5. Evolution Site Projects For Any Budget
Evolution Site – Teaching About Evolution Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misinformation about evolution persist. Pop science fiction has led a lot of people to believe that biologists don't believe evolution. This site, which is a complement to the PBS program offers teachers resources that support the evolution of education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions which undermine it. It's laid out in the “bread crumb” format to facilitate navigation and orientation. Definitions It is difficult to effectively teach evolution. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even some scientists are guilty of using an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is especially true when discussing the nature of the words themselves. Therefore, it is important to define terms used in evolutionary biology. Understanding Evolution's website helps you define these terms in a straightforward and useful manner. The website is a companion to the series that first aired in 2001, but it is also an independent resource. The content is presented in a way which aids navigation and orientation. The site defines terms like common ancestor and the gradual process. These terms help to frame the nature of evolution as well as its relation to other concepts in science. The site provides an overview of the way in which evolution has been tested. This information can be used to dispel myths that have been engendered by the creationists. It is also possible to access a glossary of terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include: Adaptation: The tendency of heritable characteristics to become more adaptable to a specific environment. This is a result of natural selection, which occurs when organisms with better-adapted traits are more likely survive and reproduce than those with less adaptable characteristics. Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more different species. The common ancestor can be identified by studying the DNA of those species. Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular that contains the information needed for cell replication. The information is contained in nucleotides arranged in sequences that are strung together into long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are responsible for the creation of new genetic information within cells. Coevolution is a relation between two species in which the evolution of one species are influenced evolutionary changes of the other. Examples of coevolution include the interaction between predator and prey, or host and parasite. Origins Species (groups which can interbreed) change by a series of natural variations in the traits of their offspring. The changes can be triggered by a variety of factors such as natural selection, genetic drift and mixing of genes. The development of a new species may take thousands of years, and the process could be slowed down or accelerated by environmental conditions such as climate change or competition for food or habitat. The Evolution site traces the emergence of a number of different species of plants and animals over time, focusing on the major transitions that occurred in each group's history. It also explores the human evolutionary roots, a topic that is especially important for students to understand. When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. One of them was the infamous skullcap and bones that were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto in Germany that is now thought as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is highly unlikely that Darwin knew about the skullcap, which was published in 1858, a year following the initial edition of The Origin. Origin. The site is mostly an online biology resource however it also includes many details on paleontology and geology. One of the most appealing features of the website are a set of timelines that show the way in which climatic and geological conditions changed over time, as well as an outline of the distribution of a few fossil groups that are featured on the site. While the site is a companion to the PBS television series but it also stands on its own as a great resource for teachers and students. The site is well-organized, and provides clear links to the introduction information of Understanding Evolution (developed under the National Science Foundation's support) and the more specific features of the museum website. These hyperlinks help users move from the engaging 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 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 in their geological context and has a number of advantages over the modern observational and research methods for analyzing evolutionary phenomena. In addition to studying processes and events that take place regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology allows to analyze the relative abundance of various species of organisms and their distribution across the course of geological time. The site is divided into various paths that can be chosen to learn about evolution. One of these paths, “Evolution 101,” guides the user through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The path also examines myths about evolution and the background of evolutionary thought. Each of the main sections on 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 resources, including animations, video clips and virtual laboratories, in addition to its general textual content. The content is presented in a nested bread crumb fashion that aids navigation and orientation on the Web site. The page “Coral Reef Connections” For instance, it provides an overview of coral relationships, their interaction with other organisms, and then zooms in on one clam that is able to communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in conditions of the water that occur 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 range of topics in evolutionary biology. The content also includes a discussion on the role of natural selectivity and the concept of phylogenetics, an important tool to understand evolutionary change. Evolutionary Theory For biology students evolution is a crucial thread that weaves together all branches of the field. A wide range of resources helps teachers teach about evolution across all life sciences. One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of an Web page that provides depth as well as broadness in terms of educational resources. The site offers a variety of interactive learning modules. It also has an embedded “bread crumb” structure that allows students to move from the cartoon-like style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this large Web site more closely linked to the field of research science. For instance an animation that introduces the idea of genetic inheritance connects to a page highlighting John Endler's experiments in artificial selection with guppies from the native ponds of Trinidad. Another resource that is worth mentioning is the Evolution Library on this web website, which includes an extensive library of multimedia assets connected to evolution. The content is organized in the form of curriculum-based pathways that are in line with the learning objectives outlined in biology standards. It contains seven videos designed specifically for use in the classroom, and can be streamed for no cost or purchased on DVD. Many important questions remain at the heart of evolutionary biology, including what causes evolution to occur and how fast it occurs. This is particularly relevant for the evolution of humans where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that humanity has a unique place in creation and a soul with the notion that human beings have innate physical traits were derived from Apes. There are also a number of other ways in which evolution could occur and natural selection being the most popular theory. However 에볼루션바카라 study other kinds of evolution, such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection, among other things. While many scientific fields of inquiry are in conflict with the literal interpretations of religious texts, evolutionary biology has been the subject of fierce debate and opposition from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have reconciled their beliefs to evolution but others haven't.