May 15, 2012 (Vol. 32, No. 10)
URL:
http://evolution.berkeley.edu
Rating:
Strong Points: Educational resources for all grade levels
Weak Points: Nothing major
Summary:
The title to this website is quite the enigma, as “understanding evolution” seems to simultaneously be both an easy task and an impossible undertaking. Indeed, there is a difference between grasping the basic aspects of evolution and devoting one’s scientific career to questions in evolutionary biology. This website—a joint project of the University of California Museum of Paleontology and the National Center for Science Education—focuses on the former scenario, providing a number of free resources for students and teachers that focus on the “nuts and bolts” of the science and history of evolutionary biology. The homepage is nicely organized, with three prominent sections at the top of the screen: Evolution 101 (a mini-course on the science of evolution), Teaching Materials, and Resource Library. In addition to these options, visitors to the page can select among quick links such as “mechanisms” and “microevolution,” and can also peruse research highlights and news stories.