Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions about evolution persist. Pop science nonsense has led people to believe that biologists don't believe evolution.
This rich Web site, which is a complement to the PBS program, provides teachers with materials that support the evolution of education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that can make it difficult to understand. It's laid out in the "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and difficult subject to teach effectively. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject, and some scientists even employ a definition that confuses it. This is especially true when it comes to discussions on the meaning of the word itself.
It is therefore important to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in a simple and efficient way. The site is a companion site to the show which first aired in 2001, but it can also function as an independent resource. The content is presented in a structured way that makes it easy to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms like common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution with other scientific concepts. The site also provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been tested and confirmed. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been propagated by the creationists.
You can also access a glossary that includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for hereditary traits to become more adaptable to a specific environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms that have better-adapted characteristics are more likely than those with less-adapted characteristics to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more distinct species. By analyzing the DNA from these species it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular containing the necessary information for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution: A relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution is evident in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed) develop through a series natural changes in their offspring's traits. These changes can be caused by many factors, such as natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as changes in the climate or competition for food resources and habitat, can slow or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks the evolution of a number of different animal and plant groups through time, focusing on the major shifts that occurred throughout the evolution of each group's history. It also explores human evolution, which is a topic of particular importance for students.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, when just a handful of antediluvian fossils of humans had been found. The famous skullcap, along with the associated bones, 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, a year before the first edition of the Origin was published, it is highly unlikely that Darwin had seen or heard of it.
The site is mostly a biology site however, it also has lots of information about geology and paleontology. The most impressive features of the website are a timeline of events that illustrate how geological and climatic conditions have changed over time and an outline of the geographical distribution of some fossil groups that are featured on the site.
While 에볼루션 슬롯 is a companion piece to the PBS television show however, it can stand on its own as a great source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers clear links between the introduction material in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specific elements of the museum's web site. These links make it easier to move from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. There are also links to John Endler's experiments with guppies. They illustrate the importance ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has led to a variety of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geological environment is a superior method of study over the current observational or experimental methods for exploring evolutionary processes. In addition to examining processes and events that take place frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology allows to study the relative abundance of various species of organisms and their distribution across the geological time.
The Web site is divided into various pathways to understanding evolution, including "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a liner path through the scientific process and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The path also examines myths regarding evolution, and the background of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other main sections of the Evolution site is equally constructed, with materials that can be used to support a range of curriculum levels and pedagogical styles. In addition to general textual content, the site features an array of multimedia and interactive content including videos, animations and virtual laboratories. The breadcrumb-like structure of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the vast web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections", for example, gives a brief overview of coral relationships, their interaction with other organisms and then is enlarged to show one clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages, gives a good introduction to a 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 in understanding 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 the disciplines of life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's television series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that provides the depth and the broadness in terms of educational resources. The site has a wide array of interactive learning modules. It also has an encased "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this large Web site more closely linked to the field of research science. For example an animation that introduces the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website contains a large multimedia library of materials that deal to evolution. The content is organized into the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It contains seven videos designed specifically for use in classrooms, and can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD.
A number of important questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, such as what triggers evolution and how fast it happens. This is particularly relevant to human evolution, which has made it difficult to reconcile that the physical traits of humans evolved from apes and religious beliefs that claim that humans are unique among living things and holds a an enviable place in creation. It is a soul.
There are a myriad of other ways evolution could occur including natural selection, which is the most popular theory. However scientists also study other kinds of evolution like mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection, among others.
Although many scientific fields of study are in conflict with literal interpretations in religious texts, evolution biology has been a subject of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs with evolution, while others haven't.