Presents an activity that provides students an opportunity to explore the tempo and mode of evolution by analyzing data and constructing two evolutionary trees, one gradualistic and one punctuated. (ZWH)

The rhetorical abuse of language by creationists is discussed. Suggestions for how to expose such abuses in a discussion or debate format are provided. (CW)

Describes a real life example of natural selection that can be used instead of computer simulation to teach evolution to students. (ZWH)

Describes an innovative model for improving the teaching of evolution in high school biology courses. Combines the teaching of evolution with both a modern view of the nature of science and the use of humans as the primary case study for understanding evolutionary concepts. Requires consistent use of student-centered activities. Contains 20…

Provided in this document are reviews of 31 creationist publications. The reviews, written by Iowa teachers and scientists, were conceived in 1982 during a drive by Iowa creationists to install their books and other materials in the schools of 60 Iowa communities. Introductory comments on the format of the reviews and several generalizations are…

Discusses the work of evolutionary biologists in determining how sexual reproduction arose. Topics explored include the nature of sex, bacterial sex, meiotic sex, and asexual reproduction. A diagram (which can be used as a duplicating master) illustrating types of bacterial sex is included. (DH)

Discusses four fundamental issues of the "creation-science" and evolution debate: the prevalence of creation myths, an assumed scientific world view, public schools as moral supremacy battlegrounds, and the general population's scientific and religious illiteracy. Calls for free inquiry into the nature of the world's religious traditions and…

Suggests ways for Catholic educators to teach about evolution; e.g., present evolution as widely accepted; note wide belief in God's creation of the world; do not present science and faith as mutually exclusive; present evolution as theory; and present both the evidence supporting and the problems accompanying evolutionary theory. (DMM)

Interviews with 84 students (12- to 16-year-olds) suggest they have a poor understanding of biological education. Students' responses, question context influences, age trends, and implications for biology teachers are discussed. Among conclusions are: (1) Most students use teleological and anthropomorphic explanations; and (2) evolution should be…

This teacher's guide was developed to assist teachers in the use of multimedia resources for the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) program, "Evolution." Each unit uses an inquiry-based approach to meet the National Science Education Standards. Units include: (1) "What is the Nature of Science?"; (2) "Who Was Charles Darwin?"; (3) "What is the…

Describes briefly the development of ancient as well as current theories and ideas on biological evolution. (ZWH)

The meaning and history of the term symbiosis is discussed. The role of symbiosis in evolution is suggested. Research in the field of endocytobiology on symbiotic relationships is proposed. (CW)

Presents the results of a survey on evolution given to 392 university students in western Pennsylvania. Concludes that, although nearly three-quarters of the students say they believe in the theory of evolution, most do not understand the mechanism behind it. (PR)

Presents an activity that highlights the mechanism and power of natural selection. Allows students to think in terms of modeling a biological process and instills an appreciation for a mathematical approach to biological problems. (JRH)

Described are simulations that can be used to illustrate evolution by natural selection. Suggestions for simulating phenomena such as adaptive radiation, color match to background and vision of predators are offered. (BR)