Nature and Fitness Trail

Rotating through five stations, evolutionary biologists explore the question of how changes in DNA facilitate the changes in a population over time. High-quality, colorful cards of animals, skeletons, skulls, and DNA sequences can all be...

Feet are neat! So, if you've already walked the path of examining animal footprints with your class, put them in the shoes of early humans! A well-designed lesson incorporates video, discussion, and hands-on learning to demonstrate how...

What happens when a non-native species is introduced onto an island? Santa Cruz Island, part of the Channel Island chain located off the coast of southern California, provides the perfect laboratory for young environmental scientists to...

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...

The total world population is predicted to pass 8 billion by 2025, which is less than 10 years from now. The video focuses on human population growth and the impact it has had and is having on our planet and other populations. It...

Viewers explore real-world examples of both evolution and natural selection as the instructor discusses changes to the environment, mutations causing changes in phenotypes and changing the fitness in organisms, and how humans are...

Humans have both positive and negative impacts on biodiversity. A video lesson highlights important human impacts on biodiversity through examples and diagrams. The narrator provides insight to the progression of the topic from...

Explains what ecological succession is and why it happens. Describes some examples, how it affects humans, and why it does not really stop.

How do inhabitants on islands alter the ecosystem over time? An archaeologist will identify specific changes over many years that occurred as a result of human arrival on islands. [29:16]

Young scholars research the effects of living in a hurricane zone. In this hurricane zone lesson, students research the impact of natural disasters on humans and the environment, and write a press release describing the devastation of...