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Alpha Stage
Creation, Evolution, Intelligent Design
May 11, 2007







The New York Times regularly has a feature called, "The Caucus
Blog." Today's blog entry is entitled, "Romney Elaborates on
Evolution."

The article states, "Mr. Romney, a devout Mormon, surprised some
observers when he was not among those Republican candidates
who raised their hands last week when asked at the Republican
presidential debate if they did not believe in evolution..."

In a separate interview, Romney said, ""I believe that God designed
the universe and created the universe..And I believe evolution is
most likely the process he used to create the human body."

Read and comment on the article!!



Discussion-Starters for Younger Children

  • What do your students think that the word God means?
    Have they ever seen God?
  • Consider asking students to write a few sentences in
    which they describe their belief in God. Certainly,
    don't try and encourage students to accept one idea
    over another.

  • Ask your students what they think stood on the site of your
    school one million years ago. If they could travel in a time
    machine back one million years would they want to go?
    Why/why not?
  • Consider asking students to draw pictures of what
    the school site looked like one million years ago.

  • What are the differences between an ant and a monkey?
    What are the differences between a monkey and a human
    being? Do your students think that there are more
    differences between ants or between people? Encourage
    them to describe these differences.
  • Consider using Venn Diagrams to discuss the
    similarities and differences between these different
    types of living things.

  • If two people disagree with one another, does one of the
    people have to be wrong? Encourage your students to
    explain their thoughts.
  • Consider asking students to develop skits in which
    two people disagree on something but neither is
    wrong.


Discussion-Starters for Older Students

  • Vocabulary terms to discuss: "Conservative Christians";
    Evolution; "Intelligent Design"; and, Creationism.

  • Do your students believe that an individual's perspective on
    how the world was begun and developed as it currently
    exists influences one's ability to function as an effective
    President? Why/why not? Should voters be concerned with
    these perspectives? Why/why not?
  • Consider asking students to write persuasive essays
    in response to these questions.

  • Do your students believe that it is important to know theories
    of creationism and intelligent design even if one believes that
    the world began by chance and has developed through
    evolution? Why/why not? If this is important, in what school
    subject should it be learned? Why?
  • These questions might spark an interesting class
    discussion.

  • What do your students think that the word "truth" means? Is
    there a substantive difference between Truth with a capital T
    and truth with a lower-case t. If so, what is it?
  • Ask students to respond to these questions by
    developing an informative graphic organizer.
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