In this science project, you will investigate the secrets of your distant past as revealed by your DNA. In order to obtain a sample for DNA analysis, you will scrape a soft swab inside your mouth to collect cheek cells. Based on the...

In this instructional activity, students compare similarities in the embryos of different organisms to look for features that would indicate common ancestry. They will then investigate how understanding this aspect of evolution has...

This site from Cosmic Ancestry contains an article on the achievements of Louis Pasteur, "the greatest biologist of the nineteenth century."

Site provides a good overview of avian evolution debate without taking a firm stance on the dino-ancestry issue. Gives the broad ideas concerning bird origin and evolution.

This lesson plan focuses on differences in the amino acid sequence of hemoglobin and myoglobin proteins. They use the number of differences to create a phylogenetic tree.

Around 50 million years ago, the mammalian ancestor of today's whales returned to the ocean. In this genomics science fair project, you will use mitochondrial protein sequencing to trace the evolution of whales and identify their closest...

Article reports on the recent discovery of Lythronax argestes, an ancestor to the Tyrannosaurus rex. Includes a list of vocabulary words.

Discover how mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is inherited, and complete a pedigree chart by determining which individuals might share mtDNA with an unknown ancestor.

Ths Bibliomania site provides a biography of the 19th century American poet Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894). Discusses his ancestry, childhood, education, and career in medicine and literature. Includes analyses of his works and a...

This Bibliomania site provides a biography of James Russell Lowell (1819-1891). Discusses his ancestry, education, and work as a poet, essayist, and satirist. Describes Lowell's role in the Abolitionist movement. Includes suggestions for...

[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage discusses the roles of paleoanthropologists and how they determine whether the remains of a prehistoric species is a direct ancestor or not. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece...

Explains that analogous structures are ones that are similar in different organisms yet have no common ancestry. This type of phenomenon occurs with convergent evolution. Includes lots of examples for both animals and plants.

This site outlines two well-organized lesson plans for teaching about German culture in the United States. Also includes extra credit ideas.

This virtual exhibition project discusses many aspects of ancient Chinese history, including ancestral worship, weaponry, sacrifice, the Shang Dynasty, gods, the Chou Dynasty, burials, Emperor Shihuangdi, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

A textbook definition along with an explanation of the scientific theory of evolution.

Explain how the isolated and homegeneous population of Iceland makes research in family ancestry simpler than in other cultures. Investigate the work of genealogists, and trace your own heritage as far as you can without extensive research.

Is it a feathered dinosaur, or the ancestor of birds? Find out about the Archaeopteryx lithographica whose fossil remains show feathers similar to that of a bird, and whose skeleton resembles that of a dinosaur.

Lions were among the largest predators during the ice age. Get other interesting facts about this ancestor of the American Lion.

Visit some of the biggest questions that scientists try to answer about evolution.

This slideshow provides a brief overview of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution, natural selection and survival of the fittest.

Provides a student handout in PDF format that looks at the developmental stages of five vertebrate organisms from fertilization to adult form. Students can look at the pictures to see the similarities and differences at the embryo stage...