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Discovering Intelligent Design

A Journey Into the Scientific Evidence Original Article

Discovering Intelligent Design (DID) is the first full curriculum to present the scientific evidence for intelligent design in both cosmology and biology in an easy-to-understand format. The curriculum includes a textbook, a workbook, and a DVD with multimedia video clips that are integrated into the readings. Developed by home school educators Gary and Hallie Kemper, and Discovery Institute Research Coordinator Casey Luskin, Discovering ID uniquely fills a specific niche in the intelligent design literature.

Who can use DID? In a word (or two), most anyone. While best classified as a textbook, DID reads like a book and is intended for a wide range of ages — from middle-schoolers to adult — in settings such as private schools, a general family and home setting, homeschool, church environments, small discussion groups, extracurricular school organizations (such as IDEA Clubs), or personal use. When used as a textbook, DID is not intended to replace standard subject science texts, but instead can supplement them by presenting information not available in many standard textbooks. While DID is strictly scientific in its content, it is not recommended for use in public schools.

DID was written to fill a specific niche. There are other excellent textbooks about intelligent design, such as The Design of Life: Discovering Signs of Intelligence in Biological Systems, which provides a compelling and thorough presentation of the scientific evidence. However, those texts are written at an advanced level and do not comprehensively cover both the biological and cosmological evidence for design. Another superb textbook is Explore Evolution: The Arguments For and Against Neo-Darwinism; however that supplemental textbook focuses only on biology and evolution, and does not cover cosmology or intelligent design. Finally, there are numerous other high quality books available on intelligent design — but they are either not written as a study tool, or include religious components. Discovering ID stands out as the only strictly scientific textbook that comprehensively introduces both the cosmological and biological evidence for intelligent design at a layperson’s level.

DID has been written as a stand-alone text; however, it can also be used in conjunction with a companion DVD to create an integrated multimedia learning experience. Throughout the book, prompts encourage readers to watch DVD segments, which have been drawn from four highly regarded documentaries: Unlocking the Mystery of Life, The Privileged Planet, Darwin’s Dilemma, and Icons of Evolution.

At the beginning of each chapter, readers will find a thought-provoking question to introduce the material. Each chapter concludes with multiple discussion questions to allow reflection and further investigation. Instructors or discussion group leaders will find these questions valuable in encouraging critical thinking. In addition, a separate workbook with review questions, vocabulary questions, essay questions, and inquiry activities has been created to enhance the book’s educational value for younger readers and students.

For more information about the curriculum, visit www.discoveringid.org

Casey Luskin

Associate Director and Senior Fellow, Center for Science and Culture
Casey Luskin is a geologist and an attorney with graduate degrees in science and law, giving him expertise in both the scientific and legal dimensions of the debate over evolution. He earned his PhD in Geology from the University of Johannesburg, and BS and MS degrees in Earth Sciences from the University of California, San Diego, where he studied evolution extensively at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. His law degree is from the University of San Diego, where he focused his studies on First Amendment law, education law, and environmental law.

Gary Kemper

While Gary was still an undergraduate, testing revealed that he had an unusually high aptitude for scientific analysis. At the age of 19 he began a career as an aerospace systems analyst. He eventually moved on to the entertainment industry and learned the craft of writing. A former skeptic of intelligent design (ID), Gary became a strong supporter of ID after becoming aware of the enormous amount of academic and media misinformation on the subject.

Hallie Kemper

Hallie is a longtime homeschool educator in California, who has taught classes in ecology, botany, and intelligent design with multiple homeschool education groups in the greater Los Angeles Area. Her unsuccessful search for an ID curriculum led her and her husband to write the first draft of this book.