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Download CSTA/NSTA 2014 Presentation by Dianne Anderson, Engaging
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Engaging ways to teach and to assess understanding of natural selection CSTA/NSTA conference, Dec. 5, 2014 Dianne L. Anderson, Ph.D. Biology Department, Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA Problem: Students at all levels have persistent non-scientific ideas in biology General goal of our research: Improve student learning of fundamental biology concepts by producing research-based and fieldtested classroom tools that are easy to use with any curriculum and offered at no charge Natural selection as a central unifying idea Introduce it early, then use it all year to make sense of biological knowledge. Challenging for students, so practice is essential Need valid assessments to measure progress Need easy-to-use tools to keep students thinking about the topics throughout the year Understanding random variation is key! The framework… All species can exhibit biotic potential (exponential growth) Most populations remain stable. Resources as limited Not all individuals survive Variation exists in all populations Origin of variation Some variation is inherited Due to their traits, some individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce. Changes occur in populations Adaptation may lead to the origin of new species The framework… All species can exhibit biotic potential (exponential growth) Most populations remain stable. Resources as limited Not all individuals survive Variation exists in all populations Origin of variation Some variation is inherited Due to their traits, some individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce. Changes occur in populations Adaptation may lead to the origin of new species The framework… All species can exhibit biotic potential (exponential growth) Most populations remain stable. Resources as limited Not all individuals survive ECOLOGY Variation exists in all populations Origin of variation Some variation is inherited GENETICS Due to their traits, some individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce. Changes occur in populations Adaptation may lead to the origin of new species Conceptually-rich, logistically-simple tools for teaching and assessment • Conceptual Assessments in Biology(text format) • Concept Cartoons (visual format) • Research-based • Classroom-tested • Ask students to apply knowledge Single-panel image Scenario-based question (engaging but not distracting) Characters answering with one correct and three distractors based common student errors (little detail) Most challenging concepts in general biology: natural selection, then added cell division, metabolism , ecology Concept cartoons used by teachers to… Promote group discussion helps EL individual, group, class Provide practice using concepts Probe student understanding (don’t just ignore) Great for formative assessment! Collection of cartoons related to natural selection http://www.pointloma.edu/experienc e/academics/schoolsdepartments/departmentbiology/biology-graduate-programsmaster-degree-biology/conceptcartoons-0 Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection (CINS) Multiple choice with distractors based on research into common student conceptions 10 concepts with 2 items each Can use as pre and post assessments Can use as in-class group activity Major revision in 2014 to produce Middle School and High school versions (available upon request) A CINS question, then cartoons… All species can exhibit biotic potential (exponential growth) Most populations remain stable. Resources as limited Not all individuals survive ECOLOGY Variation exists in all populations Origin of variation Some variation is inherited GENETICS Due to their traits, some individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce. Changes occur in populations Adaptation may lead to the origin of new species Limited survival What will probably happen in a guppy population when the amount of food is low? a. The guppies cooperate to find food and will probably share what they find. b. The guppies fight for the available food, and the stronger guppies will kill the weaker ones. c. Genetic changes that allow guppies to eat new types of food will appear. d. The guppies that cannot compete for food well will die from a lack of food. Origin of Variation Where did the variation in body size of the three species probably first come from? a. The lizards needed to change in order to survive, so new helpful traits formed. b. Random changes in the DNA created new traits. c. The environment of the island caused certain changes in the DNA of the lizards. d. The lizards wanted to become different in size, so helpful new traits slowly appeared in the population. Change in population over time What is the best way to describe the evolutionary changes that happen in the guppy population over time? a. The traits of each guppy in the population change slowly. b. Guppies with certain traits reproduce and become more common. c. Behaviors learned by certain guppies are passed on to their offspring and become more common. d. Mutations happen in the guppy population to meet the needs of the fish as the environment changes. Thanks to the following graduate students/teachers for their hard work: Mary Ann Rall Michael Rall Melissa Hedgecock Will Jacoway Christy Porter Muriel Gross Patricia Evans Danielle Dwyer Jessica Hernandez Jessica Sphar PLNU Master’s program in general biology is designed around a teacher’s schedule. CINS and more cartoons available at: http://www.pointloma.edu/experience/academic s/schools-departments/departmentbiology/biology-graduate-programs-masterdegree-biology/concept-cartoons-0 Or e-mail me at [email protected] Dr. Dianne Anderson Biology Department Point Loma Nazarene University
