Home>	Misconceptions

	Misconception: “Teachers should teach ‘both sides’ and let students decide for themselves. ”
	Response: Given the wide variety of religious views about creation, there are not simply "two sides" to be compared — and, in any case, these views are not science and do not belong in a science classroom. In science class, students should have opportunities to discuss the merits of arguments within the scope of science. For example, students might debate exactly where birds branched off of the tree of life: before dinosaurs or from within the dinosaur clade. In contrast, a debate pitting a scientific concept against a religious belief has no place in a science class and misleadingly suggests that a "choice" between the two must be made. The "fairness" argument has been used by groups attempting to insinuate their religious beliefs into science curricula.	Misconception: Evolution is a "Religion"

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