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[ Frequently Asked Questions > How Can Origins Be Taught in High School or College? > Questions and Answers ]

Questions and Answers

Q:  Could I do something other than have my students write a major paper?

A:  Yes. Students could be exposed to the same scientific evidence by being asked to do one or more of the following:

Q: Can creation be dealt with scientifically? [See also “How Can the Study of Creation Be Scientific?” on page 316.]

A:  Scientists employ a common but special type of reasoning when they try to explain past, unrepeatable events that had no observers. They first develop a model—or what scientists call a “working hypothesis.” This simply describes what they think happened. Once the model is defined, especially when alternative models are available, observations and measurements can be made that will help raise or lower the model’s plausibility. There are many possible models of origins. However, the two basic models, creation and evolution, can be defined as follows:

The Creation Model of Origins:

The Evolution Model of Origins:

Neither creation nor evolution can explain scientifically what happened at the ultimate beginning (represented by the region in red in Figure 180). The evolution model is completely silent about the origin of matter, space, energy, time, and the laws of chemistry and physics. The farthest back in time most evolutionists claim to go is to a hypothetical “big bang.” They admit that they are scientifically blind prior to such an event. Creationists likewise have no scientific understanding of what happened during the creation event. Nevertheless, to the right of the red region, both models can be tested against the evidence. For any assumed starting condition in the past, scientists frequently ask if the laws of physics and chemistry would produce what we see today. These are certainly scientific questions that give us insight into our beginnings.

Q:  How can those high school students who are underachievers or poorly motivated carry out this project?

A:  Students who might have difficulty carrying out a full-scale research project will understand and enjoy the video tape described on page 395. They may also be directed to the illustrated booklets written by Richard Bliss. These books, which have been tested in hundreds of classrooms, are written at the 8th or 9th grade level. Most students reading below this level can read portions of these books.

Teachers who see students having difficulty may choose to limit them to a narrower topic, such as the fossil record.

Students could be asked such questions as:

Answers to these questions could form an outline for a student’s paper. If the student requires more guidance, references and page numbers could be included with each question.

Students are often surprised that their conclusions differ from those of some scientists—either creationists or evolutionists. The confidence these students have that their answers are more credible than those of certain scientists produces self-confidence and increased interest in science. Students frequently want to explore other aspects of the origins controversy on their own. Generating this sense of excitement and discovery should be an objective of every science curriculum.

Q:  What would the minimum project involve at the high school level?

A:  The following would require only three class periods; they should be spread out over at least three weeks.

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

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