Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about evolution. 에볼루션카지노사이트 has led many people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This rich Web site - companion to the PBS series It provides teachers with materials which support evolution education and avoids the kinds of misconceptions that undermine 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 even by non-scientists, and even some scientists use a definition that confuses the issue. This is particularly applicable to discussions on the definition of the word itself.
It is crucial to define the terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website provides this in an easy and helpful manner. The site serves as an accompanying site for the 2001 series, and also a resource of its own. The content is organized in a way that makes it easy to navigate and comprehend.
The site defines terms such as common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help frame the nature of evolution as well as its relation to other concepts in science. 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 engendered by the creationists.
You can also access a glossary that contains terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become more suitable to their environment. This is the result of natural selection. It occurs when organisms that are more adaptable traits are more likely survive and reproduce than those with less adaptable characteristics.
Common ancestor: The latest common ancestor of two or more distinct species. The common ancestor can be identified through analyzing the DNA of the species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A large biological molecular that holds the information required for cell replication. The information is stored in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together into long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are the cause of new genetic information within cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are influenced by evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution is evident in the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals that are able to interbreed) change through a series of natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. The changes can be triggered by a variety of causes, including natural selection, genetic drift and mixing of gene pools. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental circumstances, such as changes in the climate or competition for food or habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site follows the evolution of different species of plants and animals and focuses on major changes in each group's history. It also examines the human evolutionary roots which is especially important for students to know.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, at a time when only a handful of antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. The famous skullcap, with the bones that accompanied it were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap, which was first published in 1858, which was a year after the first edition of The Origin.
The site is mostly one of biology, but it also contains a lot of information on paleontology and geology. The Web site has several features that are particularly impressive, such as an overview of how climate and geological conditions have changed over the course of time. It also has a map showing the distribution of fossil groups.
While the site is a companion to a PBS television series however, it can stand on its own as a great resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized and provides clear links to the introductory material of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's funding) as well as the more specialized features on the museum's website. These hyperlinks facilitate the move from the cartoon-like 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 that demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has resulted in an array of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures within their geological environment offers many advantages over modern observational or research methods of studying evolutionary processes. Paleobiology can examine not only processes and events that take place frequently or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of various animal groups in space over the course of the geological time.
The site is divided into several routes that can be taken to study the subject of evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," walks the reader through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions regarding evolution, and the background of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that can be used to support a variety of curriculum levels and teaching styles. The site offers a wide array of interactive and multimedia content which include animations, video clips and virtual labs as well as general textual content. The content is presented in a nested bread crumb-like fashion that helps with navigation and orientation within the large Web site.
For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" gives a brief overview of the relationships between corals and their interaction with other organisms, then concentrates on a specific clam that can communicate with its neighbors and respond to changes in the water conditions that occur at the level of the reef. This page, as well as the other multidisciplinary, multimedia and interactive pages on the site, provide an excellent introduction to the broad range of topics in evolutionary biology. The material includes an explanation of the role of natural selectivity and the concept phylogenetics analysis as a key method for understanding the evolution of changes.
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 the life sciences.
One resource, a companion to the PBS television series Understanding Evolution, is an excellent example of an Web site that offers both depth and a variety of educational resources. The site offers a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has a "bread crumb structure" that assists students in moving away from the cartoon style that is used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements on this large website more closely linked to the realms of research science. For example an animation that explains the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments in artificial selection using guppies in the ponds of his native country of Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this web site, which has an extensive library of multimedia resources related to evolution. The content is organized according to courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning objectives outlined in the standards for biology. It includes seven short videos that are designed for use in classrooms. They are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is an area of study that has many important questions, including what triggers evolution and the speed at which it happens. This is particularly relevant for humans' evolution, where it was difficult to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a unique place in creation and a soul, with the idea that innate physical traits originated from the apes.
There are a myriad of other ways in which evolution can take place, with natural selection as the most well-known 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 inquiry conflict with the literal interpretations of the Bible 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 notions of evolution, others aren't.