Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, misinformation about evolution remain. Pop science nonsense has led people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This site, which is a complement to the PBS program offers teachers resources that support the evolution of education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions that can undermine it. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and challenging subject to teach effectively. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept and some scientists use a definition which confuses it. This is especially relevant to discussions on the nature of the word.
It is therefore important 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. It is 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 and gradual process. These terms help to frame the nature of evolution and its relationship to other concepts in science. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been researched and validated. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been created by the creationists.
You can also consult a glossary that contains terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to be more suited to the environment. This is due to natural selection, which happens when organisms that are more adaptable traits are more likely survive and reproduce than those with less adapted traits.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more different species. The common ancestor can be identified by analyzing the DNA of those species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A large biological molecular that holds the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences, which are strung into long chains known as chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is the relationship between two species in which the evolutionary changes of one species are influenced by evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution is evident in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups that can interbreed) change by a series of natural variations in their offspring's traits. The causes of these changes are numerous factors, like natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The development of a new species could take thousands of years, and the process can be slowed down or speeded up by environmental factors like climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site traces through time the evolution of different species of plants and animals and focuses on major changes within each group's past. It also examines the evolutionary origin of humans, a topic that is particularly important for students to know.
When Darwin wrote the Origin, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The skullcap that is famous, along with the bones that accompanied it were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. 에볼루션 무료체험 is now regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. While the skullcap wasn't published until 1858, one year after the first edition of the Origin was published, it is very unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.
The site is mostly one of biology however, it also has a lot of information on paleontology and geology. Among the best features of the website are a timeline of events that illustrate how geological and climatic conditions have changed over time as well as an interactive map of the distribution of a few of the fossil groups featured on the site.
The site is a companion to the PBS television series, but it could also be used as an educational 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 sophisticated components of the museum's Web site. These links facilitate the transition from the enthralling cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. There are 에볼루션 코리아 to John Endler’s experiments with guppies. They demonstrate 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 natural environment, has many advantages over modern observational or research methods for exploring evolutionary processes. In addition to studying processes and events that take place frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology is able to analyze the diversity of species of organisms and their distribution throughout the course of geological time.
The site is divided up into several paths that can be chosen to gain knowledge about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," guides the user through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The course also focuses on common misconceptions about evolution as well as the evolution theory's history.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-designed, with materials that can be used to support a variety of levels of curriculum and teaching methods. In addition to the standard textual content, the site also has an extensive selection of interactive and multimedia resources like video clips, animations, and virtual laboratories. The content is laid out in a nested bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation on the web site.
For example the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms. Then, it concentrates on a specific clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react 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 the broad range of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes an explanation of the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetics, an important method for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students the concept of evolution is a major thread that connects all branches of the field. A wide range of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an excellent example of an Web site that provides depth and a variety of educational resources. The site features a wealth of interactive learning modules. It also has an "bread crumb structure" that helps students move away from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this site that are more closely linked to the worlds of research science. An animation that introduces students to the concept of genetics is linked to a page that highlights John Endler's artificial-selection experiments with Guppies living in ponds native to Trinidad.
Another resource that is worth mentioning is the Evolution Library on this site, which has an extensive multimedia library of items that are related to evolution. The content is organized into curriculum-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives set out in the standards for biology. It contains seven videos designed for classroom use. They can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is an area of study that poses many important questions, such as what triggers evolution and how fast it occurs. This is especially applicable to human evolution which has made it difficult to reconcile that the physical traits of humans were derived from apes, and the religious beliefs that hold that humans are unique among living things and holds a an exclusive place in the creation. It is soul.
In addition there are a variety of ways in which evolution could be triggered and natural selection is the most popular theory. However scientists also study other kinds of evolution like genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among others.
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. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs with evolutionary biology, but others haven't.