IBBiology @Skyline High School
Evolution Unit Plan (13 days)
Assessment Statements:
Variation 5.4.5 State that the members of a species show variation. 5.4.6 Explain how sexual reproduction promotes variation in a species. Natural Selection 5.4.1 Define evolution. 5.4.3 State that populations tend to produce more offspring than the environment can support. 5.4.4 Explain that the consequence of the potential overproduction of offspring is a struggle for survival. 5.4.7 Explain how natural selection leads to evolution. 5.4.8 Explain two examples of evolution in response to environmental change; one must be antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Evidence for Evolution 5.4.2 Outline the evidence for evolution provided by the fossil record, selective breeding of domesticated animals and homologous structures. D.5.6 Distinguish, with examples, between analogous and homologous characteristics. D.3.1 Outline the method for dating rocks and fossils using radioisotopes, with reference to 14C and 40K. D.3.2 Define half-life. D.3.3 Deduce the approximate age of materials based on a simple decay curve for a radioisotope. D.5.2 Explain the biochemical evidence provided by the universality of DNA and protein structures for the common ancestry of living organisms.
Variation
5.4.5
State that the members of a species show variation.
5.4.6
Explain how sexual reproduction promotes variation in a species.
Natural Selection
5.4.1
Define evolution.
5.4.3
State that populations tend to produce more offspring than the environment can support.
5.4.4
Explain that the consequence of the potential overproduction of offspring is a struggle for survival.
5.4.7
Explain how natural selection leads to evolution.
5.4.8
Explain two examples of evolution in response to environmental change; one must be antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
Evidence for Evolution
5.4.2
Outline the evidence for evolution provided by the fossil record, selective breeding of domesticated animals and homologous structures.
D.5.6
Distinguish, with examples, between analogous and homologous characteristics.
D.3.1
Outline the method for dating rocks and fossils using radioisotopes, with reference to 14C and 40K.
D.3.2
Define half-life.
D.3.3
Deduce the approximate age of materials based on a simple decay curve for a radioisotope.
Explain the biochemical evidence provided by the universality of DNA and protein structures for the common ancestry of living organisms.
What You Need to Know
Variation What is variation? Why is variation a good thing? Describe four mechanisms by which variation can arise. History of evolutionary thought What were natural theologists and what role did they play in the development of the biology? Who was Lamarck and what was his major contribution to biology? Who was Darwin and what was his major contribution to biology? How did the development of geology and information about the Earth as a dynamic planet influence thoughts about evolution of life? How does the word theory differ when used by scientists compared to the general population? Natural Selection What was Darwin’s big idea? Why was it (and to some, still is) a controversial idea? What observations and deductions lead Darwin to develop his idea of evolution through natural selection? Evidence for evolution List five types of evidence that support the theory of evolution through natural selection. What is a fossil and how are they formed? Define biogeography. Define homology and provide examples of anatomical homologies, embryological homologies and molecular homologies. Contrast relative with absolute dating of fossils. Explain how radioactive isotopes are used to date fossils and rocks, specifically referring to Carbon-14 and Potassium-40.
What is variation?
Why is variation a good thing?
Describe four mechanisms by which variation can arise.
History of evolutionary thought
What were natural theologists and what role did they play in the development of the biology?
Who was Lamarck and what was his major contribution to biology?
Who was Darwin and what was his major contribution to biology?
How did the development of geology and information about the Earth as a dynamic planet influence thoughts about evolution of life?
How does the word theory differ when used by scientists compared to the general population?
What was Darwin’s big idea? Why was it (and to some, still is) a controversial idea?
What observations and deductions lead Darwin to develop his idea of evolution through natural selection?
Evidence for evolution
List five types of evidence that support the theory of evolution through natural selection.
What is a fossil and how are they formed?
Define biogeography.
Define homology and provide examples of anatomical homologies, embryological homologies and molecular homologies.
Contrast relative with absolute dating of fossils.
Explain how radioactive isotopes are used to date fossils and rocks, specifically referring to Carbon-14 and Potassium-40.
Unit Activities List:
Evolution unit plan (doc) From atoms to traits reading (pdf) "From Atoms to Traits" article questions (doc) Answers to "From Atoms to Traits" questions (doc) Video: Why Sex (.doc) Variation reading (.pdf) Variation notes template (.doc) Variation in our classroom DCP (pdf) Proposing the theory of biological evolution readings (doc) Social and Historical context notes Social context web quest (doc) Puzzle of evolution (pdf) Summary notes of natural selection master (doc) Summary notes of natural selection template (doc) Evolution of resistance notes (pdf) and note blanks (doc) Evolutionary arms race video clip (doc) Antibiotic resistance modeling lab (doc) Antibiotic resistance modeling lab data (xls) Evidence for evolution booklets (doc) Evidence for evolution notes Natural selection simulation lab (doc) Fossils notes template (doc) and notes (pdf) Fossil notes from HHMI (doc) Determining a fossils age mini lab (doc) Modeling fossil dating mini-lab class data (xls) Homology vs. analogy web site Homology and analogy web quest (doc) DNA sequence analysis activity (doc) What Darwin Never Knew video (doc) EC video: Darwin's Dangerous Idea Darwin at 200 reading Whale evolution case study Whale embryology article summary (doc) Whale evolution evidence summary article (pdf) Great Transformations video (PBS) Whale protein bioinformatics lab (doc)
Evolution unit plan (doc)
From atoms to traits reading (pdf)
"From Atoms to Traits" article questions (doc)
Answers to "From Atoms to Traits" questions (doc)
Video: Why Sex (.doc)
Variation reading (.pdf)
Variation notes template (.doc)
Variation in our classroom DCP (pdf)
Proposing the theory of biological evolution readings (doc)
Social and Historical context notes
Social context web quest (doc)
Puzzle of evolution (pdf)
Summary notes of natural selection master (doc)
Summary notes of natural selection template (doc)
Evolution of resistance notes (pdf) and note blanks (doc)
Evolutionary arms race video clip (doc)
Antibiotic resistance modeling lab (doc)
Antibiotic resistance modeling lab data (xls)
Evidence for evolution booklets (doc)
Evidence for evolution notes
Natural selection simulation lab (doc)
Fossils notes template (doc) and notes (pdf)
Fossil notes from HHMI (doc)
Determining a fossils age mini lab (doc)
Modeling fossil dating mini-lab class data (xls)
Homology vs. analogy web site
Homology and analogy web quest (doc)
DNA sequence analysis activity (doc)
What Darwin Never Knew video (doc)
EC video: Darwin's Dangerous Idea
Darwin at 200 reading
Whale evolution case study
Whale embryology article summary (doc)
Whale evolution evidence summary article (pdf)
Great Transformations video (PBS)
Whale protein bioinformatics lab (doc)
Key Terms:
Helpful Links:
PBS Evolution: why sex The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online Darwin, Wallace and the Linnean Society Natural History Museum: Darwin200 Evolution: Darwin's Dangerous Idea: PBS program The Darwin Correspondence Project Darwinians and Evolution BBC: Historic Figures Wilberforce and Huxley - A Legendary Encounter The Beagle Project Radiocarbon Dating Evolution Lab Movies from "evolution" Prehistoric Life Genetic Drift
PBS Evolution: why sex
The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online Darwin, Wallace and the Linnean Society Natural History Museum: Darwin200 Evolution: Darwin's Dangerous Idea: PBS program The Darwin Correspondence Project Darwinians and Evolution BBC: Historic Figures Wilberforce and Huxley - A Legendary Encounter The Beagle Project
Radiocarbon Dating
Evolution Lab
Movies from "evolution"
Prehistoric Life
Genetic Drift
"When we tug at a simple thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world." John Muir
