Stay Tuned for Evolution.berkeley.edu
Abstract
Evolution affects every aspect of our lives and is the central organizing principle that biologists use to understand the world, yet there are few comprehensive resource packages available for science teachers that address both content and pedagogy. There are even fewer resources developed specifically to increase the understanding of evolution by students and the general public. Evolution.berkeley.edu will house a new website designed to address the need for more effective education about evolution and the nature of science among three target audiences: those who teach about science (K-12 teachers), those who are learning about science in the classroom (their students), and those who are at an informal stage of their learning (the general public). With funding support from the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, this website is being developed by the University of California Museum of Paleontology and the National Center for Science Education. Its goals are to: 1. Improve teacher understanding of the nature of science, the patterns and processes of evolution, and the history of evolutionary thought. 2. Increase teacher confidence level to teach these subjects effectively. 3. Increase student understanding of the nature of science and engage them in the process of science. 4. Improve the public's understanding of the nature of science and the patterns and processes of evolution. 5. Increase student and public awareness of the importance of understanding evolution and its relevance to their lives. For teachers, the site provides content knowledge in the form of five self-study units on the nature of science, the history of evolutionary thought, the scales and levels of evolution, the relevance of evolution to society, and the challenges to evolution. The site also provide classroom resources including a selection of effective approaches and teaching strategies and a searchable database of curricula, teacher-tested activities, and lesson plans that are consistent with those modeled in the National Science Education Standards.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001AGUFMED22A..02S
- Keywords:
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- 6605 Education