Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, misinformation about evolution remain. People who have absorbed pop science nonsense often assume that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS program offers teachers resources which support evolution education while avoiding the types of misconceptions that undermine it. It's organized in a "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's not easy to properly teach evolution. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists and even some scientists have been guilty of using a definition that confuses the issue. This is especially true when it comes to discussions about the meaning of the word itself.
It is therefore crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and helpful manner. The site is a companion site to the show that premiered in 2001, but it can also function as an independent resource. The content is presented in a way that assists in navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help define the nature and significance of evolution to other scientific concepts. The site provides an overview of the manner in which evolution has been tested. This information can help dispel myths created by creationists.
You can also access a glossary which contains terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to become more suited to the environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms that have better-adapted characteristics are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to reproduce and survive.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more different species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of those species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A massive biological molecular that contains the information needed for cell replication. The information is contained in a sequence of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are affected by changes in evolutionary processes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator and prey, or host and parasite.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed) develop through a series natural changes in their offspring's traits. These changes can be caused by various factors, including natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of a new species can take thousands of years and the process could be slowed down or accelerated due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or the competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site tracks the evolution of various species of plants and animals over time, focusing on the major shifts that occurred throughout the evolution of each group's history. It also examines the evolution of humans and is a subject that is particularly important for students.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, at a time when only a handful of antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. The famous skullcap, with the bones associated with it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now recognized as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, just a year before the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is highly unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.
The site is mostly an online biology resource, but it also contains a lot of information on paleontology and geology. The website has several features that are especially impressive, including an overview of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also has maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
While the site is a companion to a PBS television show but it also stands on its own as a valuable resource for teachers and students. The site is extremely 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 components of the museum's Web site. These hyperlinks facilitate the move from the enthralling cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. There are links to John Endler's experiments with guppies that demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has led to many species of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geological context offers many advantages over modern observational or experimental methods of studying evolutionary phenomena. In addition to exploring processes and events that occur frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology allows to study the diversity of groups of organisms and their distribution across the geological time.
The website is divided into various paths that can be chosen to gain knowledge about evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," takes the viewer through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. 에볼루션 바카라 explores misconceptions about evolution and the background of evolutionary thought.
Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-developed, with materials that are suited to a variety of educational levels and teaching styles. In addition to the standard textual content, the site offers a wide range of interactive and multimedia resources, such as videos, animations and virtual labs. The content is organized in a nested, bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation within the large Web site.
For instance the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interaction with other organisms. It then concentrates on a specific clam that can communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in water conditions at the level of the reef. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, provide an excellent introduction to a wide variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The information also includes an overview of the importance of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is an important tool for understanding the evolution of changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A wide range of resources supports teaching about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that provides the depth and the broadness in terms of educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also features an encased "bread crumb" structure that helps students transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are closer to the world of research science. An animation that introduces students to the concept of genetics links to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this Web site, which contains an extensive multimedia library of items connected to evolution. The content is organized in the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning goals set forth in the standards for biology. It contains seven videos intended for use in the classroom. They can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
A variety of crucial questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, such as what triggers evolution and how fast it happens. This is particularly true in the case of human evolution which was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a special place in creation and a soul with the notion that human beings have innate physical traits originated from apes.
In addition there are a myriad of ways that evolution can occur with natural selection being the most popular theory. However scientists also study other kinds of evolution, such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among others.
Many fields of inquiry are in conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly controversial debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While some religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, other religions have not.