Background: Argumentation, the justification of claims with reasons and/or evidence, has emerged as a significant goal in science education in recent years. Yet, there is limited understanding of secondary students' arguments and particularly their use of warrants in interdisciplinary contexts such as science and religious education. Furthermore,…

The author of this article was surprised to read in the December 21, 2005, Ann Arbor News that "The Ann Arbor-based Thomas More Law Center, which represented the Dover [Pennsylvania] School District in its federal case for the teaching of intelligent design, has threatened to sue Gull Lake [Michigan] Community Schools over its policy that…

The question of whether "intelligent design" amounts to legitimate science, pseudo-science, or religion masquerading as science has underwent a potentially historic legal test, as a federal court in Pennsylvania considered whether a public school district can require that students be exposed to the controversial concept. Eleven parents…