무료 에볼루션 - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts by biology teachers, there are still misconceptions about evolution. Pop science nonsense has led people to believe that biologists aren't believers in evolution.
This rich website - companion to the PBS series offers teachers with resources that promote evolution education and avoid the kinds of misinformation that can undermine it. It's organized in the "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
Evolution is a complex and difficult subject matter to teach effectively. Non-scientists often misunderstand the subject and some scientists use a definition that confuses it. This is especially relevant when it comes to the meaning of the words themselves.
Therefore, it is essential to define terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in a straightforward and useful manner. The site is both an accompanying site for the 2001 series, but it is also a resource on its own. The content is presented in an organized manner that makes it easier to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms like common ancestor (or common ancestor), gradual process, and adaptation. These terms help to frame the nature of evolution as well as its relation to other scientific concepts. The site gives a comprehensive overview of the manner the concept of evolution has been examined. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been created by creationists.
It is also possible to access the glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become more suited to the environment. This is the result of natural selection. Organisms with more adaptable characteristics are more likely than those with less adaptable traits to reproduce and survive.
Common ancestor (also known as common ancestor) is the most recent ancestor shared by two or more species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of these species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A massive biological molecule that contains the information necessary for cell replication. The information is stored in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information in 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 is evident in the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals who can interbreed) develop through a series of natural changes in the traits of their offspring. These changes are caused by a variety of causes, including natural selection, genetic drift and gene pool mixing. The evolution of new species could take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, such as changes in the climate or competition for food and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site traces through time the emergence of various animal and plant groups and focuses on major changes within each group's past. It also explores the human evolutionary roots which is crucial for students to comprehend.
When Darwin wrote the Origin, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been found. The skullcap that is famous, along with the bones that accompanied it were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, one year after the first edition of the Origin was published, it's extremely unlikely that Darwin had heard or seen of it.
The site is primarily an online biology resource, but it also contains a lot of information on geology and paleontology. The site offers numerous features that are especially impressive, such as an overview of how geological and climate conditions have changed over time. It also has an interactive map that shows the location of fossil groups.
The site is a companion to a PBS TV series but it can also be used as a resource by teachers and students. The site is well-organized and has clear links between the introduction content in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specialized 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 realms of research science. In particular there are hyperlinks to John Endler's research with Guppies that demonstrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has resulted in many species of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geological context offers many advantages over the current observational or experimental methods for studying evolutionary phenomena. Paleobiology focuses on not just the processes and events that happen regularly or over time but also the distribution and frequency of different groups of animals in space throughout the geological time.
The site is divided up into different options to study the subject of evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," takes the viewer through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The course also focuses on misconceptions about evolution and the background of evolutionary thinking.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is equally well constructed, with materials that support a variety of educational levels and pedagogical styles. In addition to the standard textual content, the site offers an extensive selection of interactive and multimedia resources including videos, animations, and virtual labs. The breadcrumb-like organization of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the vast Web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides an overview of coral relationships and interactions with other organisms, and then zooms in on a single clam, which can 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 interactive and multimedia pages, gives a good introduction to the many areas of evolutionary biology. The material includes an overview of the role of natural selectivity and the concept phylogenetics analysis as a key tool to understand evolutionary changes.
Evolutionary Theory
Evolution is a common thread that is found throughout all branches of biology. A vast collection 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 exceptional example of an Web site that provides depth and breadth in its educational resources. The site offers a range of interactive learning modules. It also features a "bread crumb structure" that allows students to move away from the cartoon style that is used in Understanding Evolution and onto elements of this vast website that are closely linked 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 living in ponds native to Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this site, which contains an extensive library of multimedia items 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 specifically designed for use in classrooms, and can be streamed for no cost or purchased on DVD.
Many important questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, such as the factors that trigger evolution and how fast it occurs. This is especially true for the evolution of humans which was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a special place in creation and a soul with the notion that our physical traits evolved from apes.
There are a myriad of other ways evolution could occur including natural selection, which is the most popular theory. Scientists also study other kinds like mutation, genetic drift, and sexual selection.
While many fields of scientific inquiry are in conflict with literal interpretations of the Bible evolutionary biology has been the subject of particularly fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolution, while others haven't.