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Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial
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Viewing Ideas
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Before Watching
Ask students to describe the
nature of science and the process by which scientists investigate the natural
world. Define "hypothesis" and "theory" for students
and have them come up with examples of each (see The Nature of Science). Organize students into three
groups. Assign each group to take notes on one of the following program topics:
evidence supporting intelligent design as a scientific theory, evidence that ID
is not a scientific theory, and evidence supporting the theory of evolution.
After Watching
Have each group meet and create
a synopsis of its notes to present to class. What was the judge's final
decision? Discuss his ruling with the class. What evidence did he base his
decision on? Ask students to describe some of
the characteristics of science. (Science is a systematic form of inquiry,
based on observation, prediction, reasoning, and testing, that seeks to explain
how the natural universe works. Scientific hypotheses can be tested and
experimental results reproduced or observations repeated.) What kinds of questions do scientists ask? (A
biologist might ask, "How do bees find pollen? When do they collect it?
How do they find their way back to the hive? What is the pollen used
for?") Would an investigation into
animal migration be science? The predictions of an astrologer? The decoding of
the human genome? Psychic mind-reading? Why or why not?
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