Misconceptions

1) This website (Understanding Science, developed at UC Berkeley) lists common misconceptions about science in general. Great page! [|http://undsci.berkeley.edu/teaching/misconceptions.php#b10]

2) One way to identify student misconceptions is to assess them using concept inventories. This page from NC State has links to several concept inventories, assessment instruments, and tests: http://www.ncsu.edu/per/TestInfo.html

3) How do I get my students over their alternative conceptions for learning? -- an extensive look into student misconceptions and how educators can help remove these barriers to student learning. Great resource for any educator, not just science.

10.“Competition for resources” always involves fighting. 11.Organisms are aware of their changes over time (anthropomorphism) 12.Organisms change because of a need (teleological reasoning) 13.“Higher” organisms can direct their evolution, unlike “lower” organisms 14. If traits are used during a life time, they are heritable (Lamarckian ideas) 15.Natural selection is the only mechanism of evolution. 16.Natural selection can be defined by “survival of the fittest.” 17.The environment induces evolutionary changes. 18.Humans “came from” apes. 19.New species are formed by a “blending” of two existing species. 20.Evolution is progressive (following a path).
 * __Most common evolution misconceptions:__**
 * 1) Scientific theory = colloquial/personal theory
 * 2) Evolution is unobservable
 * 3) Evolution is not testable or repeatable
 * 4) Teaching both (science and religion) “sides of the story” is fair in a science class
 * 5) Teaching both (science and religion) “sides of the story” is legal in a science class
 * 6) Teaching creationism and intelligent design in science class is appropriate
 * 7) Evolution theory explains the origin of life
 * 8) The Earth is very young (a few thousand years old)
 * 9) Evolutionary fitness is determined by who is the strongest and biggest.

4) [] 110 Misconceptions about the ocean. This is a very extensive list of student misconceptions about different oceanography topics such as waves, tides, pollution, marine life etc.

5) Here are some common misconceptions about plants. []

6) Here are some misconceptions about Mendelian genetics @http://classroom.rfisd.net/users/0015/docs/10282008100330am.pdf