Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about the evolution. Pop science fiction has led a lot of people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS series - provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and avoid the kinds of myths that hinder it. It's laid out in a "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and difficult subject matter to teach effectively. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists, and even some scientists are guilty of using definitions that confuse the issue. This is particularly applicable to discussions on the meaning of the word itself.
It is therefore important to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in a simple and efficient way. The site is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but it is also an independent resource. The information is organized in a way that makes it easy to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help to define the nature of evolution as well as its relationship to other scientific concepts. what do you think provides an overview of the way in which evolution has been tested. This information will help to dispel the myths created by creationists.
It is also possible to access a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to become better suited to an environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable traits are more likely than those with less-adapted traits to reproduce and survive.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified through analyzing the DNA of these species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A large biological molecule that contains the information required for cell replication. what do you think is contained in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together to form long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is the relationship between two species, where the evolution of one species influence evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution are the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and host.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed) develop by a series of natural variations in their offspring's traits. 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 circumstances, such as climate change or competition for food or habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site tracks the development 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 explores the human evolutionary roots, a topic that is especially important for students to understand.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. Among them was the famous skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known 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's extremely unlikely that Darwin had seen or heard of it.
While the site is focused on biology, it contains a wealth of information on geology and paleontology. The Web site has numerous features that are particularly impressive, such as an overview of how climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also has a map showing the distribution of fossil groups.
Although the site is a companion to the PBS television show however, it can stand on its own as an excellent resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers clear links between the introduction information in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more sophisticated components of the museum's Web site. These hyperlinks facilitate the move 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 ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has led to many species of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geographical context and offers numerous advantages over the current observational and experimental methods in its exploration of evolutionary processes. In addition to exploring the processes and events that happen regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology is able to examine the relative abundance of various species of organisms and their distribution throughout the course of geological time.
The site is divided up into different paths that can be chosen 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 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 curriculum levels and teaching styles. In addition to the general textual content, the site features an extensive selection of multimedia and interactive content like videos, animations, and virtual labs. The breadcrumb-like structure of the content helps with 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 can communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in water conditions at the level of the reef. 에볼루션 코리아 , along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to a broad variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The information also includes an explanation of the role of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a key method to understand evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students the concept of evolution is a major thread that weaves together all branches of the field. A wide selection of resources helps teachers teach evolution across all disciplines of life sciences.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that provides depth and wide range of educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features an embedded "bread crumb" structure that helps students move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this massive website that are more closely tied to the field of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics, which links to a page about John Endler's artificial-selection experiments with Guppies living in ponds native to Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website is a vast multimedia library of resources that are associated to evolution. The content is organized according to the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning objectives set out in biology standards. It contains seven videos designed for classroom use. They can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology remains a field of study that poses many important questions to answer, such as what triggers evolution and the speed at which it occurs. This is particularly applicable to human evolution which has made it difficult to reconcile the notion that the innate physical characteristics of humans derived from apes and religious beliefs that claim that humans are unique among living things and holds a an exclusive place in the creation. It is a soul.
There are also a number of other ways evolution could occur and natural selection being the most well-known theory. Scientists also study other kinds such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific inquiry conflict with the literal interpretations of the Bible, evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs with evolution, but others haven't.