Studying Living Organisms

Using Living Organisms to Explain Evolution

Author:Linda Culp

1995 Woodrow Wilson Biology Institute

This section of the module allows the student to investigate evolution in its most fundamental form: the observation of living organisms. By comparing the variations that exist among living animals and by observing adaptations among and across species, students will be forming their own hypotheses and conclusions about the evolution of life on earth. Natural selection, population genetics, and comparative embryology and anatomy all lead to the final conclusion that life on earth is diverse and ever changing.

The activities in this selection are as diverse in methodology as they are in context. They range from the simple to the complex. You, the teacher can select from computer programs, wet labs, simulations, research, reading and writing, or field trips. Regardless of the route you choose, there is at least one activity in this section that will fit your needs and address the topic of evolution. Remember, it was on a little cruise to the Galapagos in 1835 that a young man of twenty-two years observed living things, thought about those observations and asked questions. These questions were the foundation for Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution. Enjoy!!
Linda Culp

On to Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
According to Hoyle/Donald Cronkite
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