Originally launched in 2001 and updated in 2007, the PBS Evolution Web site is intended to serve as a comprehensive learning resource about evolutionary science for teachers, students and the general public.

The site was originally developed in conjunction with an eight-hour television series co-produced by the NOVA Science Unit at WGBH Boston and Clear Blue Sky Productions (now Vulcan Productions). It is designed to function both as a free stand-alone resource and as a companion to the full-length video programs, which are no longer being broadcast on PBS but are available on DVD.

The site has four major components:

• 7 main topic areas that align closely with the seven programs in the video series
• A searchable multimedia library with assets organized along lines that correspond with curriculum topics often taught in high school biology. This collection includes assets from other sources as well as from this site.
• Professional development resources to help science educators develop effective, yet sensitive ways to teach these topics amid the intense debate about the validity of evolutionary theory.
• Seven short videos designed expressly to stimulate informed discussion in the classroom.

DVDs of all seven full-length programs can be purchased online, either separately or as a boxed set. In addition the seven short videos designed for classroom use can also be purchased, packaged together with four videos that highlight the teaching of evolution in real classrooms around the country.

Key video clips from these programs can also be streamed, free of charge, from the Evolution Library within this Web site. The library includes additional clips on evolution-related topics from other NOVA and WGBH-produced science programs.

Videos streamed from this site are viewable in a 384 x 216 player window in both QuickTime and Real Media formats. The DVD versions play at full-screen resolution from any DVD player or computer equipped with DVD drive.

The site also offers Web activities that promote exploratory learning about evolution at a deeper level. These activities function on computers equipped with Flash and Shockwave plug-ins.

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