5 Evolution Site Lessons From The Pros
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, misconceptions persist about evolution. Pop science nonsense has led many people to believe that biologists don't believe evolution.
This site, a companion to the PBS program, provides teachers with materials which support evolution education while avoiding the types of misconceptions which hinder it. It's laid out in a nested "bread crumb" format for ease of navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject matter to teach well. People who are not scientists often have a difficult time understanding the subject, and some scientists even use a definition that confuses it. This is especially relevant when discussing the meaning of the words themselves.
It is therefore crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and useful manner. The site is both a companion for the 2001 series, 에볼루션카지노사이트 and it is also a resource on its own. The content is presented in a nested fashion that aids 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 to other scientific concepts. The site gives a comprehensive overview of the way that evolution has been tested. This information can help dispel myths that are created by the creationists.
It is also possible to get the glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of hereditary traits to become more suited to a particular environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted traits are more likely than those with less adapted traits to reproduce and survive.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor): The most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. By analyzing DNA from these species it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A massive biological molecule that contains information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together to form long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution are the interactions between predator and prey or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups that can interbreed) change through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. Changes can be caused by many factors, such as natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The development of a new species may 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 tracks the development of various groups of animals and plants over time and focuses on the most significant transitions that occurred in each group's history. It also explores the evolutionary origin of humans and humans, a subject that is especially important for students to know.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, when only a few antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. The famous skullcap, along with the bones that accompanied it were 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 before the first edition of the Origin was published, it is very unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.
The site is mostly an online biology resource, but it also contains many details on geology and paleontology. The most impressive features on the site are a set of timelines that show how geological and climatic conditions have changed over time, and an interactive map of the distribution of some fossil groups listed on the site.
The site is a companion for 에볼루션 바카라 a PBS TV series but it could also be used as a 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 funding) and the more specialized features of the museum's website. These links make it easier to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. Particularly there are hyperlinks to John Endler's experiments using Guppies, which demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has produced a diversity of plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures within their geological environment offers many advantages over modern observational or experimental methods for exploring evolutionary phenomena. In addition to examining processes and events that occur regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology is able to study the relative abundance of different kinds of organisms as well as their distribution in space over geological time.
The site is divided into several options to learn about evolution. One of the paths, "Evolution 101," guides the user through the evolution of nature and 에볼루션 바카라 무료 (Related Site) the evidence of evolution. The path also explores common misconceptions about evolution and the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the main sections on the Evolution website is equally well-developed, with materials that are suited to a variety of curriculum levels and teaching styles. The site includes a variety of multimedia and interactive resources which include animations, video clips and virtual laboratories, in addition to its general textual content. The content is organized in a nested, bread crumb-like fashion that helps with navigation and orientation within the vast web site.
For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between corals and their interaction with other organisms, then zooms in on a single clam that is able to communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in the water conditions that take place at the level of the reef. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to a wide variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes an overview of the role of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics as a key method for understanding the evolution of changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that runs through all branches of biology. A rich collection supports teaching evolution across the life science disciplines.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that offers both depth and broadness in terms of educational resources. The site has a wide array of interactive learning modules. It also has an embedded "bread crumb" structure that helps students move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are more closely tied to the world of research science. For example an animation that explains the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments in artificial selection with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad.
Another useful resource is the Evolution Library on this Web site, which has an extensive library of multimedia resources related to evolution. The content is organized according to curriculum-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in the standards for biology. It contains seven videos specifically designed for use in classrooms. These can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
A variety of crucial questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, including what causes evolution to occur and the speed at which it occurs. This is particularly relevant to human evolution, where it's been difficult to reconcile the notion that the physical characteristics of humans were derived from apes, and the religions that believe that humans are unique in the universe and has an enviable place in creation with a soul.
There are a myriad of other ways evolution can occur including natural selection, which is the most popular theory. Scientists also study different types such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many scientific fields of study have a conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been the subject of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, other religions have not.