OKLAHOMA EVOLUTION/CLIMATE NEWS–MARCH 2020
1. Pro-science education legislation in other states
2. University of Oklahoma to host climate education virtual teach-in
3. War on Science video from CBSN Originals
4. Climate and evolution activities at-home learning
5. Greenland’s melting ice raised global sea level by 2.2mm in two months
6. Oklahoma Education to Include Biological Evolution
7. Fossil worm shows us our evolutionary beginnings
8. March videos
PRO-SCIENCE EDUCATION LEGISLATION IN OTHER STATES
Minnesota–Senate File 3949 (PDF), introduced in the Minnesota Senate on March 4, 2020, would, if enacted, encourage public school districts in the state “to include practical, age-appropriate instruction on climate change in … kindergarten through grade 12 curriculum,” with “starting a school garden or composting” offered as examples.Sponsored by Charles E. Wiger (DFL-District 43), the bill is now with the E-12 Finance and Policy Committee, as is the previous climate change education bill previously introduced in Minnesota, Senate Bill 3517. More at NCSE.
Rhode Island–Senate Resolution 2626 (PDF) would, if approved, express the support of the Rhode Island Senate for increased environmental and climate education in the state’s public schools — and the NCSE/Penn State study of climate change education is cited as evidence of the need for the increase.Virtually identical to House Resolution 7471, SR 2626 is sponsored by Valerie J. Lawson (D-District 14), Dawn Euer (D-District 13), V. Susan Sosnowski (D-District 37), Bridget Valverde (D-District 35), and Erin Lynch Prata (D-District 31). More at NCSE.
Hawaii–Senate Concurrent Resolution 58, introduced in the Hawaii Senate on March 3, 2020, would, if adopted, urge the state department of education to “mandate a climate change curriculum in all public schools by no later than school year 2021-2022” and to incorporate such a curriculum in its ten-year plan.
SCR 58 is sponsored by Kaiali‘i Kahele (D-District 1), Stanley Chang (D-District 9), Russell E. Ruderman (D-District 2), Kurt Fevella (R-District 19), Lorraine R. Inouye (D-District 4), Dru Mamo Kanuha (D-District 3), Jarrett Keohokalole (D-District 24), Michelle N. Kidani (D-District 18), and Maile S. L. Shimbukuro (D-District 21). More at NCSE.
As of this writing, there are now fifteen measures directly aimed at supporting climate change education to be introduced in a state legislature in 2020: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Minnesota (two bills), New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York (three bills), Rhode Island (two resolutions), and Washington (two bills).
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA TO HOST CLIMATE EDUCATION VIRTUAL TEACH-IN
The University of Oklahoma is participating in a nationwide virtual teach-in focused on significant actions that can be taken in Oklahoma to help solve climate change.
Solve Climate By 2030 features simultaneous, university-led webinars in almost all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and 10 other countries.
The OU-hosted webinar will bring together experts charged with identifying three ambitious-but-feasible ideas to locally address climate change.
Speakers for the Oklahoma webinar are Mike Stice, dean of the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy; Berrien Moore III, dean of the OU College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences; James C. Collard, director of planning and economic development for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation; and Kylah McNabb, principal at Vesta Strategic Solutions, LLC.
“We hope that people will derive hope for ambitious-but-feasible solutions to address the climate crisis that will work for Oklahoma,” said organizer Lynn Soreghan, director of the OU School of Geosciences.
The event on April 7 is open to members of the public and includes lesson plan guides for teachers.
To learn more and register for the Oklahoma climate solutions webinar, go here or www.solveclimateby2030.org. More at KFOR.
WAR ON SCIENCE VIDEO FROM CBSN ORIGINALS
“The War on Science,” a new episode in the CBSN Originals documentary series REVERB, airing March 8, 2020, examines the intersection of on-line pseudoscience and real-life science education. The video starts:
Melissa Lau, a middle-school science teacher in Piedmont, Oklahoma, with over 19 years of experience, stood by the doorway of her classroom as the last few of her first-period sixth grade students filed in and took their seats.
“Hey guys, you need your papers from yesterday, and a pencil,” said Lau, launching into the day’s lesson. “So, how can I identify misleading information? I know you guys know conspiracy theories. You guys watch enough YouTube to know what that stuff is.” Lau told CBSN Originals that the rise of pseudoscience on the video-sharing platform has made her job teaching science more difficult — and more important.
Since its launch in 2005, YouTube has amassed an audience of over 2 billion monthly active users. Part of the secret of its success is the personalization algorithm that suggests videos based on viewing habits, a process that can create a feedback loop of misinformation. With just a click or two, students can be drawn into debunked and anti-scientific diatribes about climate change, evolution, and even whether the Earth is flat.NCSE is also prominently featured in the video. More at CBS NEWS and NCSE. Video is a the CBS NEWS link.
CLIMATE AND EVOLUTION ACTIVITIES FOR AT-HOME LEARNING
From NCSE, Due to the spread of coronavirus, millions of parents and guardians are finding themselves having to take on the role of parent and teacher this spring. NCSE wants to support you during this unprecedented and challenging time — and to give you the opportunity to make sure that education about climate change and evolution is part of your child’s at-home learning.Climate activitiesEvolution activities
GREENLAND’S MELTING ICE RAISED GLOBAL SEA LEVEL BY 2.2MM IN TWO MONTHS
Last year’s summer was so warm that it helped trigger the loss of 600bn tons of ice from Greenland – enough to raise global sea levels by 2.2mm in just two months, new research has found.
The analysis of satellite data has revealed the astounding loss of ice in just a few months of abnormally high temperatures around the northern pole. Last year was the hottest on record for the Arctic, with the annual minimum extent of sea ice in the region its second-lowest on record.
More at the Guardian and Slashdot. Original paper at Geophysical Research Letters.
OKLAHOMA EDUCATION TO INCLUDE BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
A proposal for new state academic standards could explicitly include biological evolution for the first time in Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma State Board of Education approved new academic standards for science and fine arts on Thursday. The academic standards must come before the Legislature and the governor before implementation next school year.
However, the new standards wouldn’t address evolution as the origin of human life, said Tiffany Neill, executive director of curriculum and instruction for the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Rather, high school biology students will learn how organisms in a population change over a long period of time. Neill said this scientific theory is core to college biology courses and every Advanced Placement biology class.
“It’s such a foundational scientific theory that students encounter and must be proficient for non-science majors and science majors in college,” Neill said. “Every other state around us includes the scientific theory of evolution as a part of their high school biology standards.”
More at the Oklahoman and Science Times. OESE Board member Julie Angle is quoted in the Oklahoman article. The Oklahoman article was republished by the Bartlesville Examiner. The Tulsa World published an op-ed in support of the new standards.
FOSSIL WORM SHOWS US OUR EVOLUTIONARY BEGINNINGS
A worm-like creature that burrowed on the seafloor more than 500 million years ago may be key to the evolution of much of the animal kingdom.
The organism, about the size of a grain of rice, is described as the earliest example yet found in the fossil record of a bilaterian.
These are animals that have a front and back, two symmetrical sides, and openings at either end joined by a gut.
The scientists behind it say the development of bilateral symmetry was a critical step in the evolution of animal life.
It gave organisms the ability to move purposefully and a common, yet successful way to organise their bodies.
A multitude of animals, from worms to insects to dinosaurs to humans, are organised around this same basic bilaterian body plan.
Scott Evans, of the University of California at Riverside, and colleagues have called the organism Ikaria wariootia. More at BBC and the Guardian. Original paper at PNAS.
MARCH VIDEOS
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