Analysis Of The Annenberg Learner, Video On Demand Series...

In the Annenberg Learner, Video on Demand series session 6, Evolution and the tree of life, various professors or scholars discussed the evolution of life. The session began with a beautiful photograph of Harvard University of Natural History. Next, a narrator introduced the Museum of Comparative Zoology located in the basement of Harvard. The basement holds the reptile and amphibian collection. The narrator pointed out that the century old jars containing specimens of bodies along with their DNAs carry clues that help scientists to reveal how evolution has shaped and reshaped the living planet also how to make sense of life. Dr. Linda Grisham of Lesley University then highlighted the topics to be explored. Namely, what is a†¦show more content†¦Dr Grisham spoke about how great it would be to observe the growth of a tree of life from its ancient base to the tips of its million modern branches just what we might see? Dr. Grisham stated may be single cell creatures or ani mal life, aquatic plants and animals modern mammals evolving from tiny rodent creatures. Dr. Grisham then stated a question that she believed many students might ask- that is why there are so many different types of living things? We then joined Ms. E Abraham in the science studio. The young mind (students) where presenting their ideas of what is a species. Many interesting definition was given however, the narrator commented that the children seemed to understand that species is a way of grouping animals. Dr. Grisham noted that all the children used external appearance as their main strategy for classifying things. Dr. James Hanken, Director and Curator in Herpetology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard shed light on the classification of different species. He removed specimens from jars and explained their differences and similarities. He removed and displayed a lizard reptile, that stated originated from Africa ant is also called a chameleons, a king snake from North America a reptile and an amphibian, a boa constrictor snake and a lizard that resembles a snake. He pointed out that the boa constrictor is more mobile because this snake has the