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People have misconceptions about evolution. Some are simple misunderstandings; ideas that develop in the course of learning about evolution, possibly from school experiences and/or from the media. Other misconceptions may stem from purposeful attempts to interfere with the teaching of evolution. Science teachers must learn to treat all student questions with respect and initially to accept each question as the reflection of a legitimate desire to learn. However, some questions may well be designed to disrupt the learning process. We need to deal with intentionally disruptive questions in ways that are a bit different from legitimate inquiry. And it is important that we learn to distinguish between the two. This web site explains how to teach evolution in the classroom, with concepts, lesson plans and teaching philosophy about teaching evolution. It also provides a glossary and a guide to identifying and dealing with potential obstacles to the teaching of evolution and provides links to readings, websites, and position statements. The site was created by the University of California Museum of Paleontology with support provided by the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

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