ScienceFreedom.org

USOE Recommends Atheist Lesson Plan

The state of Utah has recommended a Science Lesson Plan^{1 2} compliant with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)³. NGSS is the Science complement to Common Core⁴. The Utah State Office of Education claims that they did not adopt NGSS for grades 6-8 but instead adopted a unique Utah Science and Engineering Education (SEEd) standard. At the time of the adoption of the grades 6-8 SEEd standards, board member Thomas claimed that only 32% of the Utah SEEd standards were based on the NGSS⁵. In contradiction to this 32% figure, a more accurate figure of 95% compliance with the NGSS standards can be shown⁶. In spite of these wildly divergent assessments of the grades 6-8 SEEd standards, they were adopted December 2015⁷.

This NGSS compliant lesson plan recommended by the State Office of Education is designed for grades 6 – 12⁸ in which one of, if not the main point of the science discussed in the lesson, is that “Science” itself shows that there is no God that created the Universe. The lesson plan centers around Stephen Hawking's life which is discussed in a video which is intended to be viewed by the students even multiple times if time permits⁹ after which the students will be explaining that they will be choosing an idea or section from the film that resonates or stands out for them.¹⁰

Stephen Hawking talks in the video about the fundamental question that he was trying to answer in the early 60s. He said "I wondered if the Big Bang could have happened on its own without the need for a god to get it going." In the video, Stephen talks about his conclusion to this fundamental question he was trying to use science to solve, he said: "Then suddenly I had it! I imagined going backwards to the beginning and worked out that right at the start the Universe would have been a singularity too. Here time stops, you’ve reached the true beginning of everything." Stephen Hawking boldly states in the video that, from his science research:

“There is no previous time in which the Universe could have had a cause. It spontaneously created itself in the Big Bang.” - Stephen Hawking¹¹

“Science,” our Utah students are told, “is a distinctive way of understanding the natural world. Science seeks to increase our understanding through empirical evidence.”¹² Science, as we have been lectured by those in charge of Utah's education, requires no “faith.” It is “a way of knowing.”¹³

This lesson plan, simply put then, promotes the notion that “Science,” “a way of knowing.”¹⁴ says that there is no God of the Universe! This is what the State Office of Education says our children should be taught! Let's give our students the science to combat this anti god or “atheist”*¹⁵ lesson plan being pushed in our science classrooms, to our children and our grand children!

The tragedy in all this is, that though some may point to challenges that certain theories in science create for faith, for the public view there is hardly a word said that challenges these theories though there are many scientific points that do refute the position that Hawking and many others have assumed. Bringing out these scientific arguments to the view of the public is the objective of our Science Freedom Group.

- - -

From the video

Stephen Hawking:

(video time 14:00) http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/c1a438df-322b-4f69-9747-5d84002cba6c/the-life-and-research-of-stephen-hawking/

Perhaps because I realized I might not have much time, I renewed my effort to tackle the big question in cosmology in the early 60s:

Many scientist were instinctively opposed to the idea of a Big Bang because it implies a moment of creation, the hand of God. I wondered if the Big Bang could have happened on it's own with out the need for a god to get it going.

The key was in the theory of black holes. ….

I worked relentlessly to see if I could apply the notion of a singularity to the entire Universe. Then suddenly I had it! I imagined going back words to the beginning and worked out that right at the start the Universe would have been a singularity too. Here time stops, you’ve reached the true beginning of everything. There is no previous time in which the Universe could have had a cause. It spontaneously created itself in the Big Bang.