We present a guided-inquiry biology lesson, using the plant-rhizobium symbiosis as a model system. This system provides a rich environment for developing connections between the big ideas in biology as outlined in the College Board's new AP Biology Curriculum. Students gain experience with the practice of scientific investigation, from…

Journal writing was introduced as a means to assess student learning and acceptance of evolutionary science in a nonmajors' biology course taught at a community college. Fourteen weeks of instruction were performed, each initiated by student-centered, in-class activities and culminated by a discussion, to elucidate tentative conclusions based on…

Understanding students' thinking about scientific theories is fundamental to the development of effective instructional strategies designed to foster scientific literacy. We conducted a study to determine student acceptance of important biological theories and to explore the relationships between their acceptance of scientific theories and their…

An anonymous survey instrument was used for a ten year study to gauge college student attitudes toward evolution. Results indicate that students are most likely to accept evolution as a historical process for change in physical features of non-human organisms. They are less likely to accept evolution as an ongoing process that shapes all traits…

The interdisciplinary curriculum of the Hull College of Higher Education is described. A course entitled "Evolution and Prehistory" combines geology with prehistoric archaeology. (Author/SA)

Describes "Biology of Mankind," a first-year biology course offered at the University of New South Wales in which biological principles are taught in the context of the evolution of man in relation to his environment. Outlined are aims, course content, and course evaluation methods. (CS)

Proposes a science-oriented general education core, stressing the importance of serious scientific study in understanding contemporary human existence. Describes the four courses comprising the core, which use the evolutionary process as the unifying concept for the study of physics, astronomy, geology, chemistry, biology, anthropology,…

Discusses some principles of biological taxonomy. The evolutionary principle in taxonomy and its limitations, and the difference in evolutionary patterns between plants and animals, are also discussed. (HM)

A course on the evolvement of life was developed using a thematic, problem-oriented approach rather than the traditional, discipline-oriented approach. Course content, format, and evaluation are discussed. Textbooks and related materials used in the course are also discussed. (Author/JN)

Various aspects of the current evolution/creationism controversy are reviewed including the impact of attempting to remove evolutionary material from textbooks and including creationist material. A number of viewpoints, opinions, and references from current literature are cited. (DS)

As the crusade to outlaw the teaching of evolution changed to a battle for equal time for creationism, the ideological defenses of that doctrine also shifted, from biblical to scientific grounds. The development of "scientific creationism" is described, focusing on the intellectual leaders of creationism, particularly those claiming scientific…

Presents a model for teaching the principles of evolution. The model presents three major factors that direct changes and affect an individual's fitness. Uses and adaptations of the model are suggested. (Author/SA)

Discusses topics to aid in understanding animal behavior, including the value of the biological approach to psychology, functional systems, optimality and fitness, universality of environmental effects on behavior, and evolution of social behavior. (DS)

This essay by a Harvard evolutionist presents viewpoints concerning the creationists' arguments against evolutionary biology. Semantics regarding "facts" and "theory" of evolution are examined, examples are cited of creationist argument, and arguments for evolution are presented. (CS)

Discusses the nature and consequences of organisms' adaptation to new environments, including examples of adaptation and tolerance, aliens, adventives and invaders, vacant niches, arrival and fate of an adventure, hybridization with native organisms, and invasion without introduction by humans. (DS)