Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about the evolution. Pop science fiction has led a lot of people to believe that biologists don't believe evolution.
This rich Web site, which is a complement to the PBS program offers teachers resources which support evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions which make it difficult to understand. It's organized in the "bread crumb" format to aid in navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It is difficult to effectively teach evolution. Many non-scientists are unable to grasp the concept, and some scientists even employ a definition that confuses it. This is especially relevant when discussing the nature of the words themselves.
As such, it is essential to define terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in a straightforward and useful way. The site is a companion to the show which first aired in 2001, but it also functions as an independent resource. The content is presented in a structured way that makes it easy to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process and adaptation. These terms help define the nature of evolution and its relationship to evolution to other scientific concepts. The site also provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and confirmed. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been created by the creationists.
You can also access a glossary which includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for heritable traits to become better suited to a particular environment. 에볼루션 게이밍 is a result of natural selection. Organisms that have better-adapted characteristics 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 huge biological molecule 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 the reason behind the creation of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is the relationship between two species in which the evolution of one species influence evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution are the interactions between predator and prey or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed) develop through a series of natural changes in their offspring's traits. The changes can be triggered by a variety, including natural selection, genetic drift and mixing of gene pools. The development of a new species could take thousands of years, and the process can be slowed or increased by environmental factors like climate change or competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site tracks through time the evolution of different species of plants and animals, focusing on major transitions in each group's past. It also explores the human evolutionary roots which is especially important for students to know.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, when just a handful of antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. The skullcap that is famous, along with the associated bones, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was first published in 1858, one year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin.
The site is mostly a biology site however it also includes a lot of information on geology and paleontology. One of the most appealing features of the Web site are a series of timelines that illustrate how climatic and geological conditions have changed over time, and a map of the distribution of some fossil groups listed on the site.
The site is a companion for a PBS television series, but it can also be used as an educational resource for teachers and students. The site is very well organized and provides clear links between the introductory information in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specific elements of the museum's web site. These links make it easier to transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated realms of research science. There are also links to John Endler's experiments with guppies. They demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has resulted in many species of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their natural environment and has many advantages over the modern observational and research methods for analyzing evolutionary processes. In addition to exploring processes and events that occur regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology is able to analyze the relative abundance of various species of organisms and their distribution in space over the course of geological time.
The Web site is divided into various ways to learn about evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the science of nature and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The path also explores common misconceptions about evolution as well as the evolution of thought.
Each of the other main sections of the Evolution site is similarly constructed, with materials that can be used to support a range of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. In addition to the general textual content, the site also has an array of multimedia and interactive content, such as videos, animations and virtual laboratories. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the massive website.
The page "Coral Reef Connections", for example, gives a brief overview of the coral's relationships and interactions with other organisms and zooms in on one clam that is able communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in the conditions of the water at the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages, offers a great introduction to many topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes an explanation of the significance of natural selectivity and the concept phylogenetics analysis as a key tool for understanding evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that connects all branches of biology. A vast collection of books helps in teaching evolution across all life science disciplines.
One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an excellent example of an Web site that offers both the depth and breadth of its educational resources. The site has a wide array of interactive learning modules. It also has an encased "bread crumb" structure that helps students transition from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this large Web site closer to the field of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics, which links to a page that highlights John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using Guppies in native ponds in Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this site, which contains an extensive library of multimedia items that are related to evolution. The content is organized in curriculum-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in the biology standards. It includes seven short videos specifically designed for use in the classroom, and can be streamed at no cost or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology remains an area of study that poses many important questions to answer, such as the causes of evolution and how fast it occurs. This is especially true for the evolution of humans which was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that held that humans have a distinct position in the universe and a soul with the notion that human beings have innate physical traits evolved from apes.
There are a variety of other ways evolution can take place and natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. However, scientists also study other kinds of evolution like genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among others.
While 에볼루션 게이밍 of scientific study 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. Certain religions have reconciled their beliefs to evolution while others haven't.