5. Evolution Site Projects For Any Budget
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, misconceptions persist about evolution. People who have absorbed the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This rich Web site, a companion to the PBS program offers teachers resources which support evolution education while avoiding the types of misconceptions which undermine it. It's laid out in the "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.
Definitions
It is difficult to effectively teach evolution. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even some scientists have been guilty of using a definition that confuses the issue. This is particularly true when it comes to debates about the definition of the word itself.
As such, it is important to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. 에볼루션 바카라 evolutionkr.kr for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and useful manner. The site serves as a companion for the 2001 series, but it is also a resource on its own. The content is presented in a nested manner which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature of evolution as well as its relationship to other scientific concepts. The site provides an overview of the manner the concept of evolution has been tested. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been created by creationists.
You can also access a glossary which contains terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency of heritable characteristics to become more suitable to a particular setting. This is a result of natural selection. It occurs when organisms with better adapted traits are more likely survive and reproduce than those with less adaptable characteristics.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more distinct species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of the species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A large biological molecule that holds the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in a sequence of nucleotides that are strung together into long chains, referred to as chromosomes. Mutations are the basis for new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is a relation between two species in which the evolution of one species are influenced by evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution are the interactions between predator and prey or parasite and host.
Origins
Species (groups that can interbreed) develop through a series natural changes in the traits of their offspring. The causes of these changes are many factors, such as natural selection, gene drift and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate change or competition for food and habitat, can slow or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site follows the evolution of various species of plants and animals with a focus on major changes in each group's history. It also focuses on human evolution and is a subject that is particularly important for students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, 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 recognized 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 is highly unlikely that Darwin had ever heard of it.
While the site is focused on biology, it also contains a wealth of information about geology and paleontology. The site offers a number of features that are especially impressive, including an overview of how climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also features an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
Although the site is a companion piece to the PBS television show, it also stands on its own as a valuable source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and offers clear links to the introductory information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's assistance) as well as the more specialized features on the museum's website. These links facilitate the transition from the enthralling cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. Particularly there are links to John Endler's experiments with guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has led to many species of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological context and has numerous advantages over modern observational and experimental methods of examining evolutionary processes. In addition to examining processes and events that occur regularly or over a long period of time, paleobiology is able to study the diversity of species of organisms and their distribution throughout the geological time.
The site is divided into several optional pathways to understanding evolution, including "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the scientific process and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The path also reveals common misconceptions about evolution as well as the evolution theory's history.
Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is equally developed, with materials that can be used to support a range of educational levels and pedagogical styles. The site offers a wide array of interactive and multimedia content, including videos, animations, and virtual labs in addition to general textual content. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the massive Web site.
For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms. It then concentrates on a specific clam that can communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in water conditions at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, provide an excellent introduction to a broad range of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes an overview of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics as a key tool to understand evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is a common thread that runs through all branches of biology. A vast collection of resources helps teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's television series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web site that provides the depth and the broadness in terms of educational resources. The site features a wealth of interactive learning modules. It also features a "bread crumb structure" that helps students move away from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this site that are more closely linked to the realms of research science. For example an animation that introduces the concept of genetic inheritance links to a page that highlights John Endler's artificial selection experiments 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 contains an extensive collection of multimedia resources related to evolution. The contents are organized into courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning goals established in biology standards. It includes seven short videos specifically designed for classroom use, which can be streamed for no cost or purchased on DVD.
Many important questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, including what triggers evolution and how fast it happens. This is especially true in the case of human evolution where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that held that humans have a distinct position in the universe and a soul with the idea that innate physical traits were derived from the apes.
There are also a number of other ways evolution can occur and natural selection being the most well-known theory. However scientists also study other kinds of evolution, such as genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among other things.
While many scientific fields of study are in conflict with literal interpretations found in religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been a subject of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, other religions haven't.