Classroom Resources

In this activity, students extend the concepts covered in the short film The Biology of Skin Color through the application of models and mathematical thinking to explain how genomic variation and human ancestry can explain differences in skin color, a polygenic trait.

A number of interactive questions are embedded within the short film The Biology of Skin Color, which explores the hypothesis that the variations in skin color in humans arose as adaptations to the intensity of ultraviolet radiation in different parts of the world.

The added information provided at pause points within the animation How We Get Our Skin Color allows for a richer exploration of the topic of human skin structure and function.

This activity explores the evidence that differences in human skin color are adaptations to varying intensity of UV light, as discussed in the short film The Biology of Skin Color.

This activity explores the content and research presented in the documentary film series Your Inner Fish, which describes major transitions in the evolution of vertebrate animals, including humans.

This film explores how the genetic and anatomical legacy of a fish can be seen today in the human body.

This film explores what human hands, vision, and brains reveal about our evolution from ancient primate ancestors.

This animation describes how skin color is generated by skin cells as protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

This film explores the hypothesis that different tones of skin color in humans arose as adaptations to the intensity of ultraviolet radiation in different parts of the world.