Plants and insects share a long evolutionary history characterized by relationships that affect individual, population, and community dynamics. Plant-herbivore interactions are a prominent feature of this evolutionary history; it is by plant-herbivore interactions that energy is transferred from primary producers to the rest of the food web. Not…

Presents an activity on natural selection and how the peppered moth's adaptive values for their colors changed during the Industrial Revolution in Manchester, England, influencing their survival and ultimately affecting the survival of their offspring. Includes activity objectives. (Author/KHR)

Illustrates how antigen-antibody interactions can be applied to the study of evolution. Includes background information, materials, methods, procedures, and results. (SAH)

Presents an innovative, inquiry-oriented lesson plan for using biotechnology to teach evolution. Using acrylamide gel electrophoresis, students learn how to isolate and compare different proteins from the muscle tissue of readily available seafood specimens to determine phylogenetic relationships. Uses a 5E (engagement, exploration, explanation,…

Presents an activity in which students seek answers to questions about evolutionary relationships by using genetic databases and bioinformatics software. Students build genetic distance matrices and phylogenetic trees based on molecular sequence data using web-based resources. Provides a flowchart of steps involved in accessing, retrieving, and…

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)

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…

Describes a project that enables students to emulate a scientist in the classroom setting through collaboration on research projects, use of research literature, and communication with scientific peers. Student groups focus on investigations of the cellular and molecular aspects of a disease. (DDR)

Describes two activities that use jelly beans to teach the three fundamental modes of natural selection, the theory of competitive exclusion, and how competition structures communities. (ASK)

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)

Presents a laboratory sequence that allows students to use traditional comparative methods, scientific methodology, and modern molecular data bases to test hypotheses of evolutionary relationships. (Contains 13 references.) (ASK)

Describes two investigative labs that use live plants to illustrate important biological principles, include quantitative analysis, and require very little equipment. Each lab is adaptable to a variety of class sizes, course contents, and student backgrounds. Topics include the evolution of flower size in Mimulus and pollination of Brassicas. (DDR)

Emphasizes discoveries at the frontiers of science. Includes an instructional poster illustrating the hydrothermal vent communities on the deep ocean floor. Describes research activities related to the new discipline of astrobiology, a multidisciplinary approach to studying the emergence of life in the universe. Research activities include the…

Describes an activity that uses paper airplanes to demonstrate natural selection and is preceded by a lesson on the fossil record to supply a foundation for the concept of evolution. (JRH)