Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misinformation about evolution remain. People who have absorbed popular science myths often assume that biologists claim they do not believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS program that provides teachers with resources which support evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that can hinder it. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's difficult to teach evolution well. People who are not scientists often have a difficult time understanding the subject, and some scientists even use a definition that confuses it. This is especially applicable to debates about the meaning of the word itself.
It is crucial to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and helpful way. The site is both an accompanying site for the 2001 series, and also a resource of its own. The material is presented in a nested fashion that aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution to other scientific concepts. The website provides a summary of the way the concept of evolution has been examined. 에볼루션 무료체험 can be used to dispel misconceptions that have been engendered by creationists.
You can also consult a glossary that contains terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for heritable traits to become better suitable to a particular setting. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms that have better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more different species. By studying the DNA of these species, it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A large biological molecular containing the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together into long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution: A relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are dependent on evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and host.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that can interbreed) develop through natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The causes of these changes are various factors, including natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate changes or competition for food and habitat, can slow or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks through time the emergence of various groups of animals and plants and focuses on major changes in each group's past. It also examines the evolutionary origin of humans and humans, a subject that is crucial for students to comprehend.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. One of them was the infamous skullcap and associated bones found in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, which was a year before the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is highly unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.
The site is primarily one of biology, but it also contains a lot of information on geology and paleontology. The site offers numerous features that are especially impressive, including a timeline of how geological and climate conditions have changed over the course of time. It also features an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
While the site is a companion piece to a PBS television series but it also stands on its own as a great resource for teachers and students. The site is very well-organized and offers clear links between the introductory information in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specific elements of the museum's web site. These hyperlinks help users 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 illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has resulted in a variety of plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context offers many advantages over modern observational or research methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. In addition to examining the processes and events that happen regularly or over a long period of time, paleobiology can be used to study the relative abundance of various species of organisms and their distribution across geological time.
The Web site is divided into several optional pathways to understanding evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a line through the scientific process and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The path also explores common misconceptions about evolution as well as the evolution theory's history.
Each of the other main sections of the Evolution site is equally constructed, with materials that can support a variety of curriculum levels and pedagogical styles. In addition to the general textual content, the site offers an extensive selection of multimedia and interactive resources, such as videos, animations and virtual laboratories. 에볼루션 코리아 is laid out in a nested bread crumb style that facilitates navigation and orientation on the Web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the coral's relationships and their interactions with other organisms and zooms in to one clam that can communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in the conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages provides an excellent 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 as a key method for understanding the evolution of changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is a common thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A wide selection of resources helps teachers teach evolution across the life science disciplines.
One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an outstanding example of an Web site that provides the depth and breadth of its educational resources. The site features a wealth of interactive learning modules. It also has an "bread crumb structure" that allows students to move away from the cartoon style that is used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this site that are more closely related to the fields of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics links to a page about John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using Guppies living in ponds native to Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website has a huge multimedia library of materials that deal with evolution. The content is organized according to the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It includes seven short 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 the factors that trigger evolution and how fast it occurs. This is especially true in the case of human evolution which was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humans have a distinct place in the creation and a soul, with the notion that our physical traits originated from apes.
In addition there are a variety of ways that evolution can occur with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. However scientists also study other kinds of evolution like mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection, among others.
While many fields of scientific inquiry conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, evolutionary biology has been the subject of intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs with evolution, but others haven't.