Download UNIT TITLE _VII Evolution

UNIT TITLE: Unit VI Evolution of Living Things___
DESIGNED BY_Jim Walsh____
REVISED BY Stacey DiPoala
DATE__8/17/10___
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Purpose: Students will learn that evolutionary theory provides the best scientific
explanation for the unity and diversity of life and unites all living things in a single
tree of life.
Example: Imagine that you are a TV producer and have been hired to produce a
documentary on evolution for a public television station. Write a script for a 5 – 10 minute
segment of an evolution documentary and videotape it for the class. Be sure to discuss
evidence for evolution using specific examples, and to present the information clearly and in
an engaging manner
New York State Learning Standards:
The Living Environment Core Curriculum addresses MST Standard 1 (Students will use mathematical
analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers,
and develop solutions) and the science content Standard 4 (Students will understand and apply
scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and the living
environments and recognize the historical development of ideas in science. The draft of this unit will
address the performance indicators for the science content Standard 4.
Seven Key Ideas provide an overview for the performance indicators that indicate student
understanding of the Living Environment science content areas:
Key Idea 1: Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things.
Key Idea 2: Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result in continuity of
structure and function between parents and off spring.
Key Idea 3: Individual organisms and species change over time.
Key idea 4: The continuity of life is sustained through reproduction and development.
Key Idea 5: Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life.
Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.
Key Idea 7; Human decisions an activities have had a profound impact on the physical and living
environment.
The standards/performance indicator are identified as follows:
4.7.1b identifies MST Standard 4, Key idea 7, and Performance Indicator (PI) 7.1 Major
Understanding .1b
Key Idea 2: Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result
in continuity of structure and function between parents and offspring
PI 2.1: Explain how the structure and replication of genetic material result in
offspring that resemble their parents.
Major Understandings
4.2.1d: In asexually reproducing organisms, all genes come from a single parent. Asexually
produced offspring are normally genetically identical to the parent
4.2.1e: In sexually reproducing organisms, the new individual receives half of the genetic
information from its mother (via the egg) and half from its father (via the sperm). Sexually
produced offspring often resemble, but are not identical to, either of their parents
Key Idea 3: Individual organisms and species change over time
Performance Indicator 3.1: Explain the mechanisms and patterns of evolution.
Major Understandings
4.3.1a: The basic theory of biological evolution states that the Earth’s present-day species
developed from earlier, distinctly different species
4.3.1e: Natural selection and its evolutionary consequences provide a scientific explanation
for the fossil record of ancient life-forms, as well as for the molecular and structural
similarities observed among the diverse species of living organisms
4.3.1f: Species evolve over time. Evolution is the consequence of the interactions of (1) the
potential for a species to increase its numbers, (2) the genetic variability of offspring due to
mutation and recombination of genes, (3) a finite supply of the resources required for life,
and (4) the ensuing selection by the environment of those offspring better able to survive and
leave offspring
4.3.1g: Some characteristics give individuals an advantage over others in surviving and
reproducing, and the advantaged offspring, in turn, are more likely than others to survive and
reproduce. The proportion of individuals that have advantageous characteristics will increase
4.3.1h: The variation of organisms within a species increases the likelihood that at least
some members of the species will survive under changed environmental conditions
4.3.1i: Behaviors have evolved through natural selection. The broad patterns of behavior
exhibited by organisms are those that have resulted in greater reproductive success
4.3.1j: Billions of years ago, life on Earth is thought by many scientists to have begun as
simple, single-celled organisms. About a billion years ago, increasingly complex multi-cellular
organisms began to evolve
4.3.1k: Evolution does not necessitate long-term progress in some set direction.
Evolutionary changes appear to be like the growth of a bush: Some branches survive from
the beginning with little or no change, many die out altogether, and others branch
repeatedly, sometimes giving rise to more complex organisms
4.3.1l: Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive
characteristics of a species are insufficient to allow its survival. Fossils indicate that many
organisms that lived long ago are extinct. Extinction of species is common; most of the
species that have lived on Earth no longer exist
Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical
environment
Performance Indicator 6.1: Explain factors that limit growth of individuals and
populations
Major Understanding
4.6.1g: Relationships between organisms may be negative, neutral, or positive. Some
organisms may interact with one another in several ways. They may be in a
producer/consumer, predator/prey, or parasite/host relationship; or one organism may cause
disease in, scavenge, or decompose another
Performance Indicator 6.2: Explain the importance of preserving diversity of
species and habitats
Major Understanding
4.6.2a: As a result of evolutionary processes, there is a diversity of organisms and roles in
ecosystems. This diversity of species increases the chance that at least some will survive in
the face of large environmental changes. Biodiversity increases the stability of the ecosystem
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6–12
The standards below begin at grade 6; standards for K–5 reading in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects are integrated into
the K–5 Reading standards. The CCR anchor standards and high school standards in literacy work in tandem to define college and career
readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional specificity.
3. Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or
performing technical tasks, attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text.
6. Analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a
text, defining the question the author seeks to address.
7. Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart)
and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.
Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and
Technical Subjects 6–12 [WHST]
The standards below begin at grade 6; standards for K–5 writing in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects are integrated into
the K–5 Writing standards. The CCR anchor standards and high school standards in literacy work in tandem to define college and career
readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional specificity.
1. Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an
organization that establishes clear relationships among the claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying data and evidence for each while pointing out the
strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in a discipline-appropriate form and in a
manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/
experiments, or technical processes.
a. Introduce a topic and organize ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and
distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when
useful to aiding comprehension.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation
presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
3. (See note; not applicable as a separate requirement)
Note: Students’ narrative skills continue to grow in these grades. The Standards require that students be able to
incorporate narrative elements effectively into arguments and informative/explanatory texts. In history/social
studies, students must be able to incorporate narrative accounts into their analyses of individuals or events of
historical import. In science and technical subjects, students must be able to write precise enough descriptions of
the step-by-step procedures they use in their investigations or technical work that others can replicate them and
(possibly) reach the same results.
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products,
taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
Resources: Miller, K.R. & Levine, J.S. (2010), New York Living Evironment:
Biology, Teachers’ Edition, Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ,
Chapters 16, 17, 18, 19 pp 448 – 570.
Enduring Understanding:
The diversity of life is the result of
ongoing evolutionary change.
Species alive today have evolved from
ancient common ancestors.
Students will understand...
The history of evolution
Natural selection
The involvement of genetics in evolution
Speciation
Classification
The history of life on Earth
Essential Questions
1. What is natural selection?
2. How can populations evolve to form new
species?
3. What is the goal of biologists who classify
things?
4. How do fossils help biologists understand
the history of life on Earth?
Knowledge
Skills
Students will know……
Students will be able to……
-Darwin’s contribution to science
-The three patterns of biodiversity noted by
Darwin
-Lamarck’s evolutionary hypothesis
-Artificial selection
-Evolution by natural selection
-Common descent
-Biogeographical patterns
-Importance of fossils
-Homologous & vestigial structures and
embryology
-Genetic evidence for evolution
-Genotype and phenotype in evolution
-Sources of genetic variation
-Single and polygenic traits
-How natural selection works
-Genetic drift
-Genetic equilibrium
-Speciation
-Evolution of new genes
-Binomial nomenclature
-Dichotomous keys
-Linnaean classification
-Evolutionary classification
-Cladograms
-DNA in classification
-Building the tree of life
-The Fossil Record
-Speciation and extinction
-Rate of evolution
-Adaptive radiation and convergent
evolution
-Coevolution
-Early Earth and the origins of life
-Origin of eukaryotic cells
-State Charles Darwin’s contribution to science
-Describe the three patterns of biodiversity noted
by Darwin
-Describe Lamarck’s hypothesis of evolution
-Explain the role of inherited variation in
artificial selection
-Describe the conditions under which natural
selection occurs
-Explain the principle of common descent
-Explain how geologic distribution of species
relates to their evolutionary history
-Explain how fossils and the fossil record
document the descent of modern species from
ancient ancestors
-Describe what homologous structures and
embryology suggest about the process of
evolutionary change
-Explain how molecular evidence can be used to
trace the process of evolution
-Explain the results of the investigation of
adaptation in Galapagos finches
-Identify the main sources of genetic variation in
a population
-Explain how natural selection affects singlegene and polygenic traits
-Explain how different factors affect genetic
equilibrium
-Identify the types of isolation that can lead to
the formation of new species
-Describe the current hypothesis about
Galapagos finch speciation
-Explain how new genes evolve
-Construct and use a dichotomous key to
identify organisms
-Explain the difference between evolutionary
classification and Linnaean classification
-Make and interpret a cladogram
-Determine the relatedness of organisms using
DNA sequences
-Explain what the tree of life represents
-Explain what information fossils can reveal
about ancient life
-Describe how environmental processes and
living things have shaped life on Earth
-Identify the processes that influence survival or
extinction of a species
-Contrast gradualism and punctuated equilibrium
-Identify some of the hypotheses about early
Earth and the origin of life
-Discuss the origin of eukaryotic cells
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Pre-Assessment:
-Prepare Castle learning activities to include genetics, evolution, classification and history of
life.
Assessments:
-Students will find pictures of organisms online or in magazines to create a poster that
illustrates the patterns of biodiversity Darwin observed while aboard the Beagle
-Show the class pictures of different tortoises found on the Galapagos Islands. Discuss how
the differences between the tortoises are related to the differences in their environments.
Why are groups of Islands, like the Galapagos, good places to study evolution?
-Students will design an experiment to test Lamarck’s hypothesis that acquired characteristics
can be passed from parent to offspring. The experimental design should include a
hypothesis, a procedure, possible outcomes, and an explanation of how the outcomes would
or would not support their hypothesis
-Students will write an explanation of how bacteria could evolve the ability to resist a
particular antibiotic through the process of natural selection
-On separate note cards, students will write a brief summary of each step in the speciation of
Darwin’s finches. Then have them shuffle the cards and put them back in the correct order
-Have students ten four fill-in, true-false, or multiple-choice questions based on the unit.
Have them exchange questions with a partner and try to answer the partner’s questions
-
Create a Unit Exam
Performance Tasks:
PI 2.1
Provide small groups of students with scissors and sheets of paper of different colors. Tell
students to cut the paper into small squares to represent alleles. Then have groups use their
squares to model how evolution occurs in genetic terms. Give each group a chance to explain
its model to the class (Miller, Levine, 2010)
PI 3.1
Students will complete the “Beaks of Finches” NYS lab
PI 6.1
Students will choose two species that have co-evolved and describe the relationship of
interdependence that exists between the two species
PI 6.2
-Unit Project: Imagine that you are a TV producer and have been hired to produce a
documentary on evolution for a public television station. Write a script for a 5 – 10 minute
segment of an evolution documentary and videotape it for the class. Be sure to discuss
evidence for evolution using specific examples, and to present the information clearly and in
an engaging manner (Miller, 2010).
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Leaning Experiences:
Pre-Assessment – Develop individual and course goals based on results from the preassessment
Lesson 1: Darwin’s Voyage
Lesson 2: Origins of Evolutionary Thought
-Lamarck
-Population Growth
-Artificial Selection
Lesson 3: Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
-Struggle for Existence
-Variation and Adaptation
-Survival of the Fittest
-Natural Selection
-Common Descent
Lesson 4: Evidence of Evolution
-Geographic Distribution
-Use of Fossils as Evidence for Evolution
-Comparing Anatomy and Embryology
Lesson
Lesson
Lesson
Lesson
Lesson
Lesson
Lesson
Lesson
Lesson
Lesson
-Genetics and Molecular Biology
-Testing Natural Selection
5: Genes and Variation
-Genotype and Phenotype
-Sources of Genetic Variation
-Single-Gene and Polygenic Traits
6: Evolution as Genetic Change in Populations
-How Natural Selection Works
-Genetic Drift
-Evolution v Genetic Equilibrium
7: The Process of Speciation
-Isolating Mechanisms
-Speciation in Darwin’s Finches
8: Molecular Evolution
9: Finding Order in Diversity
-Assigning Scientific Names
-The Linnaean Classification System
10: Modern Evolutionary Classification
-Evolutionary Classification
-Cladograms
-DNA in classification
11: Building the Tree of Life
-The Tree of All Life
12: The Fossil Record
-Fossils and Ancient Life
-Dating Earth’s History
13: Patterns and Processes of Evolution
-Speciation and Extinction
-Rate of Evolution
-Adaptive Radiation and Convergent Evolution
-Coevoultion
14: Earth’s Early History
-Life’s Origins
-Origin of Eukaryotic Cells
Labs:
NYS Lab “Beaks of Finches”
Hole punch lab (Survival of the Fittest)
Dichotomous key lab
Cladogram lab