Understanding Evolution

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Found 20 resources for:
Teach about nature of science

A Survey About Science

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16

Source:

  • WGBH

Resource type:

  • Classroom activity

Time: 2-3 class periods

Overview

Students conduct a survey about the nature of science, laws, theories, hypotheses, scientists, and evolution.

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Aloha, spider style! The work of Rosemary Gillespie

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • General

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Research profile

Time: one class period

Overview

This research profile follows Dr. Rosemary Gillespie to Hawaii as she evaluates hypotheses about the evolution of the colorful happy-face spider.

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An Antipodal Mystery

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16

Source:

  • Herreid, Clyde Freeman

Resource type:

  • Classroom activity

Time: 1 to 2 hours, ideally split over multiple class periods

Overview

The discovery of the platypus had the scientific world in an uproar with its mammal-like and bird-like features. How was one to classify the platypus? This case study uses this issue to model the scientific process, with scientists arguing, debating, collecting more evidence, and revising their opinions as new data become available.

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Ancient fossils and modern climate change: The work of Jennifer McElwain

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • General

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Research profile

Time: 40 minutes

Overview

Wondering how global warming will affect our planet? Scientist Jennifer McElwain studies the fossil record in order to learn more about how global warming has affected life on Earth in the past and how it might affect life on Earth in the future.

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Battling bacterial evolution: The work of Carl Bergstrom

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • General

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Research profile

Time: 30-40 minutes

Overview

This research profile examines how the scientist Carl Bergstrom uses computer modeling to understand and control the evolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria in hospitals.

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Dr. Bergstrom

Biological warfare and the coevolutionary arms race

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • Advanced
  • General

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Article

Time: 45 minutes

Overview

The rough-skinned newt looks harmless enough but is, in fact, packed full of one of the most potent neurotoxins known to man. Find out how an evolutionary arms race has pushed these mild-mannered critters to the extremes of toxicity and how evolutionary biologists have unraveled their fascinating story.

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Cells within cells: An extraordinary claim with extraordinary evidence

Grade Level(s):

  • 13-16
  • Advanced
  • General

Source:

  • Understanding Science

Resource type:

  • Article

Time: 30 minutes

Overview

When biologist Lynn Margulis revived the strange-sounding idea that the merging of cells played a prominent role in the evolution of complex life, the scientific community roundly rejected the notion. Today, this idea is accepted as a textbook fact. Learn more about the evidence and social factors that spurred the acceptance of this key aspect of evolutionary theory.
This article is available from the Understanding Science website.

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Discovering mass extinctions in the fossil record

Grade Level(s):

  • 13-16

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Online activity or lab

Time: 2 hours

Overview

This activity (suitable for distance learning) is designed to introduce students to the nature and process of science through the discovery of mass extinctions in the fossil record. Students will explore the fossil record of brachiopods and bivalves using the Paleobiological Database, identify patterns in their data, and generate and evaluate hypotheses. They will also document this process using the Understanding Science flowchart. Clicking the link above will download the Word file for this lesson.

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Evo in the news: Cheating cheetahs prosper

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • General

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Evo in the News article

Time: 15 minutes

Overview

Biologists have discovered that female cheetahs consistently seek out multiple mates. This news brief, from July 2007, explains how the evolutionary implications of this behavior may help conservation efforts targeting these endangered animals.

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Evo in the news: Musseling in on evolution

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • General

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Evo in the News article

Time: 15 minutes

Overview

This news brief, from September 2006, reviews a recent case of evolution in action. In just 15 years, mussels have evolved in response to an invasive crab species. Find out how biologists uncovered this example of evolution on double time.

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Evo in the news: When it comes to evolution, headlines often get it wrong

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • General

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Evo in the News article

Time: 15 minutes

Overview

Newly discovered fossils are prompting some scientists to consider a minor revision of the relationships shown on the human family tree. This news brief from September 2007 clarifies the occasionally misleading news coverage of the story.

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Fire ants invade and evolve

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • Advanced
  • General

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Article

Time: 40 minutes

Overview

Understanding the evolution of fire ants may help scientists control the spread of these pests, which have already taken over much of the U.S.

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Great Fossil Find

Grade Level(s):

  • 6-8
  • 9-12
  • 13-16

Source:

  • ENSI

Resource type:

  • Classroom activity

Time: 40 minutes

Overview

Students are taken on an imaginary fossil hunt and hypothesize as to the identity of the creature they discover. Students revise their hypotheses as new evidence is "found."

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How boogieing birds evolved: The work of Kim Bostwick

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • General

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Research profile

Time: 30 minutes

Overview

This research profile follows ornithologist Kim Bostwick through the jungles of Ecuador and the halls of museums as she investigates the evolution of an exotic bird's complex mating dance.

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How to survive a mass extinction: The work of David Jablonski

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • General

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Research profile

Time: 40 minutes

Overview

Through detailed analysis of patterns in the fossil record, scientist David Jablonski reconstructs the rules that helped dictate who lived and died in past mass extinctions. This research profile describes his surprising discoveries and their disturbing implications for the biodiversity crisis today.

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It takes teamwork: How endosymbiosis changed life on Earth

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • Advanced
  • General

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Article

Time: 30-40 minutes

Overview

You might be surprised to learn that descendants of an ancient bacterium are living in every cell of your body! Find out how endosymbiosis factored into the evolution of your own cells and learn about a modern example of this process.

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Journal Club Toolkit

Grade Level(s):

  • 13-16

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Annotated journal article

Time: Several class periods

Overview

This set of teaching materials aims to help instructors engage their students with the primary literature in evolutionary biology through a "journal club" that can be implemented in a discussion section or smaller class. It includes several helpful tools: annotated articles, a reading guide, additional suggested reading, and tips for students leading a discussion of a journal article.

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Parsimonious explanations for punctuated patterns

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • General

Source:

  • Evolution: Education and Outreach

Resource type:

  • Article

Time: 40 minutes

Overview

Punctuated equilibrium is sometimes erroneously cited as evidence that evolutionary biology still hasn't figured out how evolution works. In fact nothing could be further from the truth. Punctuated equilibrium builds on (not tears down!) established evolutionary theory. Find out how the process works.
This article appears at SpringerLink.

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The Checks Lab

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16

Source:

  • ENSI

Resource type:

  • Classroom activity

Time: One class period

Overview

Students construct plausible scenarios using bank checks to learn how human values and biases influence observation and interpretation.

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Visualizing life on Earth: Data interpretation in evolution

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Online activity or lab

Time: 2 hours

Overview

This web-based module leads students through an exploration of the patterns in the diversity of life across planet Earth. Students are scaffolded as they practice data interpretation and scientific reasoning skills.

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Geographical diversity