Danon

I would like to ask a small favor of you people out there. I neeed some hel pon a project at school, and it is on evolution vs creation. I am taking the side of evolution (duh), and I have 5 minutes to present something. What would be good topics to talk about to a group of 11/12th graders. They can handel some semi-involved conversation, but I only have 10-15 minutes. If you get any info from books or web sites, please post a link (don't want to plagerize). Anyway, nothing that takes too much time, I would like to hit on 4-6 topics, while still getting the point across and leaving time for Q&A. Thanks. Oh, and how do you get into the private area of this board? I would like to post/read on it. Thanks again.

Quetzal

Danon, I'm not trying to gaff you off, but I'd start with <a href="http://www.talkorigins.org" target="_blank">Talk Origins</a>. They have excellent resource materials. You could pick one or more topics from their archives to start with. TalkOrigins also provides a good deal of preparation for the typical creationist counterarguments.

If you need help on a particular topic, feel free to ask specific questions. There are a lot of really smart people here.

butswana

try here:


<a href="http://www.talkorigins.org/" target="_blank">http://www.talkorigins.org/</a>

Quetzal

Wow, cross-posted!

Oolon Colluphid

Don't forget (it tends to get a bit overlooked) biogeography and the associated convergent evolution. Marsupial moles, thylacines etc in Australasia (where there were no placental insectivore moles or wolves); fossas (a very catlike variety of civet) on Madagascar where there are no 'real' cats, etc.

And ring species are good to. Larus gulls, Ensantina salamanders, etc: one species turning by interbreeding grades into another.

Cheers, Oolon

hyzer

I am very curious – what type of school (secular?) and what type of class is this for? Science?

Arrowman

Danon, as hyzer said - can you tell us more about the nature of the school/class/debate. This will help to target the sort of material and approach you need to use.

- Is the school secular/public, or Christian?
- Is the class science/biology or some sort of comparative religion, or politics/current events?
- What is the general profile of your classmates on this subject?
- What do you think is the main point of the debate - is it
1. Which is true - evolution or creation?
2. Which is more scientific (not quite the same as 1.)?
3. How does evolution work?
4. Which should be taught in public schools?
5. Is it possible to be an "evolutionist" and a Christian?
(etc, etc - or some mix of the above, or something else?)
- Is it a formal debate, or simply a presentation on one side of an issue? Do you have opponents? Do you have team mates? Will there be rebuttal?

Sorry to hit you with so many questions but there are many facets to this subject and you only have a five minute presentation, so any clarification you can give will help the focus of our advice.

[ January 08, 2002: Message edited by: Arrowman ]</p>

Heleilu

This is off-topic, but is a ring species the biological equivalent of a dialect chain? It seems to be, but I'd like to hear it from the horse's mouth.

tronvillain

I imagine it's something similar if people who speak dialects at either end of the chain are incapable of understanding each other.

hyzer

Thanks Arrowman, for expanding the question.

Danon: the key to having a good answer (i.e., being prepared for your debate) is having a carefully defined problem. So, please Danon, keep us informed.