This paper reports an interview case study with two physics doctoral students designed to explore their conceptions about the theory of evolution. Analysis of interview transcripts reveals that both students mistakenly constructed a "theory of evolution by environmentally driven adaptation" instead of the commonly accepted "theory…

This conference was organized around presentations about the cases of an adult and a pediatric sickle cell anemia patient. Following the presentations of the patients' case histories, and clinical and laboratory findings, the cases were discussed by specialists from various areas of expertise. Among the perspectives offered were those of internal…

Describes materials and techniques suitable for class fieldwork on the ecology of the cyanogenesis polymorphism of white clover. Details of a school trial are presented and discussed. (Author/EB)

Written by a biologist, this paper is intended to present information on the sociological study of man from a biological perspective. Perspectives include that (1) sociology neglects biological variables that are part of understanding human behavior and human societies; (2) the sociobiological or evolutionary view of human development is…

Reported are results of a study designed to determine the experimental effect of three low-inference teacher clarity variables on student achievement in science. College students (N=41) were randomly assigned to one of two groups defined by the teacher's clarity in the lesson, i.e., high clarity versus low clarity. After a lesson in basic genetics…

This environmental unit is one of a series designed for integration within an existing curriculum. The unit is self-contained and requires minimal teacher preparation. The philosophy of this series is based on an experience-oriented process that encourages self-paced independent student work. The purpose of this particular unit is to prove that…

The Annual Review of Psychology is compiled to provide authoritative evaluation of progress in both the traditional and the new areas of psychology. The 1971 edition includes the following topics and authors: Basic Drives, by Frank W. Finger and Douglas G. Mook; Behavioral Genetics, by Gardner Lindzey and others; Audition, by David H. Raab;…

This autoinstructional lesson deals with the study of genetics. It is a learning activity for so-called middle achievers in grade 10 biology classes. Previous knowledge of the process of mitosis and meiosis are important requirements. Behavioral objectives are suggested. Approximately 20 minutes are needed to complete the instructional unit. The…

The controversy over the causes of intelligence--genetic or environmental--is reviewed. More specifically, the subject of the consistently lower intelligence scores for blacks is analyzed. Much attention is devoted to Jensen and his monograph published in the "Harvard Educational Review," entitled "How much can we boost IQ and scholastic…

The facts that black Americans at all ages have higher blood pressure levels and higher mortality rates from hypertension than whites provided the impetus for this study. In their efforts to discover whether the level of blood pressure within and between black and white groups is related more to stress or to genetic factors, the researchers…

This collection contains 42 objectives with six related evaluation items for each objective. An effort was made to present these objectives at a level and in an organization easily adaptable to the elementary curriculum. The major goals of the collection are: 1) to present elementary students with a different way of looking at man and his…

Heritability is defined as the proportion of a manifested trait's varience that is due to genetic variation. Sixty-five pairs of twins were employed to investigate the heritability of: (1) short term memory (Jensen's Level 1), operationalized using of modified "digit span" test; (2) the general intellective factor (Jensen's Level II),…

Scarr and Weinberg's results (Intelligence, 1977) are compared to those of similar adoption studies and found to be quite similar, despite the transracial adoption patterns in Scarr and Weinberg's sample. The author also suggests that the major contribution of behavioral genetics to psychology may be our increased understanding of the environment.…

Flow-diagrams, algorithms, decision logic tables, and concept maps are presented in detail as methods for teaching practical procedures, problem solving, and basic concepts in microbial genetics. It is suggested that the flexible use of these methods should lead to an improved understanding of microbial genetics. (Author/MA)

Describes benefits and techniques for utilizing Mormoniella vitripennis (jewel wasps) in teaching biology. Feeding, courtship, egg-laying, and insect behavior investigations are presented. (SL)