Tiktaalik: A Fish Out of Water

In this lesson designed to enhance literacy skills, students learn that transitional fossils provide scientists with evidence to establish how major animal groups are related to one another.

Animal Body Plans: Homeobox Genes

The homeobox genes that define the basic body plan of mice and fruit flies are illustrated in this graphic from The Human Evolution Coloring Book by Adrienne Zihlman. The accompanying article describes how these genes act as "molecular architects" in all animal species.

Accessibility features: Long Description

Animal Intel

In this lesson, using video segments from Nature episode “A Murder of Crows,” students will explore different aspects of animal intelligence, with a focus on crows.

Are We Alone?

This video segment adapted from NOVA features a variety of scientific perspectives on the age old question, "Are we alone in the universe?" Animations make vivid the improbability that we could intercept a radio wave signaling extra terrestrial intelligence.

Accessibility features: Audio Description, Caption

Becoming a Fossil

This video segment describes how the Australopithecus afarensis skeleton known as Lucy could have been fossilized. Footage courtesy of NOVA: "In Search of Human Origins."

Accessibility features: Audio Description, Caption, Transcript

Bones of Contention

This interactive activity from NOVA invites you to do the work of scientists and use a database to classify actual fossil records of human ancestors and related species.

Caves: Extreme Conditions for Life

This video segment adapted from NOVA raises the provocative idea that if life can exist in the most extreme environments on Earth — such as in dark, toxic caves — then perhaps living things can also survive in harsh environments on other planets.

Accessibility features: Audio Description, Caption

Chasing Beetles, Finding Darwin

In this video from KQED's QUEST, find out how Darwin's ideas remain as central to scientific exploration as when they were first published 150 years ago.

Continental Divide: The Breakup of Pangaea

Examine geological evidence found in fossils, rock deposits, and ancient mountains that supports the theory of continental drift in this interactive activity adapted from the Exploratorium.

Dating Lava Flows on Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaiʻi

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, scientists search for carbonized remains of plants preserved in lava flows to find out how long it has taken rain forests on Hawaiʻi to regenerate after a volcanic eruption.

Accessibility features: Audio Description, Caption

Deep Time

Explore 4 billion years of life on Earth and discover major transformations, geological changes, and extinction episodes in this Evolution Web feature.

Deep Time and the History of Life

Students explore geologic time, visiting an interactive timeline, creating their own timeline and comparing deep time with the calendar year.

Evidence for Evolution

Students learn about the fossil record, the primary type of evidence scientists use to piece together the history of life and to support and refine the theory of evolution.

Evidence for Evolution

In this Evolution WebQuest you will investigate a variety of types of evidence for evolution.

Evolution of Camouflage

This video segment from Evolution: "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" illustrates the remarkable camouflage of a praying mantis against its leafy backdrop.

Accessibility features: Caption, Transcript

Evolution of the Eye

Zoologist Dan-Erik Nilsson demonstrates how the complex human eye could have evolved from simple light-sensitive cells. From Evolution: "Darwin's Dangerous Idea."

Accessibility features: Caption

Evolving Ideas: How Do We Know Evolution Happens?

This video from Evolution focuses on one of the several lines of evidence for evolution -- fossils, highlighting the evolution of whales from land-dwelling mammals to the aquatic creatures we know today.

Accessibility features: Caption, Transcript

Exploring the Arctic Seafloor

In this interactive activity adapted from NOVA scienceNOW, learn what some of the first imagery ever shot on the Arctic Ocean seabed tells us about life in extreme environments.

Finding Lucy

This Evolution video segment depicts the landmark hominid fossil finds by Don Johanson and his team in Ethiopia.

Accessibility features: Caption

Fish with Fingers

In this video segment from Evolution: "Great Transformations," paleontologist Jenny Clack explains that vertebrates evolved fingers before they invaded land.

Accessibility features: Audio Description, Caption, Transcript