Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology teachers, there are still misconceptions regarding evolution. Pop science nonsense has led people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This rich website - companion to the PBS series offers teachers with resources which support evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misconceptions that undermine it. It's laid out in a nested "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and difficult subject to teach effectively. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is particularly relevant when discussing the nature of the words themselves.
As such, it is essential to define terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in a simple and efficient manner. The site is both an accompaniment to the 2001 series, but also a resource of its own. The material is presented in a way that assists in navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, the gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution to other concepts in science. The site provides an overview of the way in which evolution has been tested. This information can be used to dispel misconceptions that have been created by the creationists.
It is also possible to get a glossary of terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of heritable traits to become better suited to a particular environment. This is the result of natural selection. It occurs when organisms that have more adaptable traits are more likely survive and reproduce than those with less adaptable characteristics.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor) The most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified through analyzing the DNA of those species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular that contains the necessary information for cell replication. The information is stored in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relation between two species where evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution is evident in the interactions between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) change through an array of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. Changes can be caused by various factors, including natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of a new species may take thousands of years and the process could be slowed or increased due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site tracks through time the emergence of various species of plants and animals with a focus on major changes within each group's past. It also examines the evolution of humans, which is a topic of particular importance to students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The famous skullcap, with the associated bones, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, which was one year after the first edition of the Origin was published, it's highly unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.
While the site focuses on biology, it contains a wealth of information about geology as well as paleontology. One of the most appealing features on the site are a set of timelines that show how climatic and geological conditions have changed over time and a map of the distribution of a few fossil groups that are featured on the site.
While the site is a companion piece to a PBS television show however, it can stand on its own as an excellent resource for teachers and students. The site is very well organized and provides clear links between the introductory content in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more sophisticated elements of the museum's web site. These hyperlinks make it easier to move from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. There are links to John Endler’s experiments with guppies. They illustrate the importance ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has produced many species of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological environment offers many advantages over modern observational or research methods for studying evolutionary processes. Paleobiology can examine not only processes and events that happen frequently or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of various animal groups in space over the course of the geological time.
The site is divided into various paths to learning evolution, including "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a liner path through the science of nature and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The path also examines myths about evolution and also the history of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the other main sections of the Evolution site is equally constructed, with materials that support a variety of curriculum levels and pedagogical styles. The site includes a variety of interactive and multimedia content, including animations, video clips and virtual labs as well as general textual content. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the massive web site.
For 에볼루션코리아 " gives a brief overview of the relationships between corals and their interaction with other organisms. Then, it narrows down to a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in water conditions at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages, provides an excellent introduction to a variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes an overview of the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a key method to understand evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is a common thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A vast collection of books helps in teaching evolution across all disciplines of life sciences.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that provides the depth and the wide range of educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features an "bread crumb structure" that helps students move away from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely related to the fields of research science. For example an animation that explains the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page highlighting John Endler's artificial selection experiments using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this site, which contains an extensive library of multimedia resources related to evolution. The content is organized according to curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in the standards for biology. It contains seven videos specifically intended for use in the classroom. They can be viewed online or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is a field of study that poses many important questions, including the causes of evolution and how quickly it takes place. This is especially true for humans' evolution, where it was difficult to reconcile religious beliefs that held that humanity has a unique position in the universe and a soul with the notion that our physical traits were derived from apes.
There are a variety of other ways in which evolution can take place including natural selection, which is the most popular theory. Scientists also study different types such as genetic drift and sexual selection.
Many fields of inquiry conflict with the literal interpretations of the Bible evolutionary biology has been the subject of fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Some religions have reconciled their beliefs to evolution while others haven't.