Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about evolution. Pop science nonsense has led people to believe that biologists don't believe evolution.
This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series offers teachers with resources that promote evolution education and help avoid the kinds of misinformation that can hinder it. It's laid out in the "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and challenging subject to teach effectively. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject and some scientists use a definition which confuses it. This is particularly relevant when discussing the nature of the words themselves.
As such, it is essential to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in an easy and helpful way. The site serves as an accompanying site for the 2001 series, and also a resource of its own. The content is presented in a structured way that makes it easy to navigate and comprehend.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and adaptation. These terms help define the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution to other scientific concepts. The website provides a summary of the ways in which evolution has been examined. This information can help dispel the myths that are created by the creationists.
You can also access a glossary that contains terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the process of changing heritable traits to be better suited to an environment. This is due to natural selection, which occurs when organisms that are more adaptable characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adapted characteristics.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor) The most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified through analyzing the DNA of the species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular containing the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences which are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relation between two species in which the evolutionary changes of one species influence evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) develop through an array of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The changes can be caused by a variety of causes that include natural selection, genetic drift, and mixing of gene pools. The evolution of a new species could take thousands of years, and the process may be slowed down or accelerated due to environmental conditions, such as climate change or the competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site traces through time the evolution of different animal and plant groups and focuses on major changes in each group's history. It also explores human evolution, which is a topic of particular importance for students.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, at a time when only a few antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. One of them was the infamous skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, a year before the first edition of the Origin was published, it's extremely 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 Web site are a timeline of events that show how climatic and geological conditions have changed over time as well as a map of the distribution of a few fossil groups that are featured on the site.
The site is a companion for a PBS television series, but it could also be used as an educational source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized, and provides clear links to the introductory information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's support) and the more specialized features on the museum's website. These hyperlinks make it easier to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. There are links to John Endler’s experiments with guppies. They demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has resulted in many species of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context and has a number of advantages over modern observational and experimental methods in its exploration of evolutionary phenomena. In addition to examining processes and events that take place frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology is able to examine the relative abundance of various species of organisms and their distribution across the course of geological time.
The site is divided into different paths that can be chosen to gain knowledge about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," walks the reader through the nature and evidence of evolution. The path also reveals common misconceptions about evolution and the evolution theory's history.
Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is equally well developed, with materials that can be used to support a range of curriculum levels and pedagogical styles. In addition to general textual content, the site also has an array of interactive and multimedia resources like videos, animations, and virtual laboratories. The breadcrumb-like organization of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the large Web site.
For 에볼루션 무료 바카라 , the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of coral relationships and their interaction with other organisms, then zooms in on a single clam that can communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in water conditions at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, provide an excellent introduction to a broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The content includes a discussion on the role of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics analysis as a key tool for understanding evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that weaves together all branches of the field. A rich collection supports 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 a Web site that provides the depth and the breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site offers a range of interactive learning modules. It also features an "bread crumb structure" that allows students to move away from the cartoon-like style that is used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely linked to the worlds of research science. For example, an animation introducing the concept of genetic inheritance links to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.
Another resource that is worth mentioning is the Evolution Library on this site, which has an extensive multimedia library of assets connected to evolution. The content is organized according to curriculum-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in biology standards. It includes seven short videos that are designed for classroom use. They are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.
Many important questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, including what causes evolution to occur and how fast it occurs. This is particularly relevant for the evolution of humans where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humans have a distinct place in creation and a soul, with the idea that innate physical traits originated from Apes.
There are a variety of other ways in which evolution could occur including natural selection, which is the most well-known theory. Scientists also study different types like mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific inquiry are in conflict with literal interpretations of the Bible, evolutionary biology has been the subject of fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Some religions have reconciled their beliefs to evolution while others haven't.