The Monkey Trial: John Scopes and the Battle over Teaching Evolution

Revealing little-known facts about the fight to teach evolution in schools, this riveting account of the dramatic 1925 Scopes Trial (aka “the Monkey Trial”) speaks directly to today's fights over what students learn, the tension between science and religion, the influence of the media on public debate, and the power of one individual to change history.

Arrested? For teaching? John Scopes's crime riveted the world, and crowds flocked to the trial of the man who dared to tell students about a forbidden topic-evolution.

The year was 1925, and discussing Darwin's theory of evolution was illegal in Tennessee classrooms. Lawyers wanted to challenge the law, and businessmen smelled opportunity. But no one imagined the firestorm the Scopes Trial would ignite-or the media circus that would follow.

As reporters, souvenir-hawking vendors, angry protestors, and even real monkeys mobbed the courthouse, a breathless public followed the action live on national radio broadcasts. All were fascinated by the bitter duel between science and religion, an argument that boiled down to the question of who controls what students can learn-an issue that resonates to this day.

Through evocative prose, Anita Sanchez vividly captures the passion, personalities, and pageantry of the infamous “Monkey Trial,” highlighting the quiet dignity of the teacher who stood up for his students' right to learn.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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The Monkey Trial: John Scopes and the Battle over Teaching Evolution

Revealing little-known facts about the fight to teach evolution in schools, this riveting account of the dramatic 1925 Scopes Trial (aka “the Monkey Trial”) speaks directly to today's fights over what students learn, the tension between science and religion, the influence of the media on public debate, and the power of one individual to change history.

Arrested? For teaching? John Scopes's crime riveted the world, and crowds flocked to the trial of the man who dared to tell students about a forbidden topic-evolution.

The year was 1925, and discussing Darwin's theory of evolution was illegal in Tennessee classrooms. Lawyers wanted to challenge the law, and businessmen smelled opportunity. But no one imagined the firestorm the Scopes Trial would ignite-or the media circus that would follow.

As reporters, souvenir-hawking vendors, angry protestors, and even real monkeys mobbed the courthouse, a breathless public followed the action live on national radio broadcasts. All were fascinated by the bitter duel between science and religion, an argument that boiled down to the question of who controls what students can learn-an issue that resonates to this day.

Through evocative prose, Anita Sanchez vividly captures the passion, personalities, and pageantry of the infamous “Monkey Trial,” highlighting the quiet dignity of the teacher who stood up for his students' right to learn.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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The Monkey Trial: John Scopes and the Battle over Teaching Evolution

The Monkey Trial: John Scopes and the Battle over Teaching Evolution

by Anita Sanchez

Narrated by Dalia Ramahi

Unabridged — 2 hours, 44 minutes

The Monkey Trial: John Scopes and the Battle over Teaching Evolution

The Monkey Trial: John Scopes and the Battle over Teaching Evolution

by Anita Sanchez

Narrated by Dalia Ramahi

Unabridged — 2 hours, 44 minutes

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Overview

Revealing little-known facts about the fight to teach evolution in schools, this riveting account of the dramatic 1925 Scopes Trial (aka “the Monkey Trial”) speaks directly to today's fights over what students learn, the tension between science and religion, the influence of the media on public debate, and the power of one individual to change history.

Arrested? For teaching? John Scopes's crime riveted the world, and crowds flocked to the trial of the man who dared to tell students about a forbidden topic-evolution.

The year was 1925, and discussing Darwin's theory of evolution was illegal in Tennessee classrooms. Lawyers wanted to challenge the law, and businessmen smelled opportunity. But no one imagined the firestorm the Scopes Trial would ignite-or the media circus that would follow.

As reporters, souvenir-hawking vendors, angry protestors, and even real monkeys mobbed the courthouse, a breathless public followed the action live on national radio broadcasts. All were fascinated by the bitter duel between science and religion, an argument that boiled down to the question of who controls what students can learn-an issue that resonates to this day.

Through evocative prose, Anita Sanchez vividly captures the passion, personalities, and pageantry of the infamous “Monkey Trial,” highlighting the quiet dignity of the teacher who stood up for his students' right to learn.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.


Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

With cogence aplenty for current national issues, Sanchez expertly sifts a mountain of documentary evidence to present a coherent account of the event [that is] perceptive, well written and reasoned, and as topical as ever.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A lively, solidly researched tale that delivers enduring truths about the lure of controversy.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Compelling and important.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

School Library Journal

★ 03/01/2023

Gr 8 Up—Sanchez delivers a succinct and engaging account of the 1925 Scopes trial, the first legal battle about teaching evolution in public schools. In the early 1920s, several states passed laws that made it illegal to teach evolution, a highly contentious topic. Believing this unconstitutional, the ACLU advertised for teachers willing to be involved in a legal case against these laws. The leaders of Dayton, TN, who were worried about the town's declining economy, saw the ad and thought a big court case would bring much needed money to the town. John Scopes, a young, well-liked, substitute teacher, agreed to admit to teaching evolution and the national media descended upon the town for the trial soon after. The famed William Jennings Bryan volunteered to prosecute the case for the state pro bono while renowned attorney Clarence Darrow led the defense team, also for free. With a hotly debated controversy, new radio technology broadcasting the proceedings live, telegraph transmissions, even airplanes delivering daily film footage for newsreels, the "Monkey Trial" as it was known, captured American attention like nothing before. Sanchez deftly chronicles this dramatic case, accessibly describing the legal strategies while also focusing on the major players. Informative sidebars provide useful background on life during that time; the book is well documented with extensive source notes, bibliography, glossary, and time line. The epilogue brings the story forward with a summary of subsequent cases on evolution and touches on current debates of science versus religion. VERDICT This compelling narrative will be highly appealing to history and legal buffs. An important work, it draws parallels to current divides in American society and supports multiple academic curricula.—Karen T. Bilton

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2022-11-16
With cogence aplenty for current national issues, a look at “monkeyshines” in an infamous 1925 Tennessee trial.

Sanchez expertly sifts a mountain of documentary evidence to present a coherent account of the event—which ballooned from a publicity stunt instigated by local businessmen to a “circus” featuring squads of lawyers, herds of reporters, hordes of spectators, and even a few trained chimpanzees—and to evenhandedly portray the profound clash of values it exposed. She carefully analyzes the characters of John Scopes, a naïve but intelligent and ultimately disaffected substitute teacher, and charismatic populist William Jennings Bryan, among other figures. She explains why all the jurors and other participants were White (and male) but notes some people of color among the crowds of spectators. Along with a generous array of contemporary photos, she also inserts substantial extracts from the high school biology textbook Scopes used—which, it turns out, promoted racist eugenics as well as evolutionary theory—and from the book of Genesis as well as scorching commentary from observers like H.L. Mencken and W.E.B. Du Bois. And if readers aren’t drawn in by the compelling views of courtroom battles and strategy, they will be absorbed by the issues of scientific versus religious truth, of rights to free speech, and divisive regionalism that motivated all the ruckus, being as contentious today as ever. As the author, mulling the question of “Who won the Monkey Trial?” concludes: “The jury is still out.”

Perceptive, well written and reasoned, and (unfortunately) at least as topical as ever. (author’s note, glossary, timeline, source notes, bibliography, annotated resources for young readers, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 11-14)

Product Details

BN ID: 2940174821477
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 03/21/2023
Edition description: Unabridged
Age Range: 8 - 11 Years
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