Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, misconceptions persist about the evolution. Pop science nonsense has led people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials that promote evolution education and help avoid the kinds of myths that undermine it. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject to teach well. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept, and some scientists even use a definition which confuses it. 에볼루션 무료체험 is particularly true when it comes to discussions on the meaning of the word itself.
It is therefore important to define the terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and useful manner. The site is a companion to the show that premiered in 2001, but it is also an independent resource. The material is presented in a structured way that makes it easy to navigate and comprehend.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, the gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help define the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution to other scientific concepts. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been researched and verified. This information can help dispel the myths created by creationists.
It is also possible to find a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
The process of adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become more suitable to their environment. This is a result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable characteristics are more likely than those with less adaptable characteristics to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor): The most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. By analyzing DNA from these species, it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that contains information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains called chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is the relationship between two species, where the evolution of one species influence evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be seen through the interaction between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) evolve through an array of natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. The causes of these changes are many factors, such as natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The development of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate changes or competition for food or habitat can impede or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks the development of a variety of species of plants and animals over time, focusing on the major shifts that occurred throughout the evolution of each group's history. It also explores the evolutionary history of humans and humans, a subject that is especially important for students to comprehend.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. One of them was the infamous skullcap and associated bones found in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known to be an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap, which was first published in 1858, one year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin.
The site is primarily an online biology resource however, it also has a lot of information on paleontology and geology. Among the best features of the Web site are a series of timelines that show the way in which climatic and geological conditions have changed over time, as well as a map of the geographical distribution of some of the fossil groups featured on the site.
The site is a companion for a PBS television series, but it could 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 support) and the more specialized features of the museum's website. These hyperlinks make it easier to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. There are also links to John Endler's experiments with guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has resulted in an array of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures in their geological environment, has many advantages over modern observational or experimental methods for exploring evolutionary processes. In addition to exploring the processes and events that happen regularly or over a long period of time, paleobiology allows to analyze the relative abundance of different kinds of organisms as well as their distribution across the geological time.
The website is divided into several optional ways to learn about evolution that include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a line through the science of nature and the evidence that supports the theory of evolution. The path also reveals common misconceptions about evolution and the evolution of thought.
Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-designed, with materials that support a variety levels of curriculum and teaching methods. The site offers a wide array of multimedia and interactive resources which include videos, animations, and virtual labs, in addition to its general textual content. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the vast web site.
For example the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interactions with other organisms. It then narrows down to a single clam that can communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in the 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 material also provides a discussion of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is a key tool for understanding the evolution of change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A wide range of resources can help teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that offers both the depth and the breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site offers a range of interactive learning modules. It also has an "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon-like style that is used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely connected to the worlds of research science. For example an animation that explains the concept of genetic inheritance links to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments with artificial selection with guppies in native ponds of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website has a huge multimedia library of materials that deal to evolution. The contents are organized into courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning goals established in the standards for biology. It contains seven videos specifically designed for use in classrooms, and can be streamed at no cost or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology remains a field of study that has many important questions, including what causes evolution and how quickly it occurs. This is especially applicable to human evolution where it's been difficult to reconcile the idea that the physical characteristics of humans evolved from apes, and the religions that believe that humans are unique among living things and holds a an enviable place in creation. It is soul.
There are also a number of other ways in which evolution could occur including natural selection, which is the most popular theory. However, scientists also study other types of evolution such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among others.
While many fields of scientific inquiry conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, evolutionary biology has been the subject of fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Some religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolution, but others haven't.