Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science

Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science PDF Author: National Academy of Sciences
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309063647
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 150

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Book Description
Today many school students are shielded from one of the most important concepts in modern science: evolution. In engaging and conversational style, Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science provides a well-structured framework for understanding and teaching evolution. Written for teachers, parents, and community officials as well as scientists and educators, this book describes how evolution reveals both the great diversity and similarity among the Earth's organisms; it explores how scientists approach the question of evolution; and it illustrates the nature of science as a way of knowing about the natural world. In addition, the book provides answers to frequently asked questions to help readers understand many of the issues and misconceptions about evolution. The book includes sample activities for teaching about evolution and the nature of science. For example, the book includes activities that investigate fossil footprints and population growth that teachers of science can use to introduce principles of evolution. Background information, materials, and step-by-step presentations are provided for each activity. In addition, this volume: Presents the evidence for evolution, including how evolution can be observed today. Explains the nature of science through a variety of examples. Describes how science differs from other human endeavors and why evolution is one of the best avenues for helping students understand this distinction. Answers frequently asked questions about evolution. Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science builds on the 1996 National Science Education Standards released by the National Research Councilâ€"and offers detailed guidance on how to evaluate and choose instructional materials that support the standards. Comprehensive and practical, this book brings one of today's educational challenges into focus in a balanced and reasoned discussion. It will be of special interest to teachers of science, school administrators, and interested members of the community.

Intelligence and Evolutionary Biology

Intelligence and Evolutionary Biology PDF Author: Harry J. Jerison
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642708773
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 482

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Book Description
In evolutionary biology, "intelligence" must be defined in terms of traits that are subject to the major forces of organic evolution. Accordingly, this volume is concerned with the substantive questions that are relevant to the evolutionary problem. Comparisons of learning abilities are highlighted by a detailed report on similarities between honeybees and higher vertebrates. Several chapters are concerned with the evolution of cerebral lateralization and the control of language, and recent analyses of the evolution of encephalization and neocorticalization, including a review of effects of domestication on brain size are presented. The relationship between brain size and intelligence is debated vigorously. Most unusual, however, is the persistent concern with analytic and philosophical issues that arise in the study of this topic, from the applications of new developments on artificial intelligence as a source of cognitive theory, to the recognition of the evolutionary process itself as a theory of knowledge in "evolutionary epistemology".

The Theory of Evolution

The Theory of Evolution PDF Author: John Maynard Smith
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521451284
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 380

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Book Description
A century ago Darwin and Wallace explained how evolution could have happened in terms of processes known to take place today. This book describes how their theory has been confirmed, but at the same time "transformed", by recent research.

Concepts of Biology

Concepts of Biology PDF Author: Samantha Fowler
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 1409

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Book Description
Concepts of Biology is designed for the typical introductory biology course for nonmajors, covering standard scope and sequence requirements. The text includes interesting applications and conveys the major themes of biology, with content that is meaningful and easy to understand. The book is designed to demonstrate biology concepts and to promote scientific literacy.

Evolution in Hawaii

Evolution in Hawaii PDF Author: National Academy of Sciences
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309166705
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 56

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Book Description
As both individuals and societies, we are making decisions today that will have profound consequences for future generations. From preserving Earth's plants and animals to altering our use of fossil fuels, none of these decisions can be made wisely without a thorough understanding of life's history on our planet through biological evolution. Companion to the best selling title Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science, Evolution in Hawaii examines evolution and the nature of science by looking at a specific part of the world. Tracing the evolutionary pathways in Hawaii, we are able to draw powerful conclusions about evolution's occurrence, mechanisms, and courses. This practical book has been specifically designed to give teachers and their students an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of evolution using exercises with real genetic data to explore and investigate speciation and the probable order in which speciation occurred based on the ages of the Hawaiian Islands. By focusing on one set of islands, this book illuminates the general principles of evolutionary biology and demonstrate how ongoing research will continue to expand our knowledge of the natural world.

The Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands PDF Author: Charles Darwin
Publisher: Penguin Group
ISBN: 9780146001444
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 68

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Book Description


The Voyage of the Beagle

The Voyage of the Beagle PDF Author: Charles Darwin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Beagle Expedition
Languages : en
Pages : 552

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Book Description


Science, Evolution, and Creationism

Science, Evolution, and Creationism PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309105862
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 88

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Book Description
How did life evolve on Earth? The answer to this question can help us understand our past and prepare for our future. Although evolution provides credible and reliable answers, polls show that many people turn away from science, seeking other explanations with which they are more comfortable. In the book Science, Evolution, and Creationism, a group of experts assembled by the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine explain the fundamental methods of science, document the overwhelming evidence in support of biological evolution, and evaluate the alternative perspectives offered by advocates of various kinds of creationism, including "intelligent design." The book explores the many fascinating inquiries being pursued that put the science of evolution to work in preventing and treating human disease, developing new agricultural products, and fostering industrial innovations. The book also presents the scientific and legal reasons for not teaching creationist ideas in public school science classes. Mindful of school board battles and recent court decisions, Science, Evolution, and Creationism shows that science and religion should be viewed as different ways of understanding the world rather than as frameworks that are in conflict with each other and that the evidence for evolution can be fully compatible with religious faith. For educators, students, teachers, community leaders, legislators, policy makers, and parents who seek to understand the basis of evolutionary science, this publication will be an essential resource.

Icons of Evolution

Icons of Evolution PDF Author: Jonathan Wells
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 159698533X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 251

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Book Description
Everything you were taught about evolution is wrong.

Adaptation and Natural Selection

Adaptation and Natural Selection PDF Author: George Christopher Williams
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691185506
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 335

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Book Description
Biological evolution is a fact—but the many conflicting theories of evolution remain controversial even today. When Adaptation and Natural Selection was first published in 1966, it struck a powerful blow against those who argued for the concept of group selection—the idea that evolution acts to select entire species rather than individuals. Williams’s famous work in favor of simple Darwinism over group selection has become a classic of science literature, valued for its thorough and convincing argument and its relevance to many fields outside of biology. Now with a new foreword by Richard Dawkins, Adaptation and Natural Selection is an essential text for understanding the nature of scientific debate.