Evolution

Explains that all life is related and that populations change over time.

1: Artificial Selection

2: Natural Selection on a Large Scale

3: Natural Disaster Poster

4: Evolutionary Arms Race

5: Types of Natural Selection

6. Social/Behavioral Selection

7. Sexual Selection & the Evolution of "Beauty"


8. Natural Selection Brochure

9. Skin Color Activity

10. Antibiotic Resistance

11. Speciation Game and Cladograms

12. Gene Conservation

13. Review Day


Evolution Lessons:

1: Artificial Selection

Learning Targets:AST 5.1 - Investigating Trait Frequency : Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait. (HS-LS4-3)AST 5.3 - Informational Text : Read and use informational texts about evolution.

Opening

    • Guessing game: Google a picture of your favorite dog. Describe it to your table group, see if they can guess the breed.

    • Watch: Domesticated foxes video

Activity 1

Activity 2

Closing/Pre-Assessments

    • Question: "Can nature make genetic selection like humans did with dogs and foxes? Why, why not?"

    • Complete this survey: Evolution Misconception Quiz


Additional Resources

2: Natural Selection on a Large Scale

Learning Targets:AST 5.3 - Informational Text: Read and use informational texts about evolution.AST 5.4 - Natural Selection: Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment. (HS-LS4-2)

Opening

Activity

Preview/Closing

    • Discussion: "Can you think of other creatures were certain features can be both advantageous and deleterious? (Postulate examples of stabilizing selection besides lizard size/strength balance that was covered in the article).

    • NOVA Tsunami resources

3: Poster Workdays

Natural Disaster Poster Work-Time

    • With your table-mates: Create a poster that features real or imagined (creativity encouraged) disaster. Your poster needs to feature:

      • Three animals that will die in said disaster, explain why.

      • Three animals that will survive, explain why.

      • Two plant that will die, explain why.

      • Two plant that will live, explain why.

When done!

    • Gallery walk: When done we will hang posters and rate them on: 1) most creative, 2) most artistic, 3) most scientific, 4) most complete/detailed.

      • Best poster ballots printout (print before class!)

4: Evolutionary Arms Race

Learning Targets:AST 5.4 - Natural Selection : Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment. (HS-LS4-2)AST 5.5 - Adaptation : Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations. (HS-LS4-4) (Cross-ref: Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce.) (HS-LS2-8))

Photo credit: Om nom newt RICHARD GREENE

Opening

45 minute class:

Evolutionary Arms Race Reading/Discussion

    • Read: Ed Yong Atlantic article

    • Complete: Killer Newt Questions

    • Class discussion: "How does the relationship between newts and garter snakes debunk the idea of Lamarckian evolution?"


90 minute class:

Test if There is a Relationship Between Newts and Snakes?


Additional Evolutionary Arms Race Reading


Red Queen Effect

"The fastest way to run is to shuffle (your DNA)"


5: Types of Natural Selection

Opening

45 minute class:

Diversifying/Disruptive Selection

Closing

    • Discuss: Where these sources of genetic variation (that then can be selected for or against) come from.

      • Gene flow/restriction and mutations.

Targets:AST 5.1 - Investigating Trait Frequency : Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait. (HS-LS4-3)
Targets:AST 5.1 - Investigating Trait Frequency : Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait. (HS-LS4-3)

90 minute class:

Stabilizing Selection

    • Pwpt led discussion: Birth weight in humans

    • Answer: How might ideal birth weight change over time as technology advances? Can we artificially overcome this example of stabilizing selection?

Directional Selection

    • Watch: Marine Iguana vs land iguanas

      • Interesting fact: Iguanas are able to voluntarily stop their hearts for up 45 minutes to deter the sharks.

    • Lab: Height Selection Activity.

      • 1) Record the height of your classmates, make a bar graph.

      • 2) Find heights of an NBA basketball team.

      • 3) Create a bar graph of basketball player. Note how this bar graph looks in relation to the bar graph of your classmates' heights.

      • 4) Postulate a situation where height selection in nature may led to directional selection and eventually speciation.

Heterozygote Advantage/Selection

    • Watch: Malaria and sickle cell and heterozygote advantage videos. 1/10 AA are carriers.

    • Other Het Advantage examples:

    • Read: Sickle Cell Anemia article

    • Answer: How is the sickle cell mutation helpful in heterozygotes, but hurtful in homozygotes? What other examples of heterozygote advantage can you find?

Closing

      • Remind: Where genetic changes/adaptations come from — mutations.

Additional Resources

      • Odd couple video

      • Interesting fact: "...pistol shrimp are credited with aiding the U.S. during World War II. United States submarines were purposefully kept amid colonies of pistol shrimp or affixed with speakers playing pistol shrimp snapping sounds, so that the soundwaves from the loud bubble snaps of the shrimp would acoustically camouflage underwater vessels from detection by sonar surveillance systems."

      • Frequency dependent selection video, we didn't have time to talk about this but this is why nonpoisonous animals mimic the colors and patterns of poisonous ones.

6. Social/Behavioral Selection

Targets:HS-LS2-8. Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on: (1) distinguishing between group and individual behavior, (2) identifying evidence supporting the outcomes of group behavior, and (3) developing logical and reasonable arguments based on evidence. Examples of group behaviors could include flocking, schooling, herding, and cooperative behaviors such as hunting, migrating, and swarming.]

Opening

Activity

Closing/Review

For Fun

Fox & Geese Game

7. Sexual Selection: Co-evolution & the Evolution of "Beauty"

Targets:AST 5.1 - Investigating Trait Frequency : Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait. (HS-LS4-3)AST 5.4 - Natural Selection: Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment. (HS-LS4-2)

Opening

Sexual Selection & a Co-Evolution Arms Race

Sexual Selection and Beauty

Exception that proves the rule

"..a handful of [bird] species are known to have reversed sex roles in which males incubate the eggs and females defend territories and fight amongst themselves for access to the males. These species provide the exceptions that prove the rule, because they demonstrate that the competitive sex is the one most likely to have bright colors. Phalaropes, sandpipers and button quail are good examples of species in which the females are more colorful."

Closing

Additional Resources

8. Brochure Workdays

Opening:

Students will share their examples of evolution with their groups, small groups will attempt to classify said examples by what type of selection drove the creature to have said features.

Post-Assessment

Students to create a brochure explaining the different types of selection events and give examples.



Targets:AST 5.6 - Speciation : Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species. (HS-LS4-5)AST 5.4 - Natural Selection : Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment. (HS-LS4-2)AST 5.5 - Adaptation : Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations. (HS-LS4-4) (Cross-ref: Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce.) (HS-LS2-8))AST 5.6 - Speciation : Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species. (HS-LS4-5)AST 5.7 - Evidence for Evolution : Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence. (HS-LS4-1)

9. Skin Color Activity

Targets:AST 5.1 - Investigating Trait Frequency : Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait. (HS-LS4-3)AST 5.4 - Natural Selection : Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment. (HS-LS4-2)

Opening

Complete: Sorting activity. Can you sort people into the racial category they identify as according to their photo?

Phenomenon: Race has historically been used to separate humans into categories with the argument that we are biologically different.

Question: Is race a biological characteristic determined by our genes?

Activity

Slides with links for this lesson

Watch: Film clip: Race, the Power of an Illusion, Part 1 which discusses the genetic similarities and differences among people categorized by race.

Read: How Science and Genetics are Reshaping the Race Debate article, and 10 Things Everyone Should Know about Race.

Answer:

Q1.How does the variation within the humans species compared to the intraspecies variation within other species?

Q2. What is your view of race after viewing the film and reading the articles?

Interesting Article:

10. Antibiotic Resistance

Targets:AST 5.1 - Investigating Trait Frequency : Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait. (HS-LS4-3)AST 5.3 - Informational Text : Read and use informational texts about evolution.AST 5.4 - Natural Selection : Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment. (HS-LS4-2)AST 5.5 - Adaptation : Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations. (HS-LS4-4) (Cross-ref: Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce.) (HS-LS2-8))AST 5.6 - Speciation : Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species. (HS-LS4-5)

Lesson plan

Evolution is all around us! Even now...even in you...

Opening

Activity

Closing


Silliness (Know Your Memes)





11. Speciation Game and Cladogram Creation

Opening:

    • Cladogram discussion

    • Cladogram article

    • Crash course taxonomy video

    • Questions: What are the eight taxa groups? From broad/general to specific? What mnemonic do you use to remember this? Why do we organize organisms like this?

Speciation/Cladogram "Maker Space Activity":

    1. All tables will make a small rodent-like creature using mixed media.

    2. Table groups will write about the natural history of said critter (where it eats, sleeps, lives, reproduces).

    3. Share your pictures and natural history with your classmates

    4. Tables will make cladograms that includes all the critters made by the class. Decide where the speciation events take place. Justify your choices!

Discussion/Closing:

    • Crash course speciation video

    • What other information might help you make a cladogram? What besides the phenotype and natural history might help scientists group animals?

12. Gene Conservation

Targets:AST 5.7 - Evidence for Evolution : Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence. (HS-LS4-1)

Opening:

    • Watch: Hox Genes video about gene conservation across species. (Fun side note: This video features my post-doctoral mentor Dr. Mathew Scott!!)

Activity

    • Watch: “Shared Functions, Shared Genes” (5 min.)

    • Lab: Divide into ten equally sized groups. And complete your handout. When done arrange the animals in order from most to least protein homology. Student handout

      • Answer the following questions:

        • What patterns or trends do you see in the data?

        • What are some anomalies to the trends?

        • What is something that “stands out,” interests you, or raises further questions?

        • Is there anything that you find “surprising”?

        • How do you explain some of the patterns that you see?

        • Do you think the patterns suggest that these organisms are related?

    • Read: Fish or Mammal case study

    • Fill out: Chart o' Evolution evidence

Closing

    • Watch: Whale video. This video summarizes the many lines of evidence supporting evolution, and covers whale evolution.


Additional Resources

13. Review Day

Activity

    • Misconception Quiz Review

      • Define "fit"

      • Define "species"

      • Individual or population level?

    • Discuss in table, mark answer.

    • Stand by your answer, debate and move

Study for the exam!

    • No questions dues today. Master the Quizlet.



Hardy-Weinburg

Things We Did NOT Cover in the Evolution Unit:

Of course there is never enough time to cover everything. But here are some very specific things we did not properly cover. You are not responsible for this information. I provide it instead, so that you can add it to your mental antilibrary.

Lessons/Activities

https://nabt.org/files/galleries/February2019ABT.pdf

Concepts

    • Survival Fecundity

    • Handicap Principle

    • Frequency Dependent Selection

    • Discussion: "Can you think of creatures with certain features that can be both advantageous and deleterious?

    • Socratic Seminar: Lamarckian Evolution, "Is incremental genetic change created or merely cemented by natural selection?"

    • Adaptive radiation

    • Geographical Natural Selections: Allopatric Speciation (Geographic Separation) vs. Sympatric Speciation (Overlapping Territories)

      • Example: Darwin's finches vs. Bower birds and Orcas

Big names

    • Darwin

    • The Beagle

    • Thomas Huxley

    • FitzRoy

Movies

Books