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2.3: Misconceptions about Evolution

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    138512

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    A simple black silhouette of a cat facing to the left, with a curved tail and pointed ears.
    Figure. A commonly used illustration for human evolution that suggests evolution is linear and modern humans are the crowning achievement of that process. Human evolution by Tkgd2007 is used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 License.
    • Format: In-person or online
    • Author: Beth Shook
    • Source: Inspired by Misconception Quizzes Teach.Genetics.utah.edu. Genetic Science Learning Center. University of Utah
    • Time needed: 15-20 minutes

    Learning Objectives

    • Identify and clarify misconceptions surrounding evolution and evolutionary forces
    • Review animal examples illustrating how evolution works

    Supplies Needed

    • Worksheet (provided)
    • Access to the internet to show a video from learn.genetics.utah.edu

    Readings

    • Marks, Jonathan. 2019. Chapter 2: Evolution. Explorations

    Introduction

    There are many misconceptions about what evolution is and how it works via natural selection to cause changes in species. This brief activity helps students identify any misconceptions they may hold and then helps them to achieve a more accurate understanding of evolution. To do so, they will view a short video and answer a series of questions.

    Steps

    Conclusion

    The instructor should lead a brief discussion afterwards to see what the most common misconceptions in the class were (based on the most missed questions) and clarify any questions that students may have from the worksheet or film.

    Adapting for Online Learning

    If this is an in-person lab, rank how adaptable to online learning it would be(mark in bold): Easy to adapt

    This worksheet can be provided for students to complete asynchronously and they can watch the video either on their own or in a synchronous class section. The later option would allow for a brief instructor-led discussion.

    For Further Exploration

    References

    This page titled 2.3: Misconceptions about Evolution was last modified on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 04:34:27 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Beth Shook via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.