NCSE Evolution and Climate Education Update for 2012/07/20
Submitted by Peter Burns on Fri, 2012-07-20 20:04.
National Center for Science Education
(by NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch)
Dear Friends of NCSE, A new issue of Evolution: Education and Outreach and a preview of How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate.
THE LATEST ISSUE OF EVOLUTION: EDUCATION AND OUTREACH The latest issue of Evolution: Education and Outreach -- the new journal promoting the accurate understanding and comprehensive teaching of evolutionary theory for a wide audience -- is now published. The theme for the issue (volume 5, number 2) is evolutionary developmental biology, edited by Katherine E. Willmore. Articles include "An Introduction to Evolutionary Developmental Biology"; "Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo): Past, Present, and Future"; "The Intelligent Egg, and How It Got That Way: From Genes to Genius in a Few Easy Lessons"; "Heterochrony: The Evolution of Development"; "The Body Plan Concept and Its Centrality in Evo-Devo"; and "Coming to Grips with Evolvability." Plus there are various articles on the teaching of evolution, book reviews, and commentaries. Also included is the latest installment of NCSE's regular column, Overcoming Obstacles to Evolution Education. In "Evolution by Squinches," NCSE's deputy director Glenn Branch reviews Jay Hosler's Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth (Hill and Wang, 2012). "In the far future, or perhaps on a forbidden, doomed, and/or cubical planet, or possibly in a strange parallel dimension, cartoons and comics are, without exception, biologically accurate," Branch writes. "And there, of course, it would seem strange and unnecessary to applaud a book like Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth for the altogether mundane achievement of providing a lively, accurate, and delightful explanation of evolution in the form of a graphic novel. Here, on the other hand, the applause is entirely in order." For the issue of Evolution: Education and Outreach, visit: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1936-6426/5/2/ For Branch's review (subscription required), visit: http://www.springerlink.com/content/t0r82842855t1504/ A PREVIEW OF OUR CHANGING CLIMATE NCSE is pleased to offer a free preview of Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch's How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming (Dawn Publications, 2008), a book on climate change aimed at readers in grades 4 through 8. The preview consists of a discussion of how scientists -- and kids! -- are investigating changes in bird migration and flower budding in response to climate change, as well as a discussion of the reader's "climate footprint" ("the amount of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases you create as you go about your life day to day") and ways to minimize it. The reviewer for School Library Journal wrote, in a starred review, "Cherry and Braasch introduce readers to scientists around the world whose research contributes to an understanding of the causes and consequences of global warming. They also describe the work of citizen scientists, including children, whose observations contribute to knowledge about important changes that are occurring. ... The book's wide-ranging exploration of scientific studies and the encouragement to people of every age to become citizen scientists and active participants for change make this a valuable purchase." For the preview of How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate (PDF), visit: http://ncse.com/book-excerpt For information about the book from its publisher, visit: http://www.dawnpub.com/our-books/how-we-know-what-we-know-about-our-changing-climate/ Thanks for reading. And don't forget to visit NCSE's website -- http://ncse.com -- where you can always find the latest news on evolution and climate education and threats to them. -- Sincerely, Glenn Branch Deputy Director National Center for Science Education, Inc. 420 40th Street, Suite 2 Oakland, CA 94609-2509 510-601-7203 x305 fax: 510-601-7204 800-290-6006 branch@ncse.com http://ncse.com Read Reports of the NCSE on-line: http://reports.ncse.com Subscribe to NCSE's free weekly e-newsletter: http://groups.google.com/group/ncse-news NCSE is on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter: http://www.facebook.com/evolution.ncse http://www.youtube.com/NatCen4ScienceEd http://twitter.com/ncse NCSE's work is supported by its members. Join today! http://ncse.com/join
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