The Alliance for Science is proud to announce the Top Ten Finalists for the 2008 National High School Essay Contest. The essays written by these finalists are now being reviewed by our judging committee to determine our top four prize winners. All of the finalists will receive an award certificate and a previously unannounced book prize (details below).

28-April Update: Finalist awards were sent out via priority mail today.

The finalists are (in alpabetic order by student last name):

The second issue of the Evolution: Education and Outreach" journal has been released. Like the first issue, this one is packed full of materials of interest to science teachers and anyone with an interest in evolution education. There are 24 articles in this issue, ranging from an article by Niles Eldridge on the "evolution" of "punctuated equilibria" to a debate on the merits of using "Inherit the Wind" as a teaching tool. Other notable articles include one by the NCSE's Eugenie Scott and Glenn Branch on the pitfalls of "Opt-Out" policies as a misguided compromise on evolution education.

All too often, the relationship between religion and science is portrayed as two rival armies, dug-in deeply, lobbing shots at one another whenever a target presents itself. On the creationist side, we have groups like Answers in Genesis (operators of that dubious ‘Creation Museum’ near Cincinnati) that would lead people to believe that evolution is the root of all evil and is utterly incompatible with any theistic belief. Among scientists, there are those like Richard Dawkins, who has made a lasting contribution to the advancement of evolutionary biology, but whose atheistic philosophy as promoted in books like The God Delusion, has reinforced the perception of implacable hostility between religion and science.

A new Journal, Evolution: Education and Outreach is now available online. It features an excellent collection of articles, including some by famed scientists such as Niles Eldridge and Ian Tatersall. The articles are short and to the point. One article by John N. Thompson dicusses the need to use the word "evolution" wherever it fits and not use synonyms or euphemisms. Read the rest of this entry...

Help Wanted - volunteers and donations: The Alliance for Science is recruiting volunteers with evolution-related education and/or professional experience to assist us with the contest, particularly with the pre-screening of newly arrived essays. We also seek donations (cash or author-signed evolution books or DVDs preferred) to help us build up our essay contest prize fund.

Volunteer Screener

Essay contest screeners receive emailed packages of 10 to 15 essays to read and rate on a simple 1 to 5 scale. This is to help rapidly identify the best essays. Each essay is rated by at least three screeners, and the ratings are averaged. If we have a large number of submitted essays, we may ask screeners to rate multiple batches if they have the time.

Prizes for Students

Incentives for Sponsoring Teachers

CASH PRIZES.  The teacher of the first place essay winning student will receive a check for $150.00. Second place is good for $100.00. These prizes are intended to help teachers buy teaching materials and supplies for their classrooms. Read the rest of this entry... 2008 Essay Contest Finalists Have Been Announced! Education Click Here to see the top 10 finalists of our 2008 essay contest. For our second annual National High School Essay Contest we invited students to submit essays of not more than 1,000 words on one of two topics -- "Climate and Evolution" or "Agriculture and Evolution."  Click on the links below for more information. Submission deadline is February 29, 2008. 14-JAN-08 Update:  Is the essay you are about to submit as good as last year's winning essays? Gregory Simonian, Merve Fejzula, Shobha Topji, and Linda Zhou wrote excellent essays, and this year we expect even more competition, so give it your best effort. 13-JAN-08 Update:  More prizes! We have received a pledge for four copies of Kansas Vs. Darwin, a documentary about the Kansas Evolution Hearings. Click the link for more details including a video trailer. Also see this review by Alliance Board Member Jerry Jellison. Read the rest of this entry... Six Tips on How To Write a Winning Essay Education By Dick Lessard, Alliance for Science Essay Contest Director When I’m learning a new game, I skim rapidly over the instructions until I get to the part that says “How To Win.” That part I read very carefully. So, for those of you who work the same way, here is your “How To Win” tip sheet for this essay contest. Following these tips won’t guarantee that you’ll win, since there are likely to be many strong contenders. However, if you pay attention to these guidelines, it will definitely help your essay make it to the “playoffs” – the final round of judging where the winners are decided. Read the rest of this entry... Agriculture and Evolution - Essay Ideas Education Important Note: The questions and ideas discussed below are only suggestions of some possible issues students may explore. There is no requirement to address any of them. If you have a better idea for a winning essay, you are encouraged to pursue it, provided it fits within the general topic of agriculture and evolution. Farmers face ever-changing threats like crop-destroying insects, harmful weeds, and new molds and viruses. Ranchers must be concerned with a variety of animal diseases, such as “mad cow disease” and avian flu. Some plants and animals have evolved remarkable ways of protecting themselves, but the threats keep evolving. Farmers and ranchers try to help themselves by selective breeding, crop rotation, antibiotics, pesticides, and other methods. Now genetically modified crops are another way that people might choose to meet the food needs of a growing population. Are the changes brought about by genetic engineering fundamentally different from those that evolution has brought about naturally? Read the rest of this entry... 1 2 3 next page last page Support AfS Tax Deductible Main Menu Alliance Home Mission Statement Announcements Contact Us Join Darwin Day Essay Contest In The News What Evolution Is What Evolution Isn't Why Support Evolution? Members' Opinions Understanding Creationism Blogs Books Get Smart with Links Board Members Event Calendar Alliance Archives Registration Login Registration Copyright ©2008 Alliance for Science