With an MS in zoology, the author taught high school biology for 38 years, "retired" in 1997. He also taught earth science, physical science, life science and computer programming. In 1998, he deve...view moreWith an MS in zoology, the author taught high school biology for 38 years, "retired" in 1997. He also taught earth science, physical science, life science and computer programming. In 1998, he developed a website for the ENSI program (Evolution and Nature of Science Institutes). The website provides classroom-tested interactive lessons on the nature of science and evolution (including geological age dating). These lessons are freely available for download. In addition, there are many teaching tips and other resources for teaching evolution, the nature of science and related topics. The site continues to be very popular, with upwards of 2,000 hits per month, and more than 800 science teachers on the ENSI listserves. Its lessons are used mostly in high school biology classes as well as many middle school life science classes. They are also used in undergraduate classes and increasingly in AP Biology classes. The textbook "Science Surprises" evolved out of a text supplement the author developed for teaching the nature of science in the 1980s. He has also enjoyed mentoring new science teachers, both directly and online (with the eMSS program out of the UC Santa Cruz New Teacher Center).
The author has published a few articles on teaching evolution and the nature of science:
“The Evolution Solution” in the NABT's "American Biology Teacher" in March, 2006. You can access it easily at http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/evo-solution.html . The article details his approach to teaching evolution and NOS that he used successfully for most of his teaching career.
"Chromosome Connections: Compelling Clues to Common Ancestry" in the NABT's "American Biology Teacher" in February, 2013, available at http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/ABT.ChromConn.2013.pdf . It uses the visible banded features of chromosomes to reveal different lines of compelling evidence of human ancestry.
"Patterns in Time" in NSTA's "Science Scope" in February, 2011, available at
http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/pat.time.article.pdf . Engaging lessons for developing a personal time sense for deep time, and the patterns of separate emergence for the major classes of vertebrates over tens of millions of years.view less