Explorations Lab and Activities Manual · LibreTexts
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2.3: Misconceptions about Evolution
Opening the book…
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 QuizzesTeach.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
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
Students will individually complete the provided worksheet by checking the statements that they believe to be true.
Students will check their answers as they watch the video.
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
Marks, Jonathan. 2019. “Chapter 2: Evolution.” In Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology, edited by Beth Shook, Katie Nelson, Kelsie Aguilera, and Lara Braff. Arlington, VA: American Anthropological Association. CC BY-NC http://explorations.americananthro.org/
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.
