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...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Animal Adaptations
Physical and behavioral adaptations are discussed by two teen girls as monarch butterflies flutter by. They also describe the process of natural selection. With colorful animation and relatable teen language, learners are sure to adapt...
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 #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...
Khan Academy
Introduction to Evolution and Natural Selection
The evidence for natural selection is presented as a random variation of a characteristic allowing a particular strain of organism to survive with a higher probability of successful reproduction. Population change over a short period is...
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...
TED-Ed
Why Do Humans Have a Third Eyelid?
That little pink bud in the inside corner of your eye is actually a vestigial eyelid! Find out more about the plica semilunaris, in a short video that explains why vestigial structures hang around.
C-SPAN
On This Day: Charles Darwin's "On The Origin of Species" is Published
Charles Darwin's work, On The Origin of Species, fundamentally changed the study of science. Using clips from an author talk, young historians connect the scientific ideas behind evolution to American history. Afterward, they consider:...
PBS
The Croc That Ran on Hooves
A crocodile with hooves and razor-sharp teeth was really a thing—and there is proof. A video lesson from the PBS Eons series presents the fossil evidence and explores the reasons for the adaptations of the unique reptile. Scholars see a...
Smithsonian Institution
Natural Selection: Common Misconceptions
Overcoming pupil misconceptions is much harder than teaching a new topic. Anticipate misconceptions to avoid having to reteach and relearn by showing a lesson resource from the Good Thinking PD series that highlights common mistakes. A...
PBS
How Evolution Works (And How We Figured It Out)
The concept of evolution changed the way scientists view the world. Part of the PBS Ions series, a thorough video lesson explains the process of evolution by exploring the work of scientists like Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel. The...
PBS
The Mystery behind the Biggest Bears of All Time
Bears come in many different shapes and sizes. Follow the evolution of the prehistoric bear through time in an episode from the PBS Eon series. The narrator discusses the evolution of the bear by examining adaptations and their...
PBS
When Giant Scorpions Swarmed the Seas
Bigger and faster is not always better! Explore the characteristics of the ancestors of the current scorpions with an intriguing video. Scholars learn the connections of these changes to the environment of the different time periods.
Be Smart
Are You Afraid of Holes?
Are you afraid of holes? Believe it or not, some people are! An interesting video explores the science behind trypophobia, or the fear of small holes. Viewers learn about the scientific difference between fear and disgust and identify...
PBS
The Island of Huge Hamsters and Giant Owls
From cute little birds to giant aviary specimens—all animals evolve! Learn how natural selection on an isolated island in the Mediterranean encouraged animals species to increase in size. The narrator discusses fossil evidence that...
Be Smart
Why Do We Cry Sad Tears?
Although some may be crocodile tears, crying is a distinct honor humans hold. Scholars learn the biological reason behind the emotional crying in a video lesson. The lesson instructor explores the anatomical and psychological connections...
Be Smart
3 Incredible Examples of Evolution Hidden in Your Body
Human traits trace back to simpler species—such as chickens, for example. Using the human genomes, scientists connect these traits to their ancestral origins. A video presentation highlights the structure of human DNA and makes a...
Be Smart
How Some Words Get Forgetted
There's nothing regular about them—irregular verbs turn out to be the most common verbs in the English language. Through an analysis of data, learners discover that Zipf's Law describes the patterns of word usage.
Crash Course
Genetics and the Modern Synthesis: Crash Course History of Science #35
Can competing biological theories both be correct? Explore the two theories many scientists believed were opposing in a Crash Course History of Science video. The narrator covers both Darwin's and Mendel's genetics theories, the...
PBS
Why Megalodon (Definitely) Went Extinct
From the top of the food chain to extinction, follow the life of the megalodon! An episode in the PBS Eon series describes the evolution of the ancient species and its eventual extinction. The narrator discusses the fossil evidence and...
PBS
When Sharks Swam the Great Plains
Would you believe the Midwest region of the United States was once the Western Interior Seaway? An interesting presentation from the PBS Eons series describes the geography of the ancient seaway and the species that lived there. The...
PBS
How Sloths Went from the Seas to the Trees
Discover the versatility of the sloth species—at least what it once was! Scholars examine the history of the evolution of the sloth in a segment of the PBS Eons series. They learn that the current-day view of the sloth is one of a...