Studies of the biology of music (as of language) are highly interdisciplinary and demand the integration of diverse strands of evidence. In this paper, I present a comparative perspective on the biology and evolution of music, stressing the value of comparisons both with human language, and with those animal communication systems traditionally…

Evolution is often equated with natural selection and is taught from a primarily functional perspective while comparative and historical approaches, which are critical for developing an appreciation of the power of evolutionary theory, are often neglected. This report describes a study of expert problem-solving in phylogenetic tree construction.…

This document is a collection of materials developed for the Smithsonian Institution/George Washington University Anthropology for Teachers Program. The program was established to encourage junior and senior high school teachers to integrate anthropology into their social studies and science classes. The materials include several bibliographies:…

A major synthesis of the latest research on early language acquisition, this book explores what gives infants the remarkable capacity to progress from babbling to meaningful sentences, and what inclines a child to speak. The book examines the neurological, perceptual, social, and linguistic aspects of language acquisition in young children, from…

In the past 25 years, there has been an explosion in research on the development of perception. The research has produced discoveries at multiple levels: ecological analyses, models of representation and process, and improved understanding of biological mechanisms. This book provides a comprehensive treatment of infant perception, bringing…

This paper offers a description of the Ball-Stick-Bird reading system which has been used successfully to teach students with IQs as low as 20 to read with comprehension. A summary of research findings on this approach is presented as well as a discussion of these findings within a neurological/behavioral/evolutionary framework. A new theory of…

This paper argues that the emerging discipline of sociobiology has the potential of doing what epistemologists, developmental psychologists, psychoanalysts, and ethologists have been unable to do: to provide a theory documenting our inherited dispositions as reflected in cultural evolution and personal development. Accordingly, the paper begins…

Described is a curriculum theory and construction within an epistemological model whose specific purpose is to serve as a general guide to the Amerindian peoples (Indians and Inuit) in their search for solutions to the problem of cultural survival. The model is also meant to have universal application, especially where there are cultures in…

This is one of a series of 14 instructional components of a semester-long, environmental earth science course developed for undergraduate students. The course includes lectures, discussion sessions, and individualized learning carrel lessons. Presented are the study guide and script for a learning carrel lesson on geologic time. The slides,…

This teaching aid outlines basic anthropological concepts described in the various units of the Anthropology Curriculum Project. The outline of important concepts to be learned is intended to be used by the teacher in conjunction with the other instructional materials in each unit. The introduction defines anthropology, its branches and purposes.…

The contents of this book, which presents the fruits of one of a series of conferences organized by the National Research Council Committee on Basic Research in Education, includes 12 papers, with discussion and comments: "Introductory Remarks," Ernst W. Caspari; "Quantitative Aspects of Genetics and Environment in the Determination of Behavior,"…

Outlines an adaptive framework for the study of plants and their pollinators in which both partners in the ecological relationship are seen as maximizing fitness through efficient use of the other as a resource. Suggests experimental projects to examine the validity of these assumptions giving an evolutionary emphasis. (Author/CW)

Presents the results of a survey of high school biology teachers in Ohio. Indicates that Ohio biology teachers are far more likely to support the teaching of evolution, and less likely to support the teaching of creationism, than is the general public. Includes the questionnaire in the appendix. (TW)

Discusses various developments in both science and theology following the work of Charles Darwin on evolution. Differentiates between the facts regarding evolution and the theory of natural selection as a mechanism for evolutionary change. Warns that the differences between facts and theory have not been adequately emphasized by scientists. (TW)

Suggests that earth scientists become active in the creationist debate by making sure that the religious concept creationism is not taught in schools and that well-based, informative material about organic evolution, earth's age, and nature of stratigraphic record are employed by science teachers. (Author/JN)