Download Natural Selection - Unit Timeline

Page 1 of 2
Natural Selection Instructional Case: A series of 3 student-centered science lessons
Lesson Parts
Class time Lesson Objectives
Lesson Preparation
Key Vocabulary
1 Is There a Best
45-50
minutes
• Demonstrate a
conceptual understanding
of how adaptations are
related to an organisms’
environment, and how
adaptations determine
the fitness (and survival)
of organisms
• make copies and
cut paper in half
(5 minutes)
• Print provided pictures
of murky habitats and
possible predators to
fish (10 minutes)
traits, phenotype,
genotype, fitness,
survival of the fittest,
natural selection,
adaptation, population,
species, habitat
environment, adaptation
2 Goldfish vs.
45-50
minutes
• Demonstrate how
a predator can
change the size
and composition of
a prey population
• Predict potential
changes in a prey
population over
successive generations
• Collect and analyze
data to test predictions
• Express ratios and use
graphs to represent
the data gathered
during the simulations
• Put numbered stickers
on the sides of the two
differently colored die –
1 set of dice for each
lab group
• Fill two paper cups,
one with each type of
cracker for each lab
group
prey, predator, traits,
characteristic,
species, population,
natural selection, fitness,
survival of the fittest,
generation, body morph,
genetic variation
Fish Ever?
Cheez-its
Continued on Page 2
Natural Selection Instructional Case
Unit Timeline
Page 2 of 2
Unit Timeline
Lesson Parts
3 Get Me to the
Lake on Time
Continued from Page 1
Class time Lesson Objectives
45-60
minutes
• Reinforces the
understanding and
application of the
appropriate biological
language (terms,
phrases, concepts)
related to evolution
and other biological
topics by answering
questions correctly
in a game
Lesson Preparation
• Print game board
• Print question cards
• Gather playing pieces
and dice.
Key Vocabulary
acclimation, adaptation,
behavioral adaptation,
camouflage, classification,
climate change,
cloning, decay,
diversity, ecosystem,
endangered, erosion,
evolve/evolution,
extinct/extinction,
fossils, genetic diversity,
habitat, invasive species,
migration, mimicry,
mutation (mutant),
native species,
natural selection,
organic matter,
pollution, regeneration,
restoration, scavenger,
sedimentary rock,
selective breeding,
species,
structural adaptation,
subspecies,
toxic chemical
Integrated Middle School Science Par tnership