I’ve been meaning to upload samples of research materials used in the writing of Going Ape to the book timeline. Quite a while ago I added links to some videos to a Chapter Nine entry and I added an audio clip to a Chapter Eleven entry. But I haven’t done any updates since. Sorry about that.

Let’s see if I can get things going again. I’ve now added two links to the Chapter Two entry. One is a link to “A Brief Guide to The Teaching of Science in the Secondary Schools.” I quoted a little bit from this publication’s chapter on “The Book of Genesis, and Science” in Going Ape, but there is so much interesting stuff in that chapter and the booklet overall. For instance (page 82):

If the science teacher discovers that his questioner is bent on starting a bitter argument, he must realize that the emotional feelings involved are stronger than the intellectual feelings. These feelings are based on inadequate information on both the teachings of Genesis and the science texts. Under such circumstances it is probably better to give the “soft answer,” and avoid the “vain disputation.” It is doubtful whether information or calm discussion would have any good effect.

Awesome, isn’t it? I encourage you to go find your own favorite passages and post them in the comments. The picture you see above is from page 25.

The other link I added to Chapter Two is to “A Guide: Teaching Moral and Spiritual Values in Florida Schools.” This one is just as quotable, if not more so.

Most confusion on this issue results from a lack of clear differentiation between the function of the church and the home on the one hand and the school on the other.

The basic difference appears to be in the meaning of “teach to believe” and “study to understand.” The church and the home must teach “to believe.” The school must never supplant the church and the home in their responsibility of teaching children “to believe.” The school can, however, reinforce the church and home by cultivating in the children an appreciation and understanding of the moral and spiritual foundations which undergird our American Way of Life.

I went looking for that 1962 publication when I saw a picture of Shirley Correll holding it. Correll is featured in Chapter Four of Going Ape protesting the adoption of various textbooks. Here’s the 1986 photo’s original caption:

Accompanying note “Shirley Correll, from Lakeland, hold up a booklet “Teaching Moral and Spiritual Values In Florida School” distributed by the State Dept. of Education some 40 years ago as she made a point before the Florida Cabinet Tuesday on the subject of a balanced presentation of man’s origin in textbook. The Cabinet unanimously voted against including creationist teaching in biology texts in Florida schools.”

Of course, I had to see what was in that booklet! Thankfully, it’s available online. But the caption is clearly wrong about the “some 40 years ago” thing. It was actually about 24 years ago at that point. Mistakes like that can throw a researcher off, believe me.