Videos for Evolution in School?

[Wrathernaut]

My wife is looking for a video to show to her middle-school class. Her co-teacher refers to evolution as a modern creation myth.

We've gone through "The Blind Watchmaker" (BBC) and "The Genius of Charles Darwin" as a video for them to watch to see how evolution is a FACT, but both are a bit much for that age group, and I would prefer to stay away from the religious debate.

I've considered trimming the objectionable material and trimming other bits to cater to the short attention spawn out of "The Genius of Charles Darwin" to make a more early-teen friendly version.

Is there another good video that an educator can use instead of editing other sources?

[Typicallucas]

I recommend (just from a student's perspective) that you do some lesson planning and don't leave it up to a video to deliver the message. It's important that the teacher say it in her own words.

I applaud your wife for doing this. I'm confident that you will get some good information from the folks here, sorry I couldn't be more help.

[Wrathernaut]

I would have loved to have been provided a chance to actually teach the evolution section; however, my teaching partner has a few 'control' issues and I had to bargain to get her to allow me to show the students a "video about evolution from a world renowned expert." When I had mentioned who, she was clueless.

It's a delicate situation and I'm pushing things by allowing a video. I plan on reintroducing the topic with my students before and offering discussion after. I realize this is not something that should be covered in just a few days, if I had my way it would have been done as a complete and in depth unit. Unfortunately, when planning the year she had emphatically announced that she could handle the unit- it is a disturbing mistake that I can only try to remedy with the limited time left. Because I cannot access fossils or have the time to plan a trip to the Natural History Museum I am hoping that the images and connections found in a video will help bridge the gap that she has made in their understanding of myth and fact.

Thank you for any and all help, it's greatly appreciated.
Wrathernaut's wife

[thatguywhojuggles]

"One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue" Cosmos, Carl Sagan

[Arthur ASCII]

I'd recommend Richard Dawkins' "Growing up in the Universe" series of lectures - http://richarddawkins.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=5. They are quite dated now (1991) but are an excellent introduction to the subject and aimed at that age-range.

I watched them again recently after remembering what an impact they had on me when I first saw them.

[H3LL]

Potholer54 probably has what you need on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/user/potholer54

Make sure you look through all his vids - This set may be close to what you want - http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=100500E4C9404405

Let me know what you think.

(He has the more strident debunking versions on potholer54debunks)

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[shadron]

NOVA (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/programs/) - Judgement Day: Intelligent Design on Trial, and some others peripherally connected, such as an appreciation of EO Wilson.

Youtude channels:

AndromedasWake - CrAp Debunked (playlist, original work), Welcome to the Universe (playlist of 3 videos, under construction, of high definition versions of about 12 individual videos in his video section under the same name, original work)

AronRa - Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism (playlist of 17 videos, original work), other videos on the Texas school board. Perhaps the "sciency" of the bunch, very dense.

cdk007 - about 12 individual videos, original work, containing animations of simulations of various aspects of evoluion and abiogenesis - the gem is the Blinnd Watchmaker video.

djarm67 - playlists of lectures by Eugenie Scot, Kenneth Miller, PZ Myers, Dawkins, Dennett, and debunked videos of Kent Hovind and other creationists. Lots of unorganized videos in here.

ExtantD0d0 - Videos of various creationists debunked inline.

potholer54 - From the Big Bang to Us Made Easy, original work, 14 videos (also in a school version under construction and in other languages)

Thunderf00t - Why Do People Laugh at Creationists? (original work, 29 videos and counting) and a series of 187 videos called Evolution vs Creationism, gathered from others.

Zuke696 - loads of whole series of commercial videos from BBC, History channel, Discovery channel and so on), including the Cosmos series, Ape to Man, Battle for the Beginning, Before We Ruled the Earth, Cosmic Odyssey, Evolution (has a reconstructed biography of Charles Darwin), Evolve!, Human Evolution, Journey of Man, Miracle Planet, Origins, Pre-Human, The Universe and many, many more.

Sorry to not be more selective, but I think I'd rather be more complete.

[godless dave]

I'd start here: http://www.pbs.org/teachers/

[Simon39759]

I'd also recommend the Facts of Evolution (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzx2F8fqyEA) series.


You mentioned having to fight to get your colleague to accept even a video, but, more interesting, would be to explain the scientific method and work your students through the arguments for Evolution.
People on these fora could help you with this project.

Also, you might want to explore the Talk origin (http://www.talkorigins.org) website, especially the index to creationists' claims (http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/), or to get the corresponding book: the Counter-creationist handbook (http://www.amazon.com/Counter-Creationism-Handbook-Mark-Isaak/dp/0520249267/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242163707&sr=8-1) so that you'll have a ready made answer to the creationist misinformation...

[Fnord]

I remember a very entertaining video on evolution. It was animated to the music of Ravel's Bolero. I wish I had a copy of the original, but it was made in the 1930's (I think).

[MattusMaximus]

I would start with PBS NOVA videos on evolution. These are used by the biology teachers in my school, and they highly recommend them. I believe they also include materials for teachers to use - Linky. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/)

[Robster, FCD]

Nova would be my pick for middle school, too. But wow, your coteacher needs to be relegated to something where s/he can't do any harm. Wow.

[Wrathernaut]

Thanks for the suggestions. I used the potholer54 videos. They really put everything into a concise and convenient format that allowed for some discussion. We then watched one of the NOVA Evolution episodes.
Though I don't think the students felt they had learned anything, since there was a lot of repetitive vocabulary from before, they were involved and paying attention to the show- reacting appropriately and asking questions. I am certain they now know that scientific theory is not defined as an educated guess and Evolution is a fact, NOT a myth.
Wrathernaut's wife

[Simon39759]

Well; that's the most important, that they are able to separate the method of science from myths or Religions.

[Alex Libman]

When you show kids a video in class, they will learn for 40 minutes.

When you teach them to google for lecture torrents (http://www.google.com/search?q=TTC+evolution+torrent), they will learn for a lifetime.

;)

[H3LL]

Coo!

I've actually made a post that was informative and useful.

I think it's a first.

Thanks Wrathernaut's wife.

:D

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[shadron]

I remember a very entertaining video on evolution. It was animated to the music of Ravel's Bolero. I wish I had a copy of the original, but it was made in the 1930's (I think).

The Painted Desert, by Walt Disney True Life Adventures, 1953
Was the outgrowth of a doctoral thesis on ecology.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046008/

[shadron]

I would start with PBS NOVA videos on evolution. These are used by the biology teachers in my school, and they highly recommend them. I believe they also include materials for teachers to use - Linky. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/)

These are the same videos that are available in Zuke696's playlist as "Evolution - Part 1-7" at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Zuke696&view=playlists , though I'd buy the DVDs for use in a class. They contain, in the first two episodes a re-enacted biography of Darwin. The last episode delves into the hoops that a Christian conservative university which is really trying to handle science correctly has to jump through, and how that sits with its students, and their families. Very good stuff.

[Safe-Keeper]

Dawkins' The Genius of Darwin was pretty neat.

[Azimer the Mad]

There's an awesome one I show called "Icons of Science: Evolution." I got it off United Streaming. It's animated Monty Python style, getting the kids attention. Bill Nye's piece on it in his Greatest Discovery series was great too.

[Wrathernaut]

Dawkins' The Genius of Darwin was pretty neat.

It is, but I think it'd be a bit too lecture-y for their ability group. The anti-creationism heaviness of Dawkins's interjections would deter the more religious kids and detract from the evolution bit. I think the NOVA and potholer54 videos were just as informative without the content that may put off some of the kids. Get a foot in the door, and let them let go of their superstitions later.

[Wudang]

Have you tried the NCSE ? http://ncseweb.org/

[Wowbagger]

I second the reccomendation for Richard Dawkins' "Growing up in the Universe".

Although, I might hesitate to show it directly to students, since some of it is hilariously dated. (There are a couple of times where Richard will ask a child who is about to operate a computer: "Do you know how to use a mouse?")

But, I think teachers should watch it, at least, because it offers some brilliant ways to demonstrate evolutionary concepts in the classroom.

[Twister]

Send a letter home to the parents asking their opinions.I know I would appreciate being informed of such pressures on my children to learn evolution as fact instead of theory.
Peaced

[Wowbagger]

Send a letter home to the parents asking their opinions.I know I would appreciate being informed of such pressures on my children to learn evolution as fact instead of theory.Evolution is both a fact and a theory, at the same time, according to scientific definitions of those words.

That life forms have changed, gradually, over time is a fact.

How it has changed is an idea that has been tested thoroughly, to the point where it has been able to impact our lives in many positive ways.

Intelligent Design is neither a theory nor a fact, in any scientific sense, since it fails to explain anything in an empirically testable manner.

[Azimer the Mad]

Send a letter home to the parents asking their opinions.I know I would appreciate being informed of such pressures on my children to learn evolution as fact instead of theory.
Peaced

I teach my 7th graders that a theory, like atoms, germs, or gravity, is the explanation that fits all evidence. Evolution fits that.

I second the reccomendation for Richard Dawkins' "Growing up in the Universe".
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But, I think teachers should watch it, at least, because it offers some brilliant ways to demonstrate evolutionary concepts in the classroom.

I did that whole fossil walk thing with the trilobites. The kids loved it. Had to translate it into a new scale for locations in Florida, though.:D