Sunday, March 24, 2013

Non-selective evolution activity by Holly Dunsworth

Speaking of the power of genetic drift, and the importance of teaching it:

This is a wonderful activity for teaching non-selective evolution, developed by Holly Dunsworth. The activity is hands-on (love!), visual, and engages the students to develop the content, then interpret it at the end.

Holly has a wonderful description about how "A strict selection perspective creates potential for societal harm". You should go read it, but I'd like to highlight:
"From this perspective it is all too easy to assign differential value, worth, or beauty to variation within and between species under the backing assumption that “Mother Nature” has “favored” one trait over another."
This articulates my concerns with a "selection" view of evolution.

I am excited to try this activity (hopefully soon).

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