1Third Misconceptions Seminar Proceedings (1993) Paper Title: Model Statements of Student Conceptions Regarding Evolutionary Change

Abstract: At the core of the theory of evolution stands the fundamental principle of natural selection. The legitimacy Darwin succeeded in conferring on the theory was due to the plausibility of natural selection as a mechanism of evolutionary change. Half a century prior to the appearance of The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Lamarck (1809) had offered a full-scale theory of evolution, but one that was fatally flawed by the inadequacy of the proposed mechanism of change. The proper presentation of evolution in the classroom is a complex, multi-faceted affair; but the essence of successful instruction must be to convey the meaning and appropriate application of the principle of natural selection