Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions regarding evolution. People who have absorbed the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists are saying they don't believe in evolution.
This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and avoids the kinds of misconceptions that undermine it. It's laid out in the "bread crumb" format to aid in navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It is difficult to effectively teach evolution. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept, and some scientists even employ a definition that confuses it. This is particularly relevant when it comes to the meaning of the words themselves.
As such, it is crucial to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a simple and efficient way. The site is a companion site to the series that first aired in 2001, but it also functions as an independent resource. The content is presented in a nested fashion that assists in navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help to frame the nature of evolution and its relationship to other concepts in science. The website provides a summary of the manner in which evolution has been examined. This information can be used to dispel misconceptions that have been propagated by the creationists.
You can also consult a glossary that includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to be more suited to the environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less-adapted traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of those species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A massive biological molecule that contains information needed 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 is a relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution is evident in the interactions between predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed) develop through a series natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The changes can be caused by a variety of causes that include natural selection, genetic drift, and gene pool mixing. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental circumstances, such as changes in the climate or competition for food and habitat can impede or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site traces through time the evolution of various animal and plant groups and focuses on major changes within each group's past. 에볼루션코리아 focuses on human evolution and is a subject that is particularly important to students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, 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 regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, which was one year after the first edition of the Origin was published, it's extremely unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.
The site is mostly an online biology resource however, it also has many details on geology and paleontology. The site offers numerous features that are especially impressive, such as an overview of how climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also features an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
The site is a companion to a PBS TV series but it could also be used as an educational resource by teachers and students. The site is extremely well organized and provides clear links between the introduction 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 help users move from the cartoon-like style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. There are links to John Endler’s experiments with guppies, which illustrate the importance ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has led to a wide variety of plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context is a superior method of study over modern observational or experimental methods for exploring evolutionary processes. Paleobiology focuses on not just the processes and events that happen regularly or over time but also the distribution and frequency of different species of animals in space throughout the geological time.
The site is divided into different routes that can be taken to gain knowledge about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," walks the reader through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions about evolution and also the history of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is similarly developed, with materials that can support a variety of educational levels and pedagogical styles. The site offers a wide array of interactive and multimedia content that include videos, animations, and virtual laboratories in addition to general textual content. The breadcrumb-like organization of the content aids in navigation and orientation on the large web site.
For instance the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms. Then, it narrows down to a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in water conditions that occur at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages gives a good introduction to a variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The content includes a discussion on the role of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics analysis which is a crucial method for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is a common thread that connects all branches of biology. A wide selection of resources helps teachers teach evolution across all disciplines of life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web site that provides the depth and the breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has an "bread crumb structure" that allows students to move away from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this site that are more closely linked to the fields of research science. Animation that introduces the concept of genetics links to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using Guppies in native ponds in Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website is a vast multimedia library of resources that are associated with evolution. The content is organized according to curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning objectives set out in biology standards. It includes seven short videos designed specifically for classroom use, which can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology is still a field of study that poses many important questions, including what triggers evolution and how fast it happens. This is especially true for humans' evolution, where it was difficult to reconcile religious beliefs that humans have a distinct place in creation and a soul with the notion that our physical traits were derived from the apes.
In addition there are a variety of ways that evolution can be triggered with natural selection being the most popular theory. Scientists also study other kinds such as genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific study have a conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, evolution biology has been a source of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolutionary biology, while others haven't.