K-4 Benchmark II: Know that living things have similarities and differences and that living things change over time.

o Performance standards that follow this benchmark include:

o 3.2 Know that some kinds of organisms that once lived on Earth have become extinct (e.g., dinosaurs) and that others resemble those that are alive today (e.g., alligators, sharks).

o 4.2 Know that a change in physical structure or behavior can improve an organism's chance of survival.

o 4.3 Describe how some living organisms have developed characteristics from generation to generation to improve chances of survival.

5-8 Benchmark II: Understand how traits are passed from one generation to the next and how species evolve.

o Performance standards that follow this benchmark include:

o 6.1 Understand that the fossil record provides data for how living organisms have evolved.

o 7.7 Describe how typical traits may change from generation to generation due to environmental influences.

o 7.8 Explain that diversity within a species is developed by gradual changes over many generations.

o 7.9 Know that organisms can acquire unique characteristics through naturally occurring genetic variations.

o 7.10 Identify adaptations that favor the survival of organisms in their environments.

5-8 Benchmark II: Understand how traits are passed from one generation to the next and how species evolve.

o Performance standards that follow this benchmark include:

o 7.11 Understand the process of natural selection.

o 7.12 Explain how species adapt to changes in the environment or become extinct and that extinction of species is common in the history of living things.

o 7.13 Know that the fossil record documents the appearance, diversification, and extinction of many life forms.

9-12 Benchmark I: Understand how the survival of species depends on biodiversity and on complex interactions, including the cycling of matter and the flow of energy.

o 9-12.9 Understand variation within and among species, including:

o mutations and genetic drift

o factors affecting the survival of an organism

o natural selection

9-12 Benchmark II: Understand the genetic basis for inheritance and the basic concepts of biological evolution.

o 9-12.8 Describe the evidence for the first appearance of life on Earth as one-celled organisms, over 3.5 billion years ago, and for the later appearance of a diversity of multicellular organisms over millions of years.

o 9.12.9 Critically analyze the data and observations supporting the conclusion that the species living on Earth today are related by descent from the ancestral one-celled organisms.

o 9-12.10 Understand the data, observations, and logic supporting the conclusion that species today evolved from earlier, distinctly different species, originating from the ancestral one-celled organisms.

9-12 Benchmark II: Understand the genetic basis for inheritance and the basic concepts of biological evolution.

o 9-12.11 Understand that evolution is a consequence of many factors, including the ability of organisms to reproduce, genetic variability, the effect of limited resources, and natural selection.

o 9-12.12 Explain how natural selection favors individuals who are better able to survive, reproduce, and leave offspring.

o 9-12.13 Analyze how evolution by natural selection and other mechanisms explains many phenomena including the fossil record of ancient life forms and similarities (both physical and molecular) among different species.

9-12 Benchmark I: Examine the scientific theories of the origin, structure, contents, and evolution of the solar system and the universe, and their interconnections.

o Performance standards that follow this benchmark include:

o 9-12.4 Describe the key observations that led to the acceptance of the Big Bang theory and that the age of the universe is over 10 billion years.

9-12 Benchmark II: Examine the scientific theories of the origin, structure, energy, and evolution of the Earth and its atmosphere, and their interconnections.

o Performance standards that follow this benchmark include:

o 9-12.4 Understand the changes in Earth's past and the investigative methods used to determine geologic time, including:

o rock sequences, relative dating, fossil correlation, and radiometric dating

o geologic time scales, historic changes in life forms, and the evidence for absolute ages.

9-12 Benchmark I: Examine and analyze how scientific discoveries and their applications affect the world, and explain how societies influence scientific investigations and applications.

o Performance standards that follow this benchmark state:

o 9-12.10 Describe major historical changes in scientific perspectives (e.g., atomic theory, germs, cosmology, relativity, plate tectonics, evolution) and the experimental observations that triggered them.

o 9-12.16 Understand that reasonable people may disagree about some issues that are of interest to both science and religion (e.g., the origin of life on Earth, the cause of the Big Bang, the future of Earth).

o Section 22.13.1 NMSA

o "The State Board shall require public schools to address state board-approved academic content and performance standards when instructing in specific state board-required subject areas as provided in this section."

o Section 22.10A.3 NMSA

D. Each licensed school employee shall:

(3) if teaching, teach the prescribed courses of instruction."

First Amendment

o Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peacefully to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

McLean v. Arkansas BOE (1982)

o Balanced treatment of evolution and creation science violates the Establishment Clause.

o Creation science is not science.

Edwards v. Aguillard (1987)

o Requiring that creation science be taught if evolution is taught is not constitutional.

References

o Moore, R., and Miksch, K. (2003). "Evolution, Creationism, and the Courts: 20 Questions." The Science Education Review, 2(1).

o "Eight significant court decisions regarding evolution/creation issues." At National Center for Science Education web site, www.natcenscied.org

Letter from Richard Reif to Marshall Berman regarding attempts of local "Intelligent Design" advocates to persuade teachers that the new standards allow teaching of "alternate theories of origin." (PDF). "In no way do the science standards support the teaching of notions of intelligent design or creation science or any of its variations."