5. Evolution Site Projects For Any Budget
Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about evolution. People who have taken in the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists do not believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS program offers teachers resources which support evolution education while avoiding the types of misconceptions which hinder it. It's organized in the "bread crumb" format to make navigation and orientation easier.
Definitions
It's not easy to effectively teach evolution. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists and even scientists use definitions that confuse the issue. This is particularly relevant when discussing the definition of the words.
Therefore, it is important to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in a straightforward and useful manner. The site is both an accompanying site for the 2001 series, and it is also a resource on its own. The material is presented in a structured way that makes it easy to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help frame the nature of evolution as well as its relationship to other scientific concepts. The website then provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been tested and validated. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been propagated by the creationists.
It is also possible to get a glossary of terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for heritable traits to become better adaptable to a specific environment. This is due to natural selection, which happens when organisms that have more adaptable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adaptable traits.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more species. By analyzing DNA from these species it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A large biological molecule that contains the information required for cell replication. The information is contained in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are the basis for new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species, where the evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator and prey or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups which can interbreed) change through a series natural changes in their offspring's traits. The changes can be caused by a variety, including natural selection, genetic drift, and mixing of gene pools. The development of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as climate changes or competition for food resources and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site traces the emergence of a variety of groups of animals and plants over time, focusing on the major shifts that occurred throughout each group's history. It also explores the human evolutionary roots and humans, a subject that is particularly important for students to comprehend.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The famous skullcap, along with the bones that accompanied it, was 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, one year after the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is very unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.
The site is primarily an online biology resource however it also includes lots of information about paleontology and geology. The website has several aspects that are quite impressive, such as a timeline of the way that climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also includes maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
Although the site is a companion piece to the PBS television series but it also stands on its own as a great source for teachers and students. The site is well-organized, and provides easy links to the introductory information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) as well as the more specialized features of the museum website. These hyperlinks facilitate the move from the cartoon-like style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. Particularly there are links to John Endler's experiments using Guppies, which demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has led to a wide variety of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological environment offers many advantages over the current observational or experimental methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. In addition to examining the processes and events that happen frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology allows to examine the relative abundance of different species of organisms and their distribution across geological time.
The site is divided into various pathways to understanding evolution, including "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the scientific process and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on common misconceptions about evolution as well as the history of evolutionary thought.
Each of the other sections of the Evolution site is similarly created, with resources that can be used to support a range of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. The site has a range of interactive and multimedia content which include videos, animations, and virtual labs, in addition to its general textual content. The breadcrumb-like organization of the content helps with navigation and orientation on the massive website.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of the coral's relationships and interactions with other organisms, and then zooms in to one clam, which is able to communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the site, offer an excellent introduction to a wide range of topics in evolutionary biology. The material also provides a discussion of the role of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is an important tool in understanding evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that binds all branches of the field. A vast collection of resources supports teaching about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that provides the depth and the breadth in terms of its educational resources. 에볼루션 코리아 has a variety of interactive learning modules. It also features an encased "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are more closely tied to the field of research science. Animation that introduces the concept of genetics, which links to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using Guppies living in ponds native to Trinidad.
The Evolution Library on this website has a huge multimedia library of resources that are associated to evolution. The content is organized into the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning objectives outlined in the standards for biology. It contains seven videos specifically intended for use in the classroom. These can be viewed online or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is an area of study with a lot of important questions, such as what triggers evolution and how fast it happens. This is particularly applicable to human evolution where it's been difficult to reconcile the idea that the innate physical characteristics of humans were derived from apes with religious beliefs that hold that humanity is unique in the universe and has an exclusive place in the creation with a soul.
There are a variety of other ways evolution can occur and natural selection being the most well-known theory. Scientists also study other types like mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific study conflict with literal interpretations found in religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been the subject of intense controversy and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the theories of evolution, others have not.