic outside of school. It's not something my friends and I ever sat and talked about. I don't know why it's gotten to be such a big issue. Or is it an issue only among homeschoolers? It's not really that important to most people in their every day lives. It's not part of most jobs. Why is this such a make or break it topic?

 

FWIW, I believe in an old earth, and I believe evolution is possible, and I believe it can be compatible with a Christian life. However, I don't believe everything is known about the beginning of life, and it makes me roll my eyes when people pontificate about it all as if everything is known and all wrapped up. As soon as people think they know it all, they close themselves to new discoveries.

 

ETA: I probably should mention that I went to public schools and universities for my entire education through grad school, with the exception of first grade, when I went to a Catholic school.

[Haiku]

When I was growing up, I didn't know anyone who didn't believe in evolution--even my very Christian friends. It wasn't taught as a specific science subject; it was just there when it was relevant.

 

Creationism seems, to me, to be a recent cultural fad.

 

Tara

[Erin]

There was a verse often cited, that to God, a thousand years is as a day and a day as a thousand years.

 

A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. Ps 90:4

Interestingly, common belief is that Moses wrote this Psalm, as well as the book of Genesis.

Or is it an issue only among homeschoolers?

No, this comes up in public school regularly. Ask your local high school biology teacher. ;) (Or perhaps it's regional)

I vividly remember the first day of General Biology, 20 years ago, at a small college in an extremely conservative area. Dr. Lawson stood in front of the class and said evolution will be taught in this class and there is no debate about the subject. If you want to debate creation, do so in your theology or philosophy classes. This is SCIENCE and as such, we will only be discussing science. Welcome to college!

apparently he'd had issues before.

lol

[Karen in CO]

I went to a private, classical christian school for middle school and high school, and evolution was covered as a basic fact in science class. I had never encountered creationism or young earth ideas until I started homeschooling.

[HRAAB]

Evolution and the origins of the universe were included in our science classes. I attended Catholic school.

[kiana]

I was homeschooled and had never even heard of creationism until I discovered the interwebz. Evolution was assumed as a basic fact.

[Wheres Toto]

Had to vote "other," sorry! Evolution wasn't taught as a subject, it wasn't separated out. It was simply a part of biology: Dinosaurs lived umpteen millions of years ago; the digestive system evolved to include omnivorous, carnivorous, or vegetarian diets according to umpteen variables; green beans or peas or something show genetic traits; etc, etc, etc. There was no more unit on evolution in my science classes than there was a unit on the numeral zero in math.

 

 

Basically this. When it was relevant, it was mentioned as something that was a factor in whatever it was we were studying. I think 7th grade was the first time I learned any details regarding evolution (Darwin, natural selection, mutation) and that was in a general science class that covered all kinds of stuff.

 

I grew up in NJ, graduated high school in 1987 and never knew there were people who didn't "believe" in evolution and an old earth until I started homeschooling 4 years ago. I have since had a discussion about it IRL. Turns out a few of the parents in my 4-H are young earth/no evolution. I was pretty surprised by that.

[ScoutTN]

I voted basic info - that is from very competitive private and boarding schools in the mid 70's through early 80's on the East Coast.

 

But the presuppositions of Darwinism clearly influenced the worldview taught in several of my classes including science, history and literature.

[Crimson Wife]

When I was growing up, I didn't know anyone who didn't believe in evolution--even my very Christian friends. It wasn't taught as a specific science subject; it was just there when it was relevant.

 

Ditto. I didn't realize there was a serious controversy on the subject until I was an adult. None of the Christians I knew growing up held a literal interpretation POV of Genesis.

[melmichigan]

When I was growing up, I didn't know anyone who didn't believe in evolution--even my very Christian friends. It wasn't taught as a specific science subject; it was just there when it was relevant.

 

 

It was the same for me. I hadn't ever heard of the YEC view until I started homeschooling.

[Job384]

Evolution was explained in detail as part of our science classes. I went to a public school in a small town in the south.

 

There were a few people in school who held a YEC view, but I thought that was a far outlier position until I started homeschooling. Surprised by how many YEC folks I met, I looked up a poll about it and found out that that view is very common.

 

I learn something new everyday!

[Upward Journey]

^{I voted other because I honestly can't remember. I *think* we probably had a unit about it in Jr. High (9th grade) and studied it in-depth during AP Bio. later on. The reason I can't remember is because my friends and I liked to debate anything remotely debatable ad naseum, and I know this was one of the topics we had fun with :)}

 

^{edited to add that I went to school in the 80's and I have no idea why my post font is so small. Sorry about that.}

[AK_Mom4]

I went to public school, however, between 1st and 8th grade, I attending 9 different schools in 4 different states (military step dad) and have no recollection whatsoever. :)

 

This is me, but without the moving around. I can't remember ever covering this in school. We did learn about pond scum as in real ponds with real scum, but no evolution was ever mentioned.

 

I had to vote other too.

[Farrar]

I honestly don't remember. Science education was extremely cursory and light through most of school for me. I think it *must* have been covered though because I know by the time I got to high school, I was familiar with the basic outlines. I guess it's possible I read it in a book though and I don't remember that either!

[Violet Crown]

Schooled in Central Texas in the Seventies and Eighties.

 

No mention of evolution in elementary school that I recall. In high school biology, the teacher skipped the evolution chapter, pleading time pressure to get through the book by the end of the year. My best friend's teacher told them to read the chapter themselves and write a short paper explaining their views on evolution (most of her class, including my friend, took an evolution-is-false POV).

 

This was a school district in a heavily Southern Baptist county during the takeover of the SBC, and there was general fear that the school board was about to be controlled by religious conservatives and that jobs might be at stake. I can't say whether there was any basis to that fear, but we all knew the reason for the cold feet.

 

My MIL taught elementary in that ISD until ten years ago. By the time she retired, she had been required to stop teaching her usual unit on mythology, due to parental complaints about teaching about false gods, and was no longer allowed to mention Halloween.

 

ETA: Yes, all this is one of the many reasons we homeschool. I now live in the county immediately south of the one I grew up in, and the ISD here, I'm assured, manages to be just as insufferable (in the other direction) as its neighbor to the north. It's like they feed off each other. A plague o' both their houses.

[rdj2027]

I went to school in Germany but evolution was taught in elementary school as well as my secondary school (which happened to be a private Catholic school run by Jesuits). I am 45.

[happyhomemaker]

We had life science in seventh. Evolution came up then, but not in great detail. We had earth science in eighth and talked about the age of the earth. Evolution was taught heavily in high school in my biology and AP biology classes.

 

I went to ps in the 90s.

[Georgiana Daniels]

I'm embarrassed to admit I don't remember much from the early years of school, lol. But evolution was barely mentioned, from what I do remember. I think it was more "assumed" than studied and discussed. It wasn't until I went to college and took the anthropology classes and worked in the anthro department with the masters students that I had deeper teaching.

 

That said, I still explored and found my own opinions later :)

Edited May 1, 2013 by Georgiana D

[Mandy in TN]

Yeah, right like I remember elementary school or middle school. I can't even tell you if the person who taught science was male or female much less what topics were covered!

 

I do know that old earth and evolution were the basis of my high school biology course.

HTH-

Mandy

[Tenaj]

I remember in fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade each having a fairly extensive emphasis on evolution. I went to a public school and I'm 48 now so that would have been in '75, '76, '77, and '78 (or around there). The main reason I remember is that my church, Sunday School and parents had done a decent job of teaching me to defend creationism and so I distinctly remember answering the questions in the manner the teacher expected and then writing my personal views at the bottom of each test. Several of the teachers commented positively on my additions so I don't think they thought it was obnoxious or anything.

[weederberries]

I grew up in small towns in Texas and attended public schools. Somewhere around 5th grade there was a chapter on "origins" in our science book. I think it was discussed with a host of theories on a wide array of topics, including Big Bang, natural selection, evolution and the scientists behind them. Of note, there was a 1/8 page inset that mentioned "some religious groups" reject these scientific theories in favor of their religious texts' suggestions, though they are not mutually exclusive. It was taught as "here are a bunch of theories."

 

In AP biology in 9th grade, evolution and natural selection were afforded another chapter and probably a week of study, including a video.

 

I know for a fact that my 9th grade teacher was a hard-core creationist, but he handled the topic in class with grace. He was an excellent teacher in general, actually. We spent a lot of time on genetics in that class and on glycolysis. I figure we spent the appropriate week or so on these "origin theories" given their practicality compared with other biological studies.

[Mommy22alyns]

Never addressed at all. In fact, I don't remember much about my science classes except for the last couple of years of high school.

[MASHomeschooler]

For us (PS in Colorado, mid-80s to mid-90s), the basics were included as a matter of course within the relevant classes, similar to others.

 

I think I was in college when I first realized some people didn't believe in it/them, but I remember being SHOCKED when I first realized someone I knew didn't. She was a friend and co-worker in a technical company (we were engineers). We were chatting about the future, and she was considering going back to school in medicine, but was concerned that she would have to take biology classes where evolution would be assumed, and she wasn't sure how to handle that.

 

I wasn't as shocked, but still surprised and disappointed, when I was looking for Life Science/Biology curricula for next year and could not find a single one that includes evolution (we just started homeschooling 6 month ago).

 

ETA: My friend above grew up in Texas, and I'm pretty sure when I first heard of anyone not believing in evolution, it was regarding controversy around including it or Creationism or both in schools in Texas, and it seems I've heard Texas disproportionately mentioned in similar threads. I wonder how highly concentrated (geographically) those who reject evolution are.

[LucyStoner]

It was covered quite a bit during my 5th grade year. I don't recall any science before that besides environment and basic facts (the earth rotates around the sun, plants need water and sunshine to grow, you can count the rings of trees to see how old it is...stuff along those lines.) But most of my science knowledge comes from high school and college and independent study.

 

I grew up in a very religious home. No one rejected evolution or saw Genesis as literal fact. Not my priests, not the nuns, not my family. God created the big bang type thinking.

 

Like many others, young earth creationism was something I was not exposed to much at all.

[Kathryn]

Sorry, I'm an other! Much more than basic, but I wouldn't call it in great detail until college biology and it wasn't a unit study. That's all that was taught though (evolution, natural selection, Big Bang, etc.), no creationism or young earth. I'm 33 and public school educated in the South. I was shocked, as were all my classmates, when we learned about Ussher's chronology in my freshman college Western Civ class. We'd never heard of such a thing and had no idea that people today believed that kind of thing. I really didn't know they did until I started reading about homeschooling.

[Lady Florida.]

I was in elementary school in the 1960's. While both evolution and the big bang theory were accepted by then, there was still much they were discovering. We learned the scientific theories of the day, as part of science class, and in a very matter-of-fact manner. I attended Catholic school from kindergarten to 4th grade, then public school for the rest of my schooling. All of my elementary school years were in New Jersey.