Nova produced for PBS this very interesting documentary about a town's division over evolution and the theory of Intelligent Design in Biology classrooms. It is the story of Kitzmiller v. Dover School District – a lawsuit brought by parents, including Tammy Kitzmiller, regarding a statement required for Biology classes that posed Intelligent Design as an alternative to Darwinian evolution.
Interviews were conducted with parents, members of the community, teachers, authors of texts on Intelligent Design, and subject experts. The documentary discussed the views of Creationists, the differences between Creationism and Intelligent Design, and why people in the community supported one side of the argument or the other. It followed the case through the courts and provided reenactments of various elements of the trial that help the viewer see why the case was decided in favor of the parents so that the statement is no longer required to read in their science classes.
One of the best features of this documentary, for me, was the chance to become more educated on both sides of the issue. Science is not my area of expertise, so I learned a lot about what evolution is and how it's supposed to work. I learned a lot of details about the theory behind Intelligent Design. And most importantly, I discovered why discussing politics and religion is so taboo at the dinner table. This is an excellent examination of scientific teaching and of how the evidence presented in court affects our lives. ~ Jana Atkins
