Introduction |
Evolution is known as the "Unifying Theory of Biology", yet it is probably the most controversial theory. Some people oppose evolution because of religious beliefs, and some even believe strongly that the theory should not be taught in schools at all. The debate has been going on for several years. Most biologists feel that you can't teach about animals and biology without using the Theory of Evolution to explain why things are they way they are. In this activity, you are going to create an informational web site exploring the controversy of evolution and answering some of your own questions about the topic. It is best to enter this project with an open mind.
Task |
Your final project is a web page that will be posted on the web for other students to read, so you should always consider your audience. If you don't know how to make a webpage, don't worry. The word processor on your computer will convert what you write into a webpage. Your web page should be visually appealing and contain lots of good information and facts about the Theory of Evolution and include some pictures.
Learning goals
Process |
1. First get together with your group and look at the Evolution Quiz. As a group, determine which ones you think are true and which ones you think are false. Set the questions aside. When you are finished with the project, you will be experts, and you can go back and change your answers. Keep this quiz in your Project File.
2. Brainstorm a list of things you know (or think you know) about the Theory of Evolution, write these down on a paper and keep in your group's Project File.
3. Develop a list of things you do not know, would like to know or are confused about. A list of questions can also suffice. Write these down and keep them in your project folder.
4. Use the internet to research the topic (individually). Keep a journal of important facts and information you find that you think would be good to include in your final web page. As you search, you may want to download any pictures that you would want to put in your own web page. This journal serves as a "log" of your research, so that you can show that you did your share of the work.
5. Rejoin your group, use your journals from the research to determine what information will be included on your web page. Design the web page on paper first. Place individual journals in the Project File.
6. Execute your web page plan on the computers. (Additional Information given in class-+)
7. Test your webpage by opening it in Internet Explorer (or other browser) before turning in your disk.
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Resources |
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/historyoflife/histoflife.html
This site has many educational resources, including tours of exhibits that
show different animals, their relationship to other animals, and their relationship
to extinct animals.
http://www.talkorigins.org/
This site addresses the evolution and creationism debate. It is strictly
a science site that attempts to answer many of the questions posed by creationists
to bebunk evolution. The FAQ page is an excellent resource which can help
you see how scientists respond to many religious questions about evolution.
http://www.planetarybiology.com/evolutionhisto/myths_of_evolution.htm
this site lists several myths regarding evolution and a short rebuttal to those
myths.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/evolutio.htm
This site contains an objective discussion about different religions and how those
religions view creationism and evolution. The site is called “religious
tolerance” and as the name suggests, it does not make judgments about any
particular religion or belief, but rather focuses on the debate and different
beliefs.
http://www.anth.ucsb.edu/projects/human/
This site focuses on primate and human evolution. It uses shockwave
to show virtual skulls that can be manipulated and rotated. Each skull
also has a short description of its relationship to human evolution.
http://www.evolutionhappens.net/
A question and answer page that explores common questions about evolution
and has a gallery. It links section is very thorough, and you can explore
other sites from here.
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Temple/9917/evolution/evolve.html
A site for beginners, explains the step by step process of evolution and
addresses myths about evolution. You can also see how carbon dating works,
and get a scientific viewpoint about the biblical Flood.
http://library.thinkquest.org/19926/index.htm
This site was developed by students to teach other students about evolution.
It has a very thorough tutorial, and since it was developed by students the language
is easy to understand.
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/vertpaleo/fhc/fhc.htm
This site shows a gallery of horse evolution. Fossils of horses and
their ancestors show a very complete timeline of how this species changed over
time. This virtual museum will take your through a tour of the horse fossils
found and how these fossils are evidence for evolution.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/darwin/index.shtml
This site is from the BBC, which is an educational media site for England. It
has a very extensive resource page for Darwin and the Theory of Evolution.
Clipart |
Need to find images for your page, try this sites to get images that you can use and are not copyrighted.
If you use other images on your webpage, make sure you give credit to the site the image was taken from.
Miscellaneous |
Evolution Survey - This won't give you any answers, but it will certainly give you some questions to think about. The survey addresses many of the common myths associated with evolution.
Evolution Simulation
- little game that lets you set the mutation rate of virtual organisms and watch
them change through generations.
Evaluation |
| Needs work (4 pts) | Adequate (6 pts) | Excellent (8 pts) | Possible | |
| Layout / Design | The pages are unattractive. Text is difficult to read. The backgrounds are distracting. | The pages appear "busy" or "boring". Text may be difficult to read. The backgrounds are somewhat distracting. | The pages are eye-catching and attractive. Text is easy to read. The backgrounds are subtle and appropriate. | 8 |
| Graphics | There are no photos, icons or clip art or they are inappropriate | Photos, icons, and clip art present, most are appropriate | Photos, icons, and clip art are used creatively and may follow a theme. |
8 |
| Working Together | Partners argue or fight much of the time and do not share responsibilities. | Partners have trouble solving disagreements; responsibilities not equally shared | Partners get along well and share equally in responsibilities. |
8 |
| Content | Evolution is not explained or there are errors in the explanation | Evolution is explained, somewhat difficult to understand, minor errors | Evolution is explained well and creatively, and is appropriate for the target audience |
8 |
| Information | Information is poorly written, inaccurate, or incomplete, obviously copied directly from other websites | Information could be better written and too much information is given in each section, display some unique thoughts | Information is well written and interesting to read and is presented in short sections, obviously constructed from groups own thoughts | 8 |
| Misonceptions | Misconceptions are not listed, or scientific viewpoint inaccurate or missing. | Some misconceptions addressed and answered from a scientific viewpoint | 3 or more misonceptions addressed and answered clearly from a scientific viewpoing |
8 |
| Technical | Page missing a title, group names, date or resources used (0 pts) | Title, group names, date, and resources are all present on website, information and images cited (2 pts) | 2 | |
| TOTAL POSSIBLE |
50 |
Written
by Shannan Muskopf
www.biologycorner.com