Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, misinformation about evolution remain. just click the following document has led many people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a companion to the PBS series - provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and avoids the kinds of misinformation that can make it difficult to understand. It's laid out in a nested "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It is difficult to teach evolution well. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even some scientists use definitions that confuse the issue. This is especially true when it comes to discussions on the definition of the word itself.
As such, it is essential to define terms that are used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and useful way. The website is a companion to the series that first aired in 2001, but can also function as an independent resource. The material is presented in a way which aids navigation and orientation.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help frame the nature of evolution as well as its relationship to other concepts in science. The site then offers an overview of how the concept of evolution has been vetted and verified. This information can be used to dispel misconceptions that have been created by creationists.
에볼루션 코리아 is also possible to find a glossary of terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of heritable traits to be more suited to the environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with better-adapted characteristics are more likely than those with less adapted traits to survive and reproduce.
Common ancestor (also called common ancestor): The most recent ancestor that is shared by two or more species. By studying the DNA of 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 contained in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together to form long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are the cause of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolution of one species influence evolutionary changes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey or parasite and host.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) evolve through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. Changes can be caused by many factors, such as natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental circumstances, such as climate changes or competition for food and habitat can impede or accelerate the process.
The Evolution site tracks the evolution of a variety of animal and plant groups through time and focuses on the most significant changes that took place in the evolution of each group's history. It also examines the human evolutionary roots which is crucial for students to understand.
Darwin's Origin was written in 1859, at a time when only a handful of antediluvian fossils of human beings had been discovered. The skullcap that is famous, along with the bones associated with it, 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 was aware of the skullcap, which was published in 1858, one year after the publication of the first edition of The Origin.
While the site is focused on biology, it offers a lot of information about geology and paleontology. The Web site has numerous aspects that are quite impressive, including an overview of how climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also has an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
Although the site is a companion to a PBS television series, it also stands on its own as a valuable resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and has 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 hyperlinks make it easy to move from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. In particular, there are links to John Endler's experiments with Guppies that 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 context and has numerous advantages over the modern observational and research methods of examining evolutionary processes. Paleobiology can examine not only the process and events that take place regularly or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of different groups of animals across geological time.
The site is divided into a variety of paths to learning evolution which include "Evolution 101," which takes the user on a linear path through the nature of science and the evidence to support the theory of evolution. The course also focuses on common misconceptions about evolution as well as the evolution theory's history.
Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-developed, with materials that are suited to a variety of educational levels and teaching styles. In addition to the standard textual content, the site also has a wide range of multimedia and interactive resources including videos, animations and virtual laboratories. The content is laid out in a nested bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation on the web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of coral relationships, their interaction with other organisms, and then zooms in on one clam that is able to communicate with its neighbors and react 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, provide an excellent introduction to the broad variety of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes an overview of the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetics analysis, an important method for understanding the evolution of changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is an underlying thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A rich collection supports teaching evolution across the disciplines of life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that provides depth as well as wide range of educational resources. The site offers a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has a "bread crumb structure" that helps students move away from the cartoon style used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely related to the fields of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics is linked to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using guppies on native ponds in Trinidad.
Another resource that is worth mentioning is the Evolution Library on this web site, which has an extensive collection of multimedia assets that are related 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 short videos specifically designed for use in classrooms. These are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is still a field of study that has many important questions, including what causes evolution and how quickly it takes place. This is particularly applicable to human evolution where it's been difficult to reconcile the idea that the innate physical characteristics of humans evolved from apes and religions that believe that humans are unique among living things and has an exclusive place in the creation, with a soul.
There are also a number of other ways in which evolution can occur including natural selection, which is the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study other kinds such as genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific inquiry conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly controversial debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have been able to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, others have not.