Editorial

Welcome!

We are delighted to introduce the first issue of our new journal: Evolution: Education and Outreach. We are a father-and-son team dedicated to the development, dissemination, and education of evolutionary science. Niles is a paleontologist and evolutionary biologist (“punctuated equilibria”) on the staff of the American Museum of Natural History since 1969 (see http://www.nileseldredge.com); Greg is a Special Education High School Science teacher at John F. Kennedy in the Bronx, N.Y. Together with Greg’s brother Doug (also a high school teacher), the three of us previously teamed up to produce The Fossil Factory—a successful kid’s book on fossils, evolution, and plate tectonics still in print.

Since announcing this journal to the press, the overwhelmingly positive response has made it clear that this is a journal whose time has come—a much needed outlet for contributions that help bring together the disparate worlds of science and education.

Thus, our goal for this journal is nothing less than to provide direct linkage between the worlds of scientific research and the K-16 classroom. We have assembled an impressive team of scientists, educational experts, and teachers to form our initial editorial board. Our journal, to be published quarterly, will contain peer-reviewed articles by scientists—generally accompanied by lesson plans; peer-reviewed articles by educators on curriculum and teaching issues; “personal essays”—reflections by scientists and teachers on their thoughts and experiences on a wide range of subject matter; and “collaborative essays” by teams consisting of scientists/scholars writing with teachers to produce materials directly appropriate to classroom use. Each issue features a contribution—“Views from Understanding Evolution”—from Anna Thanukos and her colleagues at the Museum of Paleontology, University of California at Berkeley, and a column from Eugenie Scott and her staff at the National Center for Science education entitled “Overcoming Obstacles to Science Education.” In addition, interviews with well-known scientists and educators; reviews; letters from readers; several news columns—covering emerging issues in science, in the classroom, and on the internet; puzzles and other features. Our aim: to produce a riveting issue every time—a “must read” from cover to cover!

We are very pleased with the contents of this, our very first issue. The science articles are timely, while the lesson plans and educational contributions will provide direct help where it is most needed: for teachers in the classroom. Our “op-ed” style “personal essays” in this issue are a great start to our goal of providing a unique outlet for evolutionary biologists and educators alike to speak their minds on evolutionary science, its communication and place in society. We think you will also enjoy reading award-winning novelist Andrea Barrett’s review of Gordy Slack’s new book on the recent “Intelligent Design” trial in Dover, Pennsylvania—as well as the veteran exhibition designer Willard Whitson’s review of the new “Hall of Human Origins” at the American Museum of Natural History, and Mick Wycoff’s revealing interview of NCSE founding Executive Director Eugenie Scott. Plus our “reports from the field” and our “What’s New” column.

Please join us! Send us your thoughts, your letters, your personal essays, and your professional manuscripts! Please submit all potential contributions directly through the Editorial manager system—which can be found at http://www.editorialmanager.com/evoo/default.asp.

We hope you enjoy the first issue of Evolution: Outreach and Education. Please join us in this important work!