10 Evolution Site Strategies All The Experts Recommend
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, there are still misconceptions regarding evolution. People who have been exposed to the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists claim they don't believe in evolution.
This rich Web site, which is a companion to the PBS program, provides teachers with materials that promote evolution education while avoiding the types of misconceptions that hinder it. It's organized in a nested "bread crumb" format to make it easy for navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It is difficult to effectively teach evolution. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is especially applicable to debates about the meaning of the word itself.
It is therefore crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a simple and efficient manner. It is a companion for the 2001 series, and also a resource on its own. The material is presented in a structured manner that makes it easier to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor, gradual process and adaptation. These terms help to frame the nature of evolution and its relation to other concepts in science. The website then provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been tested and confirmed. 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:
Adaptation is the process of changing heritable traits to become more suitable to their environment. This is due to natural selection. It occurs when organisms that have better adapted traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adapted traits.
Common ancestor (also known as common ancestor) The most recent ancestral ancestor shared by two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of these species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A large biological molecular that holds the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotide sequences that are strung into long chains known as chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species in which evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution are the interactions between predator and prey, or host and parasite.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed) change through a series of natural changes in their offspring's traits. These changes are caused by a variety of factors that include natural selection, genetic drift, and mixing of gene pools. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental circumstances, such as climate change or competition for food and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site tracks through time the evolution of different species of plants and animals and focuses on major changes in each group's history. It also explores human evolution as a subject of particular importance to students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin in 1859, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. The famous skullcap, along with the associated bones were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, which was one year after the first edition of the Origin was published, it is extremely unlikely that Darwin had seen or heard of it.
While the site is focused on biology, it offers a lot of information about geology and paleontology. The site offers numerous features that are especially impressive, including a timeline of how climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also includes a map showing the distribution of fossil groups.
While the site is a companion piece to a PBS television series, it also stands on its own as a great source for teachers and students. The site is extremely well-organized and has clear links between the introduction content in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specialized components of the museum's Web site. These links make it easier to move 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 led to a variety of plants, animals and insects. 에볼루션 코리아 is the study of these creatures in their natural environment, has many advantages over the current observational or experimental methods for exploring evolutionary processes. In addition to examining processes and events that take place frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology is able to analyze the relative abundance of various species of organisms and their distribution across the course of geological time.
The website is divided into different routes that can be taken to learn 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 misconceptions about evolution, and the background of evolutionary thought.
Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-designed, with materials that support a variety curriculum levels and teaching styles. In addition to the standard textual content, the site features an extensive selection of interactive and multimedia resources like videos, animations, and virtual labs. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content helps with navigation and orientation on the massive Web site.
For example, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of the relationships between corals and their interaction with other organisms. Then, it concentrates on a specific clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react to changes in water conditions that take place at the level of the reef. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages provides an excellent introduction to many topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes an explanation of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a key tool for understanding the evolution of changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that connects all branches of the field. A vast collection of books helps in teaching evolution across the disciplines of life science.
One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an outstanding example of a Web site that provides depth and breadth in its educational resources. 에볼루션 무료체험 offers a range of interactive learning modules. It also has a nested "bread crumb" structure that allows students to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are more closely tied to the field of research science. For example an animation that introduces the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page highlighting John Endler's artificial selection experiments with guppies in native ponds of Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website contains a large multimedia library of assets related to evolution. The contents are organized into curricula-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives set out in biology standards. It includes seven short videos specifically designed for use in the classroom, and can be streamed for no cost or purchased on DVD.
A variety of crucial questions remain in the midst of evolutionary biology, such as what causes evolution to occur and how fast it happens. This is especially true for the evolution of humans, where it was difficult to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a unique place in the creation and a soul, with the notion that human beings have innate physical traits evolved from Apes.
There are a variety of other ways in which evolution can occur including natural selection, which is the most popular theory. However scientists also study other kinds of evolution like mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection, among others.
While many fields of scientific inquiry have a conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts Evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have embraced their beliefs with evolutionary biology, while others haven't.