This site describes the Chengjiang fauna, one of the most exciting, oldest, and best preserved Paleozoic biota. With a wealth of different taxa that was never expected for the Early Cambrian, it is said to be the most spectacular paleontologic discovery since the Burgess Shale of British Columbia and one of the most important fossil archives known so far. After information on stratigraphy and preservation, ... Full description.

This description of the inland waters in the polar regions of Canada includes lakes, rivers, and wetlands. In addition, the site provides information on the ecozones of the Hudson Bay, Yukon-Mackenzie, and the Arctic Archipelago. For all areas the subject of ice is addressed to include the effects of inland ice, types of ice, and ice as a climate predictor as well as snow cover and freeze and thaw ... Full description.

This volcano resource introduces the six-type classification system and points out weaknesses of the classic three-type system. The six types of volcanoes are shield volcanoes, strato volcanoes, rhyolite caldera complexes, monogenetic fields, flood basalts, and mid-ocean ridges. For each type of volcano there is a description of both structure and dynamics along with examples of each. You can account ... Full description.

In this lesson students will examine how evolution has been scientifically explained historically. In doing so, students will examine the arguments and theories set forth by three historically important scientists: Jean Baptiste Lamarck, Alfred Russel Wallace, and Charles Darwin. The purpose of this lesson, however, is not to begin to make comparisons, but simply to help students understand how arguments ... Full description.

In this lesson, students will learn firsthand, by reading his journal entries and letters, how Darwin arrived at his theory. They also will gain a better sense of Darwin's journey and the role it played in his scientific career. In the first activity, Darwin's Great Voyage of Discovery, students will read his account of his voyage on the Beagle and see how this experience inspired him to devote the ... Full description.

This lesson includes two activities in which students learn that the kinds of genetic changes that can be caused by natural selection happen in all organisms and can happen with surprising speed. It looks at how understanding evolution and its mechanisms helps scientists deal with world health threats and global environmental crises as well as predict the impact new technology will have on our future. ... Full description.

These two activities demonstrate to students that although evolutionary theory is accepted by the scientific community as a valid explanation of the history and structure of the living world, its inclusion in public school curricula continues to be controversial for many. Students study the benchmark historical decisions regarding the teaching of evolution, and see how science can influence policy ... Full description.

This lesson will help students develop an understanding of natural selection, specifically, how it unfolds from generation to generation. The Motivation section introduces a species of bird that became (over millions of years) numerous species, through adaptation. The Development section is a hands-on activity that demonstrates how populations change little by little, generation by generation, due ... Full description.

This information will introduce students to Darwin's model of natural selection in the same way that they learned about Paley and Lamarck. First, they will read an excerpt from Origin of Species and answer questions about it. Then, they will have an opportunity to consider the example of artificial selection (like pigeons or dogs) and think about how this process relates to Darwin's argument. Finally, ... Full description.

This lesson provides an opportunity for students to extend their understanding of the three models studied in previous lessons by using them to explain phenomena and by comparing them to one another. Students will work in groups to use the models of Paley, Lamarck, and Darwin to explain the origin of complex structures like the eye, the existence of fossils, and the variety of pigeon breeds. They ... Full description.