Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about the evolution. People who have absorbed pop science nonsense often assume that biologists are saying they don't believe in evolution.
This rich website - companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials that promote evolution education and help avoid the kinds of myths that hinder it. It's organized in a "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject matter to teach effectively. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept, and some scientists even use a definition that confuses it. This is particularly relevant to debates about the meaning of the word itself.
It is therefore important to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a simple and efficient way. The site is both an accompaniment to the 2001 series, and also a resource on its own. The material is presented in a nested manner that assists in navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, the gradual process and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature and relationship of evolution with other scientific concepts. The website provides a summary of the way the concept of evolution has been tested. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been propagated by creationists.
It is also possible to access a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of hereditary traits to become more suitable to a particular setting. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely than those with less adapted traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor: The most recent 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 large biological molecule that holds the information necessary for cell replication. The information is contained in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together to form long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are the basis for new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be observed through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that can interbreed) change through a series of natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. These changes are caused by a variety such as natural selection, genetic drift and mixing of genes. The development of a new species could take thousands of years and the process may be slowed down or speeded up due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or the competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of a number of different groups of animals and plants over time, focusing on the major changes that took place in the evolution of each group's history. It also examines the human evolutionary roots which is particularly important for students to know.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The skullcap that is famous, along with the bones that accompanied it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, which was one year after the first edition of the Origin was published, it's extremely unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.
The site is primarily an online biology resource however it also includes a lot of information on paleontology and geology. Among the best features of the Web site are a timeline of events that illustrate how geological and climatic conditions changed over time, and a map of the geographical distribution of some fossil groups listed on the site.
While the site is a companion piece to a PBS television show however, it can stand on its own as a great source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides clear links to the introduction information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's support) and the more specific features of the museum website. These links facilitate the transition from the engaging cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. There are also links to John Endler's experiments with guppies, which illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has resulted in a variety of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their natural environment and has many advantages over the current observational and experimental methods in its exploration of evolutionary processes. In addition to studying the processes and events that happen frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology is able to analyze the diversity of kinds of organisms as well as their distribution across the course of geological time.
The site is divided into several optional pathways to understanding evolution that include "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the scientific process and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on the most common misconceptions about evolution, as well as the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is equally created, with resources that can support a variety of curriculum levels and pedagogical styles. In addition to the standard textual content, the site also has an extensive selection of multimedia and interactive resources like videos, animations and virtual labs. The breadcrumb-like structure of the content helps with navigation and orientation on the massive Web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals, their interaction with other organisms, and then zooms in to a single clam, which is able to communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in the water conditions that occur on the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages gives a good introduction to many topics in evolutionary biology. The content includes an explanation of the role of natural selectivity and the concept phylogenetics analysis, an important method for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that connects all branches of the field. A rich collection supports teaching evolution across the life science disciplines.
One resource, which is a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an outstanding example of a Web site that provides the depth and breadth of its educational resources. 에볼루션 features a wealth of interactive learning modules. It also features 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 connected to the realms of research science. For instance an animation that explains the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that focuses on John Endler's artificial selection experiments with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website is a vast multimedia library of materials that deal with evolution. The content is organized in curricula-based paths that correspond to the learning goals set forth in the biology standards. It includes seven short videos specifically designed for classroom use. These are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.
A number of important questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, such as what causes evolution to occur and how fast it occurs. This is particularly true for the evolution of humans which was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humans have a distinct place in the creation and a soul, with the idea that innate physical traits were derived from apes.
In addition there are a myriad of ways that evolution could occur, with natural selection being the most popular theory. However scientists also study different kinds of evolution like mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among other things.
While many scientific fields of study have a conflict with literal interpretations found in religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been the subject of intense controversy and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Some religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolutionary biology, but others haven't.