Evolutionary trees are powerful tools used in modern biological research, and commonly used in textbooks and classroom instruction. Studies have shown that K-14 students have difficulties interpreting evolutionary trees. To improve student learning about this topic, it is essential to teach them how to understand and use trees like professional biologists. Unfortunately, few currently used teaching frameworks for evolution instruction are designed for this purpose. In this study we developed the Model of the Use of Evolutionary Trees (MUET), a conceptual model that characterizes how evolutionary trees were used by professional biologists as represented in their research publications. The development of the MUET was guided by the Concept-Reasoning Mode of representation (CRM) model as well as a “model of modeling” framework. The MUET was then used to review instructional and assessment material for K-14 classrooms. Future studies with the MUET may inform the development of teaching materials for K-14 classrooms aimed at improving students' understanding of and learning about evolutionary trees.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how assessment instruments could be used in the college biology classroom for purposes other than researching instructional strategies (as they have been used in the past). Through participatory action research, a science educator and a biology faculty member examined how the CINS (Concept Inventory of Natural Selection) could be incorporated into the biology faculty member's classroom instruction. This paper shows that biology faculty members can use assessment instruments to build in-class activities and labs, to formatively assess student knowledge, and to confront student misconceptions. Several recommendations for incorporating assessment instruments in biology instruction and assessment are provided.

Commonly used evolution assessments often ask about the evolution of blindness in cavefish or salamanders, running speed in cheetahs, and/or the long necks of giraffes. Explaining the loss of function in cave animals, however, is more difficult than explaining evolution involving gains of function resulting from natural selection. In fact, the evolution of cavefish blindness is not yet well understood by scientists. This article presents the three current hypotheses for explaining the evolution of blindness in Mexican tetras (Astyanax mexicanus), related to the Next Generation Science Standards and the Advanced Placement curriculum.

Evolution has historically been a topic in biology that is fraught with controversy, and a conflict between religion and evolution is often assumed. If students perceive that evolution is in conflict with their religious beliefs, it can have negative ramifications for their learning of evolution and attitudes toward science. However, religion and evolution have been argued to be compatible. An instructor can incorporate a discussion of this compatibility into their teaching, but the impact of this on students' perceptions of compatibility is still unknown. In this study, we describe a two-week module on evolution with embedded discussion about compatibility between religion and evolution. We surveyed introductory biology students before and after this evolution module about whether they thought evolution and religion could be compatible. We found that the evolution module reduced the number of students who perceived a conflict between evolution and religion by 50 percent. Unexpectedly, perceived conflict between religion and evolution was reduced for both religious and nonreligious students. These results indicate that how instructors present a module on evolution can have an impact on student perceptions of compatibility between religion and evolution.

Increasing both knowledge and acceptance of evolution are important outcomes of efforts to educate our students about the theory of evolution. Data were collected in the context of an 11-day short course focused on examining the evidence for evolution at a suburban STEM school in the Midwestern United States to answer the following research questions: (1) What effect did this course have on knowledge and acceptance of evolution? (2) How did cognitive and affective factors support growth in understanding of evolution in this evidence-centered educational intervention? This short course, comprising 21 students, focused on exploration-based activities allowing students themselves to collect evidence for evolution. We found significant gains in knowledge of microevolution and macroevolution, and found that both prior knowledge and acceptance of evolution were important in facilitating students' conceptual growth.

Natural selection is a widely misunderstood yet critical element to understanding evolution, a concept already fraught with controversy and challenges to its instruction. This necessitates creative methods to improve student learning in this area. A constructivist mini-unit incorporating simulation-based games involving a population of imaginary creatures called Chukwins was created to maximize student learning and motivation. It was tested in one elementary and three junior high classrooms in different locations. Changes in understanding were assessed before and after treatment. Surveys and interviews provided additional evidence on students' attitudes toward the mini-unit and its impact on their learning and engagement. Students made statistically significant improvements on assessments regarding natural selection, reducing their number of misconceptions and slightly improving their ability to apply it. Retention scores indicate that the changes are long-lasting.

Evolutionary theory is critical for a comprehensive understanding of biology, yet students often fail to grasp its underlying principles. This results partially from ineffective teaching; however, the use of interactive activities could alleviate this problem. In this guided investigation of evolutionary mechanisms, students use LEGO bricks to simulate how mutation, migration, genetic drift, and natural selection can affect the evolution of a population. This exercise was undertaken and assessed with college introductory biology students, but is also appropriate for advanced high school students.

Sexual selection plays an important role in species evolution and speciation, and is fundamental to understanding of biological evolution. In the last decades, research on sexual selection helped understand its causes and impacts in species evolution, sexual dimorphism, and speciation. It also provided interesting examples that can be used to engage students in learning about evolution. Here we review the latest sexual selection research and propose two activities that model evolution by sexual selection. The engaging nature of these activities makes them useful to promote active learning about evolution, the nature of science, and methods used to construct scientific knowledge. Importantly, we address several performance expectations suggested by the Next Generation Science Standards.

Game theory is used in biology to understand why otherwise rational individuals make nonintuitive decisions regarding cooperation and competition. Recently, biology teachers engaged their students in game theory curricula by presenting them with a real-world game theory challenge: the opportunity to cheat on a game theory exam. Here we present a guide for other teachers to employ this provocative and educational classroom exercise, and discuss the results of the Cheating to Learn exercise in a biology class.

Charles Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle is a very readable, insightful travelogue that provides a detailed description of the habitats, organisms, and people he encountered on the five-year journey. In this exercise, students read passages corresponding to one of Darwin's principal inland expeditions in South America and write short response papers about the passage, which they then discuss in class. Through this exercise, students gain an appreciation for the diversity of terrestrial habitats and organisms in South America as well as for the young Darwin's interpretations of his experience. His insights include the negative impact of invasive and introduced species on native organisms and the anthropogenic effects on species' distributions. Thus students will also recognize the foundations of many important principles of modern ecology and conservation biology in this historic narrative.