에볼루션사이트 - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions about evolution persist. Pop science nonsense has led people to think that biologists don't believe in evolution.
This site, which is a complement to the PBS program, provides teachers with materials that support the evolution of education while avoiding the types of misconceptions which hinder it. It's laid out in a nested "bread crumb" format to facilitate navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It is difficult to properly teach evolution. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even scientists are guilty of using an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is particularly relevant to discussions about the nature of the word.
Therefore, 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 helpful manner. The website is a companion to the show which first aired in 2001, but also functions as an independent resource. The material is presented in a structured manner that makes it simpler to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help to define the nature of evolution and its relation to other scientific concepts. The site provides an overview of the way that evolution has been tested. This information can be used to dispel the myths that have been created by the creationists.
It is also possible to get a glossary of terms that are used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
Adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become more suitable to their environment. This is due to natural selection, which happens when organisms that are more adaptable traits are more likely survive and reproduce than those with less adaptable traits.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more distinct species. By studying the DNA of these species, it is possible to determine the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid: A huge biological molecular that holds the information required for cell replication. The information is contained in sequences of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, called chromosomes. Mutations are the source of new genetic information in cells.
Coevolution is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes of one species are influenced evolutionary changes in the other. Coevolution can be seen in the interactions between predator and prey, or parasite and hosts.
Origins
Species (groups of individuals who can interbreed) develop through natural changes in the characteristics of their offspring. The causes of these changes are numerous factors, like natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of new species can take thousands of years. Environmental conditions, like climate change or competition for food and habitat can slow or speed up the process.
The Evolution site follows the emergence of various animal and plant groups, focusing on major transitions in each group's past. It also explores human evolution as a subject that is particularly important to students.
When Darwin wrote the Origin of Species, only a handful of antediluvian human fossils had been discovered. The famous skullcap, with the bones that accompanied it, was discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now regarded as an early Homo neanderthalensis. Although the skullcap was not published until 1858, one year after the first edition of the Origin appeared, it is very unlikely that Darwin had seen or heard of it.
The site is primarily an online biology resource however it also includes many details on paleontology and geology. The website has several aspects that are quite impressive, including a timeline of how climate and geological conditions have changed over time. It also has maps that show the locations of fossil groups.
The site is a companion for a PBS TV series but it could also be used as a resource by teachers and students. The site is extremely well-organized and offers clear links between the introduction material in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more sophisticated components of the museum's Web site. These hyperlinks make it easier to transition from the cartoon-style Understanding Evolution pages into the more sophisticated worlds of research science. Particularly there are hyperlinks to John Endler's research with guppies that illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life has produced a variety of plants, animals and insects. Paleobiology, the study of these creatures in their geological environment is a superior method of study over the current observational or experimental methods for studying evolutionary processes. In addition to exploring processes and events that take place regularly or over a lengthy period of time, paleobiology can be used to examine the relative abundance of different species of organisms and their distribution throughout the course of geological time.
The site is divided up into several routes that can be taken to study the subject of evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," guides the user through the nature and evidence of evolution. The path also explores common misconceptions about evolution and the evolution of thought.
Each of the other major sections of the Evolution site is equally well created, with resources that can be used to support a range of educational levels and pedagogical styles. The site has a range of multimedia and interactive resources, including animations, video clips and virtual laboratories in addition to general textual content. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content aids in navigation and orientation on the large website.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, the page "Coral Reef Connections" provides a comprehensive overview of the coral's relationships and interactions with other organisms and is enlarged to show one 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 multimedia and interactive pages, offers a great introduction to the many areas of evolutionary biology. The content also includes an overview of the importance of natural selection and the concept of phylogenetics, an important method for understanding the evolution of changes.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students, evolution is a key thread that binds all branches of the field. A wide range of resources helps teachers teach about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, the companion to PBS's TV series Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web site that provides depth as well as wide range of educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also features an embedded "bread crumb" structure that allows students to move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this huge site that are more closely linked to the world of research science. An animation that introduces the concept of genetics, which links to a page about John Endler's experiments with artificial selection using Guppies in native ponds in Trinidad.
Another helpful resource is the Evolution Library on this site, which has an extensive library of multimedia assets related to evolution. The content is organized into courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning objectives outlined in the biology standards. It contains seven videos intended for use in the classroom. These are available to stream or purchase as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology is still an area of study that poses many important questions, such as what triggers evolution and how fast it takes place. This is particularly true for humans' evolution where it was a challenge to reconcile religious beliefs that held that humanity has a special position in the universe and a soul, with the notion that our physical traits originated from the apes.
Additionally there are a variety of ways that evolution can be triggered with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. Scientists also study different types such as mutation, genetic drift and sexual selection.
While many scientific fields of inquiry are in conflict with literal interpretations of religious texts Evolutionary biology has been the subject of intense controversy and resistance from religious fundamentalists. Certain religions have reconciled their beliefs with evolutionary biology, while others haven't.