Online Evolution Resources for Educators
Finding Information and Support for Teaching Evolutionary Biology
May 10, 2009
Evolution is an area known for misconceptions, including some that stem from social and religious controversies. Such misconceptions and controversies are likely to crop up in the science classroom, and teachers need to be equipped to handle these situations.
Understanding Evolution for Teachers – Understanding Evolution Website
This is a section within the Understanding Evolution website, which is a joint effort by the University of California Museum of Paleontology and the National Center for Science Education. This section includes:
- Potential Pitfalls – pages looking at how terminology, activities and teaching outdated concepts can hinder learning.
- Overcoming Roadblocks – pages on the possible challenges and ways to prepare for them.
- Lesson plans for guiding lessons with students of many grades, covering several topics within evolution, such as speciation, natural selection and genetic variation.
The overall website also contains some other useful resources such as the beginner’s resource Evolution 101 and news section Evo in the News.
National Center for Science Education (NCSE) Website
The NCSE are an organization promoting science teaching, specifically evolution. The whole site is split into sections that may be of use or interest to science educators. This site includes:
- A news blog reporting on recent developments in science teaching.
- Handling Challenges – pages on how to deal with anti-evolutionism and other issues that arise in teaching evolution.
- Evolution Primers – pages covering evolution topics in layman’s English, such as definitions, biological complexity and paleontology.
For Teachers Section – Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Evolution Website
This section is part of an evolution website run by PBS. This site includes:
- Online Course for Teachers – there are two courses in this section, one covering the main concepts behind evolution, and another on handling challenges associated with controversy.
- Teacher’s Guide: Evolution – handouts and videos to guide lesson planning.
- Online Lessons for Students – lesson ideas covering topics such as Charles Darwin and human evolution.
- Online Videos for Students – videos covering several topics on evolution, as possible independent study or for use in lessons. Topics include science and religion; human evolution and Charles Darwin.
Evolution Section – The National Academic Press
The full title of this section is Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science, and it is part of the National Academic Press website. This site includes
- Several pages covering teaching evolution issues, including, Why teach evolution?, Evolution and the Nature of Science and an FAQ.
- An activities page, which includes ideas that can implemented in lessons.
- A page offering guidance on lesson materials.
For a review of evolution websites suitable for the younger audience, read Online Evolution Resources for Children. Visit the National Science Center for Education’s links page for information on other useful websites for educators.
All sites were retrieved 10th May 2009. Claims and opinions expressed on external websites do not necessarily reflect those of the author.
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