Introducing Evolution

INTRODUCING EVOLUTION (Advance Organizers)

Katharine Noonan

Here are 2 ways I have introduced the topic of evolution. Bothtechniques elicit the student's prior knowledge and pave the way for acceptanceof new ideas.

"Curious Questions" was adapted by LHS to introduceAIDS. I adapted LHS's adaptation to introduce evolutionary time frames. "7Things you already know about evolution" is an application of a (SanFrancisco) Bay Area Writing Project (BAWP) format.

CURIOUS QUESTIONS adapted from Family Science

by LHS-STEP, Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley CA

MATERIALS

*Questions and answers (provided by the teacher or scientist)

*Questions on cards, one per student

* Yarnor string

*Scratch paper

*Calculators

PREPARATION:

Choose appropriate statistics or other numerical information thatrelates to your topic. (See attached AIDS statistics and questions forexamples.) For a class of 25 to 35 students, 5 - 7 different questions is agood number.

Copy the questions onto individual cards, one question per card.Make enough so that each student can have a card. Attach a loop of yarn orstring to each card so that it can hang around someone's neck (or use tape).

ACTIVITY

* Hang aquestion card on each student's back. They should not look at their ownquestions yet!

* Haveeach student gather 5 estimates to answer the question on his/her back fromclassmates. Students record estimates on a piece of scratch paper.

*Students then return to their seats, look at the question, and use calculatorsto find the average of the estimates they received.

* Afteraverages have been calculated, have students with common questions report theiranswers. Discuss estimates: Do any seem too high or two low? What informationdid students base their answers upon?

* Sharethe correct information with students and discuss. You may wish to record otherquestions which arise; students could research the answers to these newquestions.

*Continue until all curious questions have been addressed.

CURIOUS QUESTIONS - EVOLUTION

(Time estimates come from the National Center for ScienceEducation, 1993)

1. How old isthe universe? (about 15 billion years since Big Bang.)

2. How old isthe Earth? (about 4.5 billion years.)

3. How longhas there been life on the Earth? (about 3.5 - 4 billion years)

4. When didthe separation of man and ape from a common unnamed ancestor occur? (between 5and 10 million years ago).

5. How old isthe human species (Homo sapiens)? (100,000 to 200,000 years old)

6.Evolutionary theory teaches that humans evolved from monkeys. True or False?(False - humans and modern monkeys had a common ancestor (although we'dprobably call it a monkey or ape)).

7. Pope JohnPaul II does not approve of the theory of evolution. True or False? (False,according to book Voices for Evolution)

8. MajorProtestant Churches have no problem with the theory of evolution. True orFalse? (True, according to Voices for Evolution)

CURIOUS QUESTIONS - AIDS (You will have to look up current, localstatistics for these questions.)

1. HOW MANYPEOPLE HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH AIDS IN THE UNITED STATES?

2.APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE LIVING WITH AIDS IN (YOUR STATE) LAST YEAR?

3. HOW MANYCHILDREN, AGES 19 AND YOUNGER, HAVE AIDS IN (YOUR STATE)?

4. HOW MANYAIDS CASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED FOR PEOPLE IN YOUR IMMEDIATE AREA (e.g. 9-countySan Francisco Bay Area)?

5. WHAT U.S.CITY HAS THE MOST AIDS CASES? (In 1991, it was New York, Los Angeles, and thenSan Francisco.)

SEVEN THINGS YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT EVOLUTION

1. Forhomework, ask the students to list 5 things they already know about evolutionand 2 things they know about human evolution. There are no right or wronganswers. I prefer that they don't consult references.

I get all kinds of responses, including "It never happened".Asking students to come up with 7 bits of information forces them to revealmisconceptions or extent of knowledge. They can't just dismiss the topic.

2. Publish theresponses with names and post in the classroom. Students love to see theircomments in print. (Omit anything that would be too personal or embarrassing.)

3. Discuss the responses in class.Regarding the"It didn't happen" crowd, say that this is anopportunity for them to talk to their parents and clergy people about what theybelieve. They may be surprised. Many denominations (including some evangelicaldenominations, I am told) have no problem with evolution. But some definitelydo. I say "If your family or church does not accept evolution, pleaseremember that I am not asking you to change your religious beliefs. The Stateof California wants you to understand what the theory of evolution is and whyit is accepted as the unifying theory in biology. You will be tested on thatunderstanding -- not on your religious beliefs."