Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology educators, there are still a lot of misconceptions about evolution. Pop science nonsense has led many people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This rich website - companion to the PBS series offers teachers with resources that support evolution education and avoids the kinds of misinformation that can hinder it. It's laid out in a "bread crumb" format to aid in navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complicated and difficult subject matter to teach effectively. It is often misunderstood by non-scientists, and even some scientists use an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is particularly applicable to debates about the definition of the word itself.
It is crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website does this in an easy and helpful way. The site is a companion site to the show that premiered in 2001, but it also functions as an independent resource. The material is presented in a way that assists in navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help frame the nature of evolution and its relation to other scientific concepts. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been tested and confirmed. This information will help to dispel the myths that are created by the creationists.
It is also possible to access the glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation: The tendency for heritable traits to become better suited to a particular environment. This is due to natural selection. 에볼루션 게이밍 occurs when organisms that are more adaptable characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adapted traits.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more different species. The common ancestor can be identified through analyzing the DNA of the species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular that holds the information needed for cell replication. The information is stored in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together into long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are the reason behind the creation of new genetic information inside cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are affected by changes in evolutionary processes in the other. Coevolution can be seen in the interaction of predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals who can interbreed) change through an array of natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. Changes can be caused by various factors, including natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as climate change or competition for food resources and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site tracks through time the emergence of various animal and plant groups, focusing on major transitions in each group's past. It also focuses on human evolution and is a subject of particular importance to students.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, at a time when only a handful of antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. The most famous among them was the skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 at the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany, which is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was first published in 1858, a year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin. Origin.
The site is mostly one of biology however, it also has a lot of information on paleontology and geology. The website has a number of features that are particularly impressive, including the timeline of how 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 a PBS television series however, it can stand 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 specific components of the museum's Web site. These hyperlinks facilitate the move from the enthralling cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. There are also links to John Endler's experiments with guppies. They illustrate the importance ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has produced a variety of animals, plants and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures within their natural environment is a superior method of study over modern observational or experimental methods of studying evolutionary phenomena. In addition to studying the processes and events that happen frequently or over a long period of time, paleobiology is able to analyze the relative abundance of different kinds of organisms as well as their distribution throughout geological time.
The Web site is divided into several optional ways to learn about evolution that include "Evolution 101," which takes the viewer on a liner path through the scientific process and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The path also explores misconceptions about evolution, and the background of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the other main sections of the Evolution site is equally constructed, with materials that support a variety of different pedagogical levels and curriculum levels. The site offers a wide array of interactive and multimedia content, including animations, video clips and virtual labs as well as general textual content. The breadcrumb-like structure of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the massive website.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, it provides a comprehensive overview of the coral's relationships, their interaction with other organisms and is enlarged to show a single clam, which is able communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in water conditions that occur on the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary interactive and multimedia pages, provides an excellent introduction to many topics in evolutionary biology. The material also provides an explanation of the role of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetic analysis which is an important method to understand evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is a common thread that connects all branches of biology. A wide range of resources can help 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 depth as well as breadth in terms of its educational resources. The site has a variety of interactive learning modules. 에볼루션 바카라 체험 has a "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution and onto elements of this vast website that are closely linked to the worlds of research science. For instance an animation that introduces the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments in artificial selection with guppies in native ponds of Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this Web website, which includes an extensive collection of multimedia resources that are related to evolution. The contents are organized into curricula-based pathways that correspond to the learning objectives outlined in biology standards. It contains seven videos specifically designed for use in classrooms, and can be streamed for free or purchased on DVD.
Evolutionary biology is a field of study that has many important questions to answer, such as what triggers evolution and how fast it occurs. This is particularly relevant to human evolution, where it has been difficult to reconcile the idea that the physical characteristics of humans evolved from apes and religions that believe that humans are unique in the universe and has a special place in creation with soul.
In addition there are a myriad of ways that evolution can be triggered, with natural selection being the most popular theory. However scientists also study other kinds of evolution, such as mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection, among other things.
While many scientific fields of study are in conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, the concept of evolution biology has been the subject of intense debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the notions of evolution, others have not.