Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misinformation about evolution persist. Pop science fiction has led a lot of people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This site, a companion to the PBS program offers teachers resources that support the evolution of education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions which undermine it. It's arranged in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It's not easy to effectively teach evolution. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even scientists are guilty of using an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is particularly relevant to discussions on the nature of the word.
It is therefore important to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in a straightforward and useful way. The website is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but can also function as an independent resource. The information is presented in an organized manner that makes it easier to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor and gradual process. These terms help frame the nature and relationship of evolution to other scientific concepts. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and confirmed. This information will help to dispel the myths that are created by the creationists.
It is also possible to find a glossary of terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for hereditary traits to become more suitable to a particular setting. This is a result of natural selection. It occurs when organisms with more adaptable characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adaptable traits.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more distinct species. By analyzing DNA from these species, it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that holds the information necessary for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together into long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relation between two species where evolutionary changes of one species are influenced evolutionary changes of the other. Coevolution can be observed in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasites and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) develop through an array of natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. The changes can be triggered by a variety of factors such as natural selection, genetic drift, and gene pool mixing. The evolution of a new species could take thousands of years, and the process can be slowed down or speeded up due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of a number of different groups of animals and plants over time with a focus on the key shifts that occurred throughout each group's history. It also focuses on the evolutionary origin of humans, a topic that is particularly important for students to comprehend.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, at a time when only a handful of antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. The famous skullcap, along with the bones associated with it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap when it was published in 1858, a year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin. Origin.
The site is mostly a biology site however it also includes a lot of information on geology and paleontology. Among the best features of the Web site are a set of timelines that illustrate how geological and climatic conditions have changed over time and an outline of the distribution of a few fossil groups listed on the site.
에볼루션 바카라 is a companion to a PBS TV series but it can also be used as an educational resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides easy links to the introductory content of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's support) and the more specific features of the museum website. These hyperlinks make it easier to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. There are links to John Endler’s experiments with guppies that demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has led to a wide variety of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures within their natural environment, has many advantages over modern observational or experimental methods of studying evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology focuses on not only the process and events that happen regularly or over time, but also the relative abundance and distribution of different species of animals across the geological time.
The site is divided into several optional paths to learning evolution, including "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the science of nature and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The path also explores 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 well constructed, with materials that can be used to support a range of educational levels and pedagogical styles. In addition to general textual content, the site offers an array of multimedia and interactive resources like videos, animations and virtual laboratories. The content is organized in a nested, bread crumb style that facilitates navigation and orientation within the large Web site.
For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of coral relationships and their interactions with other organisms. It then zooms in on a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in the water conditions that occur at the reef level. This page, along with 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 also provides an overview of the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a key method to understand evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that connects all branches of biology. A vast collection of books helps in teaching evolution across all life science disciplines.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web site that provides the depth and the broadness in terms of educational resources. The site has a wide array of interactive learning modules. It also features a "bread crumb structure" that helps students move away from the cartoon style used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely related to the worlds of research science. Animation that introduces the concept of genetics links to a page highlighting John Endler's artificial-selection experiments with guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website is a vast 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 contains seven videos specifically designed for classroom use. These can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is still a field of study that poses many important questions, including the causes of evolution and the speed at which it happens. This is especially applicable to human evolution where it's been difficult to reconcile that the innate physical characteristics of humans evolved from apes, and the religions that believe that humanity is unique among living things and holds a a special place in creation with soul.
In addition, there are a number of ways that evolution can occur with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study different types such as genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific inquiry have a conflict with literal interpretations of religious texts evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolutionary biology, while others haven't.