Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Great Transitions: The Origin of Tetrapods
The featured movie focuses on the ancestry of our four-footed friends. Find the fundamental pattern of their limbs and vertebrae in fossils of fish. After viewing, biology learners can enjoy interactive websites to zoom in on the...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Origin of Species: The Making of a Theory
The heartbreaking story of Alfred Wallace's loss of collected evidence opens this documentary about the development of the theory of evolution. You will find supportive resources to use with the movie in your biology class.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Making of the Fittest: The Birth and Death of Genes
After watching an engaging 13-minute video about the colorless blood of icefish, future ichthyologists examine icefish blood and non-icefish blood (blood samples are simulated with Karo syrup mixtures) to determine advantages of...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Making of the Fittest: Got Lactase? The Co-evolution of Genes and Culture
Got milk? Only two cultures have had it long enough to develop the tolerance of lactose as an adult. Learn how the responsible genes evolved along with the cultures that have been consuming milk. This rich film is supplied with a few...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Making of the Fittest: Natural Selection and Adaptation
The pocket mouse can be light brown like the sands of the desert, or dark brown like the volcanic lava flows that are interspersed throughout New Mexico's Valley of Fire. It seems that predators have weeded out light colored mice in this...
Curated OER
Life in Tropical Rainforests
You're a time traveler, reaching back 400 million years! See how rainforests evolved over time. Breathtaking views and captivating close-ups of rain forest critters engage learners and create interest.
Curated OER
Evolution Primer #7: Why Is Evolution Controversial Anyway?
Why do some people think evolution is a controversial topic? This video does a wonderful job of explaining the controversy around evolution in an unbiased way. Showing the source of controversy from both a scientific and religious...
Curated OER
Evolution Primer #4: How Does Evolution Really Work?
Find out how evolution really works. This video explains the concept of adaptation and natural selection to describe how evolutionary change occurs. We'll find out that natural selection is comprised of four key components; each...
Curated OER
Evolution Primer #5: Did Humans Evolve?
Clear up any confusion regarding human evolution and ancestry with this comprehensive clip. Using scientific evidence and concrete examples such as DNA, this clip explains human evolution in a way elementary learners can understand. This...
Curated OER
Evolution Primer #2: Who Was Charles Darwin?
Introduce your young scientists to Charles Darwin, his observations, and how those observations became the basis of the theory of evolution. Use this clip to build an understanding of scientific observation, data collection, and the...
Curated OER
Evolution Primer #1: Isn't Evolution Just a Theory?
What is a theory? Learners are primed for a lesson on theory, science, and the use of scientific evidence as it's used to prove evolution. This is a great video for elementary schoolers and can be used to introduce the concept of...
Curated OER
Intelligent Design and Evolution
This video about a delicate, often controversial topic, does not argue for one area or another, but does talk about the random process versus design of an involved organ. The lecturer talks freely about how infinite complexity such as...
Curated OER
Evolution Clarification
The extent to which "Fittest" can describe social success versus reproductive success is explored. Evolution may not always lead to a more desirable trait, just the one which best suits the current environment. The idea of intelligent...
Khan Academy
Natural Selection and the Owl Butterfly
The lecturer describes how specific characteristics develop. In this case, he discusses eye marking. The impact of environmental factors significantly influences the likelihood of successful reproduction, as favorable genes are more...
Crash Course
The Evolutionary Epic: Crash Course Big History #5
In the timeline of history, Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex lived further apart from each other than Tyrannosaurus rex and humans. The fifth Crash Course-Big History video in a series of 16 introduces the concept of evolution. It...
Stated Clearly
Does the Theory of Evolution Really Matter?
Without the theory of evolution, we wouldn't understand the origins of HIV. The video explains three mysteries solved using the theory of evolution. It opens with shrinking fish, then the origins of HIV, and finally why grasslands turn...
Stated Clearly
What is Natural Selection?
If you carefully observe populations with short life cycles, you can observe natural selection happening. The video explains what natural selection is, how scientists theorized it, and how science proves the concept. It highlights the...
Stated Clearly
What is Evolution?
A short video offers a simple, yet engaging, explanation of the theory of evolution using amoebas as an example. The narrator uses the example of the evolution of dog breeds as an example of how humans can influence the course of change.
Stated Clearly
What is the Evidence for Evolution?
Would you believe whales and hippos share a common ancestor? The video discusses the evidence from a variety of scientific disciplines supporting evolution, focusing specifically on whales and their connections to hippos. The narrator...
Crash Course
Evolution: It's a Thing
Evolution is a theory but thank goodness gravity is a law. What is the theory of evolution and what are the facts supporting this theory? Here's a short video that explains how fossils, homologous structures, biogeography, and direct...
TED-Ed
How We Think Complex Cells Evolved
Being able to absorb the abilities of other life forms may seem like something taken from a superhero movie, but sometimes reality is stranger than fiction. Join the narrator as he takes viewers back billions of...
TED-Ed
The Evolution of the Human Eye
Vision is arguably the most important of the five senses, but exactly how did we come by this amazing ability? Find out with this engaging video on the 500 million year evolution of the human eye.
TED-Ed
The Coelacanth: A Living Fossil of a Fish
It was just another day of fishing at the local pier when a man unknowingly reeled in a fish thought to be extinct for 65 million years. This short video explains how scientists were surprised to discover that this 360 million year...
Stated Clearly
Can Science Explain the Origin of Life?
How did life on earth begin? Is there a scientific explanation that could show how life arose from chemical reactions? Discover the answers to these questions and more as you watch a basic explanation of the hypotheses currently being...