Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

In this lesson, students determine the factual concepts associated with evolution, infer what fossilized remains can inform us about an organism, how evolution is influenced by an ever-changing environment, and construct a timeline of an organism change due to environmental factors or human impact over time.

Grade(s) Subject Time Frame Duration Course Modality
9th & 10th Science 4 - 5 Class Periods 212 Minutes Biology

Face-to-Face 

Standards

Oklahoma Academic Standards | Biology

Biological Unity and Diversity
B.LS4.5 Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.
Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on determining cause and effect relationships for how changes to the environment such as deforestation, fishing, application of fertilizers, drought, flood, and the rate of change of the environment affect distribution or disappearance of traits in species. Assessment Boundary: N/A
Science and Engineering Practice Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting Concepts

Engaging in Argument from Evidence:

  • Evaluate the evidence behind currently accepted explanations or solutions to determine the merits of arguments.
  • Changes in the physical environment, whether naturally occurring or human-induced, have thus contributed to the expansion of some species, the emergence of new distinct species as populations diverge under different conditions and the decline–and sometimes the extinction–of some species. 
  • Species become extinct because they can no longer survive and reproduce in their altered environment. If members cannot adjust to change that is too fast or drastic, the opportunity for the species’ adaptation over time is lost. 

Cause and Effect:

  • Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.

 

Essential Question

5E Snapshot:

1. Engage

Students will be answering guiding questions throughout the video on how mutations lead to the evolution of an organism.

2. Explore

Students will determine an organism’s lifestyle based on it’s fossil remains.

3. Explain

Students will get an overview of how the selection process of evolution occurs.

4. Extend

Students will discover the environmental causes of an organism's evolutionary shift.

5. Evaluate

Students will share their understanding of Evolution in a Flipgrid.

The modules are set to have the students complete the previous model before they can view the next. However, if you want students to not see an activity before another in the same module, simply assign a date to that assignment to lock students out until it is ready to be viewed.