Teaching Evolution Across the Curriculum Irene Anne Eckstrand, National Institutes of Health Ida Chow, Society for Developmental Biology.

Teaching Evolution Across the Curriculum

Irene Anne Eckstrand, National Institutes of HealthIda Chow, Society for Developmental Biology

A Short Story…

Advanced Placement Tests

Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.

Big Idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.

Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to

information essential to life processes.

Big Idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex properties.

Medical College Admissions Test

Reorganizing around Foundational Concepts

Includes more evolution than in the past (processes that increase genetic diversity)

Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians

Principle: Demonstrate an understanding of how the organizing principle of evolution by natural selection explains the diversity of life on earth

NAS ConferenceOct 25-26, 2011

Purpose: Begin to develop a roadmap and strategic plan for engaging professional societies and their members in future work to promote teaching evolution across the biology curriculum.

Participants: 83 high school and college teachers, scientists, professional society representatives, funders, advocates

Agenda: Presentations, working groups, panel discussions, conversation time

http://nas-sites.org/thinkingevolutionarily/

Organizer: Dr. Jay Labov, Senior Advisor for Education and Communication, NAS and NRC

NAS Conference

Organizing Committee:

Cynthia Beall, Case Western Reserve, ChairPaul Beardsley, California State Polytechnic University

Ida Chow, Society for Developmental BiologyJames Collins, Arizona State University

Irene Eckstrand, National Institutes of HealthKristin Jenkins, National Evolutionary Synthesis Center

Nancy Moran, Yale UniversityGordon Uno, University of Oklahoma

What I Learned…

Ross NehmOhio State University

What I Learned…

causecause effecteffect

TeleologyTeleologyDesign and purpose analogous to human action are inherent in the

rest of nature.Nature is goal-oriented.

TeleologyTeleologyDesign and purpose analogous to human action are inherent in the

rest of nature.Nature is goal-oriented.

What I Learned…

causecause effecteffect

causecause

TeleonomyApparent purpose of

structures and functions deriving from their

evolutionary history

TeleonomyApparent purpose of

structures and functions deriving from their

evolutionary history

What I Learned…

TeleonomyTeleonomy

They really look more like this – or

worse.

TeleonomyTeleonomy

They really look more like this – or

worse.

NIH Curriculum Supplement

…the importance of evidence in interpreting examples of evolution and medicine.

…how common ancestry relates to the characteristics of living things.

…that natural selection is the only evolutionary mechanism to consistently yield adaptations.

…why variation among humans is distributed geographically.

…that natural selection and common ancestry can explain why humans are susceptible to many diseases. …how to use data and apply principles of natural selection to explain the relatively high frequency of disease in certain populations.

…how comparisons of genetic sequences are important for studying evolution.

…that the mechanisms of evolution enhance our understanding of health and disease.

Students will learn…

Coalition of Scientific Societies

- Formed in 2006

- Purpose: To respond to the challenges of teaching evolutionary science and related subjects in public schools across the United States.

- Initially composed of 17 scientific societies covering all disciplines: physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, biology, developmental biology, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, genetics, biophysics, social sciences, science teachers. Some 20 additional societies joined the Coalition later. National Academy of Sciences worked with the Coalition. - Surveys: focus groups and telephone surveys on the voting public’s opinion on evolution and teaching of evolution in public school classrooms.

Coalition of Scientific Societies

Evolution Thought Trail

Evolution Thought Trail

First USA Science and Engineering Festival Expo in Washington, DC – October, 2010

Coalition Societies at the EVAC

American Institute of Biological SciencesAmerican Society for Human GeneticsAmerican Society of Plant BiologistsCarnegie Institution for ScienceEcological Society of AmericaNational Academy of SciencesNational Association of Biology TeachersNational Center for Science EducationNational Evolutionary Synthesis CenterNational Museum of Natural HistorySociety for Developmental BiologySociety for the Study of Evolution

Next Steps

Common message on the importance of Thinking Evolutionarily

Central resources site /Compilation of existing materials: working group – Susan Musante (AIBS), Jean Heitz (Bio Directors), Ida Chow (SDB), TBD (ABLE). Additional volunteers?

Professional development for society members: How to integrate evolution concepts into each disciplinary curriculum. Ex: FASEB evolution resources website; Understanding Evolution website; NCSE website; NESCent website

Thinking Evolutionarily

Suggestions?Recommendations?Volunteers?

Call to Action!