Name ______Period ______
The Scopes Monkey Trial, Evolution and Intelligent Design: A Webquest
Step I Directions: Begin your lesson by typing in the following website address:
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/scopes.htm
Read the introduction entitled “The Scopes Trial: An Introduction” and answer the following questions:
1. Give three examples of how American society was changing in the 1920’s?
a.
b.
c.
2. In what region of the country did a new wave of religious revivalism develop?
3. Was William Jennings Bryan a fundamentalist or a creationist? Explain the difference between the two.
4. What group was for the teaching of evolution in schools?
5. Did the Scopes trial solve the problem of teaching evolution in schools? Why or why not, and give examples to support your answer.
6. Who was George Rappalyea, and what role did he play in this matter?
7. What was the final decision made in the case?
Step 2 Directions: Click on the “Continued” link to move to the next page. Then click on the Dayton, Tennessee link.
Dayton, Tennessee: http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/DAYTON.HTM
1. List four businesses located in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925.
a.
b.
c.
d.
2. According to H.L. Mencken, what four items were missing from the community?
a.
b.
c.
d.
3. How many people lived in Dayton? How many churches were there?
4. How did Clarence Darrow’s wife describe the Dayton people?
Step 3 Directions: When you have completed the above questions, hit the “back” button on your browser and return to the previous page. Click on the “Tennessee Anti-Evolution Statute” link.
Tennessee Anti-Evolution Law: http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/tennstat.htm
1. What does this law do?
2. According to this law, what religious book should be used for teaching?
3. What is the fine if a teacher does not follow this law?
4. When was this law adopted? When did the Scopes trial take place?
Step 4 Directions: When you have completed the above questions, hit the “back” button on your browser and return to the previous page. Click on the John Scopes link.
John Scopes: http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/Sco_sco.htm
1. Who was John Scopes? What did he do for a living?
2. Who was the major influence in the life of John Scopes?
3. List the communities in which John Scopes lived as a child and young man.
4. Why did John Scopes move to Dayton, Tennessee in 1924?
5. To what group of students did John Scopes teach the theory of evolution?
Step 5 Directions:
Aftermath of the Scopes Monkey Trial: The Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925 has continued to evolve and develop right through to the current day. In 1927, the Tennessee State Supreme Court threw out the conviction of Scopes on a technicality – the jury, not the judge, should rule on any penalty that Scopes faced. The issue was later examined by the United State Supreme Court in the case of Epperson v. Arkansas. This case resulted in the Supreme Court ruling that said that an Arkansas law prohibiting the teaching of evolution in the public schools was illegal. This decision meant that states could not ban the teaching of Darwin’s theory in school. In 1987, the Supreme Court further decided that state laws mandating that creationism be taught in the public schools were illegal. The case is Edwards v. Aquillard.
The most recent court decisions in the creationism vs. evolution debate came in 2005 when a Pennsylvania federal court judge ruled on the issue of Intelligent Design, a theory that holds that some parts of science were created by a supernatural being.
Please click on the following weblink to access a story on this topic and answer the following questions:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10545387/
1. What decision did Judge John Jones make in his December 20, 2005 court case on the teaching of Intelligent Design?
2. What does Intelligent Design believe?
3. What did Judge Jones say was the true goal of the Intelligent Design movement?
4. Earlier in December 2005, there was an incident in Georgia concerning the teaching of evolution in the classroom. Describe this situation.
5. Judge Jones said that “ID is not science,” then listed at least three reasons why it isn’t. Please describe his arguments in your own words.