1. Unit 6
Evolution

2. Essential Questions
Why is there such a great diversity of organisms on Earth?
What are mutations and how do they lead to new species?
Why do organisms live where they do? How are organisms adapted to live in the habitat that they live in?
What are some of the modes of evolution?
Are humans still evolving?
How can we observe evolution?

3. Day 1: Variation Required Readings: Learning Objectives: 3.24
To recall that living organisms differ from one another
To distinguish between continuous and discontinuous variation

4. Starter Why do you think there is so much variation within species?
Provide some examples (at least 3) of organisms and how they vary.
Time: 10 minutes

5. Activity 1
Watch the video “The Making of the Fittest: Natural Selection and Adaptation”
Complete the quiz as you watch it. Don’t worry if you don’t finish the quiz
Time: 15 minutes

6. Activity 2 Move to your lab groups
Complete the Color Variation in Rock Pocket Mouse Populations packet
Time: 35 minutes

7. Activity 3
Read through the summary, complete the activity and the quiz
Time: 20 minutes

8. Closing & Homework Complete the quiz (due Monday)
Complete the “Color Variation in Rock Pocket Mouse Population” (due Monday)

9. Day 2 What Darwin Never Knew While watching the video,
Write down questions that they have after watching the video
Keep note of interesting facts/information that they learned while watching the video
Hand these in at the end of the lesson
Homework: What is your personal view of evolution? Give 3 points to support your claim. Why do you think evolution is such a controversial topic to learn about?

10. Day 3: Causes of Variation
Required Readings:
3.25
Learning Objectives:
To identify mutation and sexual reproduction as sources of variation
To understand that mutations may involve whole chromosomes or genes within them
To recognize that environmental factors may increase the likelihood of mutation

11. Starter What is a mutation? How do mutations occur?
What do mutations do to an organism?
Are mutations good, bad or neither? Explain.
Time: 15 minutes

12. Activity 1
Any questions on last week’s video?
Time: 5 minutes

13. Activity 2 Get into your lab groups Mutations and Variation activity
Time: 45 minutes

14. Discussion Which mutation caused the greatest delay in acquiring food?
Which mutation caused the greatest delay in processing and consuming food?
What would these mutations do to the population of the environment?
What were some adaptations to the mutations your group came up with?
In what environment would each mutation be beneficial in? Harmful?
What type of animal would have these mutations?

15. Activity 3 Beneficial vs. harmful mutations
Create a cartoon showing the benefits and the harms of mutations
Time: 15 minutes

16. Day 4 (60 min) Required Readings: Learning Objectives:
3.26: Variation and NS: The Evolution of Species
Learning Objectives:
To understand the meaning of adaptation and to provide examples of this
To realize that Darwin’s theory benefited from the ideas of other scientists

17. Activity 1
Go to the website:
Play the game and answer the questions 1-9 on the first page
Go to the website:
Complete the simulation and answer the data and analysis section

18. Homework
Activities due Tuesday, February 26

19. Day 5 Required readings: Learning Objectives: 3.27: Natural Selection
TO understand how adaptation leads to natural selection

20. Activities Work in your groups to complete the following activities:
Using a picture, explain how and why natural selection occurred in Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos Islands
Create a powerpoint with the following:
Research the following and give examples where this occurs in nature: over-production, survival of the fittest, struggle for existence, variation, passing on advantageous characteristics to offspring
How are new species formed? How do selective pressures affect how a species evolves?

21. Day 6 Required Readings: Learning Objectives: None
To simulate the Darwinian theory of natural selection
Observe how natural selection affects a population
Learn how mutations, gene flow, genetic drift, and selective mating affect a population
Understand how natural selection tends to create a population more adapted for its environment

22. Starter Any problems from last week’s work?
Show me the work you completed from the last 2 lessons
Time: 15 minutes

23. Activity 1 Get into your lab groups
Read through the “Engage” section of the activity and answer the questions on the side
Time: 10 minutes

24. Activity 2 Work through the “explore” section
You will do 2 generations at each of the three habitats
I will tell you “start” and “stop” for each of the generations after you have your station set up
Record the data when needed
Time: 45 minutes

25. Activity 3 Answer the “explain” questions with your group
Time: 15 minutes

26. Day 7 Required Readings: Learning Objectives: None
To simulate the Darwinian theory of natural selection
Observe how natural selection affects a population
Learn how mutations, gene flow, genetic drift, and selective mating affect a population
Understand how natural selection tends to create a population more adapted for its environment

27. Activity 1
Work through the “Extend” section of the “Simulating the Darwinian Theory” lab
When completed, answer the “Explain” questions with your group
Hand in one copy plus your observations
You may use the rest of the time to get caught up on missing work

28. Day 8 Required readings: Learning Objectives: None
To form an opinion with proof to back up your opinion on whether humans are still evolving or not

29. Starter
Compare and contrast early man to humans today (you may use your phones/computers to research)
Some things to include are:
Physical features (height, weight, skin colour)
Structural features (do we have all the same organs? Are some structures now vestigial?)
Technological advances – how have these affected our evolution?
Intelligence
Time: 20 minutes

30. Activity 1 Read the instructions for “Worksheet 5.3”
By yourself, respond to the question “Are humans still evolving?”
You can write your answer on the handout provided, or if you would like to answer it in another form, you may do so
Be thoughtful and thorough in your response. Don’t rush, you will be given plenty of time to answer.
Be sure to back up your opinions with evidence
Time: 20 minutes

31. Activity 2 Move to your lab groups
Share your thoughts and ideas about if humans are still evolving or not
Things to think about include:
Does your socioeconomic status matter? Think – Developed countries vs. developing countries; wealthy vs. impoverished
Does biotechnology have an effect on evolution?
Time: 10 minutes

32. Activity 3
Read through the 3 articles with your lab group on whether humans are still evolving or not
Highlight/underline key ideas as you read
As a group, draw a conclusion for the question “are humans still evolving” and depict your conclusion on the poster paper
Have at least 3 arguments/proof to support your claim
Time: 30 minutes

33. Day 9 (60 min) Required Readings: Learning Objectives: None
To explain the evolution of animal structures in relation to Darwin’s theory

34. Starter Tiktaalik is believed to be the first vertebrate land animal
Why did Tiktaalik move from the water to land?
What parts needed to evolve in order to survive on land?
How did this pave the way for other land species to evolve?
Time: 15 minutes

35. Activity 1 Look at the different pictures with your group
For each of the structures, explain how the structure evolved from an ancestral structure. You can write your answers in “Part 1”
You can use the internet to help you out if you get stuck on any of the structures
We will share our answers at the end
Time: 25 minutes

36. Activity 2 What is the Darwinian theory of evolution?
Were there previous theories before Darwin? If so, explain how they are different from Darwin’s.
Create a concept map/flow chart/spider web to communicate your answers
Time: 20 minutes

37. Day 10 Required Readings: Learning Objectives:
To see the adaptive features of a frog through a dissection

38. Starter
What do the following words mean? You will need to understand these in order to make observations for our dissection.
Dorsal
Ventral
Vomerine teeth
Hind legs
Pericardial membrane
Villi
Mesentery
Time: 15 minutes

39. Activity 1
Work through the “dissecting frog evolution” handout, using the “how to dissect a frog” as a guideline for the steps you need to take to dissect
Fill in your observations and explanations as you go
Time: 60 minutes

40. Activity 2
Discussion and summing up the dissection
Time: 20 minutes

41. Day 11 Required Readings: Learning Objectives: None
To investigate coevolution and research animals that have coevolved
To develop a theory for why dinosaurs became extinct

42. Starter These two species have coevolved
What do you think this term means using the picture below as a guide
Time: 10 minutes

43. Activity 1
Go to the website
How are the following concepts addressed in the article?
There is a fit between organisms and their environments, though not always a perfect fit.
Evolution results from natural selection acting upon genetic variation within a population.
Natural selection and genetic drift act on the variation that exists in a population.
Inherited characteristics affect the likelihood of an organism’s survival and reproduction.
Over time, the proportion of individuals with advantageous characteristics may increase (and the proportion with disadvantageous characteristics may decrease) due to their likelihood of surviving and reproducing.
Traits that confer an advantage may persist in the population and are called adaptations.
Depending on environmental conditions, inherited characteristics may be advantageous, neutral, or detrimental.
Scientists test their ideas using multiple lines of evidence.
Scientists use multiple research methods (experiments, observational research, comparative research, and modeling) to collect data.
Scientists can test ideas about events and processes long past, very distant, and not directly observable.
Scientists use experimental evidence to study evolutionary processes.

44. Activity 2
Go to the website
Work through part A & B

45. Day 12: Artificial Selection
Required Readings:
3.28: Artificial Selection
Learning Objectives:
To understand the process of artificial selection

46. Starter Artificial selection has been going on for hundreds of years
What is artificial selection?
What are the benefits?
All of these vegetables come wild mustard.
How do you think it was done?
Time: 15 minutes

47. Activity 1
Humans have been using artificial selection to breed dogs for hundreds of years
Why do you think we might want to artificially select dogs?
Do you think that we would get the desired outcome on the first try? Explain.
Watch the short clip on artificial selection
Time: 15 minutes

48. Activity 2
Describe the features or abilities of dogs for which humans might breed
Look at the “dog breeding example” – what traits match the example given? What other traits are important to consider? What traits are not important to consider?
Time: 10 minutes

49. Activity 3
You will be artificially selecting a new dog with certain traits by crossing 2 already existing dogs
Fill in the “ownership card” and “puppy traits” sheet
Each breeding pair will produce 3 puppies, and traits can be inherited from either the mother of father (use a coin to determine which traits are inherited)
Discuss the variation observed in the puppies
Display your findings in a picture
Time: 30 minutes