With inquiry labs, bell ringers, group work, and discussions (not to mention pep rallies, fundraisers, sports, and bathroom breaks), what teacher has an hour to devote to an entertaining, well-made, educational film? Fortunately, HHMI has made it easy to incorporate excellent videos and inquiry-based activities with the release of their short-film series The Making of the Fittest, which was first screened at October’s NABT conference.
While many of the resources produced by HHMI are popular, these break the mold. These high-quality, entertaining films, each shorter than 15 minutes, are devoted to the topic of evolution. Their content matter is suitable for grades 8–12. The first film focuses on adaptation and selective pressures, the second moves on to real-world examples of the link between mutations, gene expression, and adaptation, and the last one brings the story home, showing how all this applies to human populations. Despite “evolving” content, the films...