ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Our homeschool audience includes both ends of the political/social/religious
spectrum as well as the vast middle ground, so we just do our regular
programming. We feel no pressure to modify our course offerings. Knock on
wood... (Just kidding... I'm not caving in to the superstition lobby.)

Jim Taylor
Vice President of Programs & Exhibits
The Health Adventure
P.O. Box 180
Asheville, NC 28802
828-254-6373 Ext. 313
www.thehealthadventure.org
 
The fatal pedagogical error is to throw answers, like stones, at the heads
of those who have not yet asked the questions.  - Paul Tillich
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Colin Purrington
Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 3:02 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Creation museum comments

ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
****************************************************************************
*

Since we're on the topic of evolution and creationism, I've be  
interested in any views on the influence of homeschooling parents at  
your institution.  I know that my local institutes (Franklin  
Institute, Academy of Natural Sciences, and Philadelphia Zoo) all  
have education offerings for the home school crowd.  If (if) this  
crowd is predominantly averse to teaching their kids evolution, the  
institutions get pressured to omit both classes and signage that  
might discuss descent with modification and natural selection.  This  
pressure might be purely indirect and economic -- classes like  
"Darwin goes to the zoo" during the day might not be hugely popular  
with fundamentalist parents, I suspect.  Furthermore, I have been  
told that many zoos have volunteers that seem to be predominantly pro- 
creationism, which might further encourage science institutions to  
avoid evolution.  Zoos in particular seem like THE place to discuss  
evolution, so it seems like there has to be SOME explanation for the  
general lack of evolution coverage.

Any experiences out there to share?

Colin Purrington
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cpurrin1/

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