Summary
This lesson has students compare anatomical similarities and differences between organisms and explain the relationship between organisms based on homologous structures. Students first watch a video about a giant parrot and read an article about a giant penguin, then explore the ancient roots of modern-day birds in a game about evolutionary traits. Students will discuss how homologous structures are a source of evolution then examine x-rays of mammal bone structures. To summarize their learning, students will develop a Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) conclusion about evolutionary relationships.
Essential Question(s)
How do scientists determine relationships between today’s organisms and their ancestors using their physical appearance and characteristics?
Snapshot
Engage
Students evaluate their prior knowledge about parrots or penguins using a How I Know It handout then learn about recent research on parrots and penguins.
Explore
Students watch or play the science game “Flap to the Future” and draw a Cognitive Comic depicting an organism’s evolutionary change.
Explain
Students analyze diagrams of similar mammalian bone structures and watch a video to deepen their understanding of homologous structures.
Extend
Students match x-rays of animal hands to the animal they belong to then develop a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) statement about the relationship between the animals based on their bone structures.
Evaluate
Students compare their previous knowledge of homologous structures to their new knowledge of homologous structures using the I Used to Think… But Now I Know strategy.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
How I Know It handout (attached; one per student)
Cognitive Comics handout (attached; one per student)
Hand It to the Animals handout (attached; one per student)
Hand It to the Animals digital handout (linked; one per student)
CER handout (attached; one per group of three students)
I Used to Think... But Now I Know handout (attached; one per student)
A Human-Sized Penguin Once Waddled Through New Zealand” article (linked; one per student)
"Flap to the Future" online game (linked; optional)
Markers
Student devices with internet access (optional)
Engage
15 Minute(s)
Use the attached Lesson Slides to guide the lesson. Introduce the title of the lesson using slide 2. Introduce the essential question on slide 3 and ask students to consider possible responses to the question. Invite students to share out their responses and record them on the board or chart paper. Students will review these responses at the end of the lesson. Display slide 4 and introduce the learning objectives.
Show slide 5 and arrange students into small groups of three or four. Distribute one copy of the How I Know It handout to each group and have group members find two differently colored writing utensils. Use the How I Know It instructional strategy to have each group choose “parrot” or “penguin” then have them complete the handout using information about their chosen bird. Tell groups to record everything they know about their animal inside the circle. Have them record how they know that information outside the circle. This reasoning could include things they’ve read, movies they’ve seen, or visits to places like the zoo. Have them draw a line connecting what they know inside the circle to how they know it outside the circle.
Display slide 6 and play the video, “Scientists Discover New Zealand’s ‘Squakzilla’.” As students watch the video, have them add notes to their handout using a different color of writing utensil. Invite students to share out things they found interesting about the video.
Display slide 7 and divide students into groups of three. Have students read the article, “A Human-Sized Penguin Once Waddled Through New Zealand.” Divide the article up among the students using the Jigsaw instructional strategy. Number students in each group from one to three. Have students assigned the number one read paragraphs 1–3, have students assigned the number two read paragraphs 4–6, and have students assigned the number three read paragraphs 7–9. As they read, have them add notes to their handouts using a different color of writing utensil. Have students share their notes with their group members after they finish reading.
After all groups are finished reading the article, invite students to share out what they found interesting about the article and the video.
Explore
10 Minute(s)
Pass out one copy of the Cognitive Comics handout to each student and display slide 8. Have students navigate to the “Flap to the Future” game using the link on the slide. Tell students that as they play the game, they should sketch the organism found in each level on their handouts. Remind students that their sketches do not need to be perfect, but they do have to illustrate the changes from one evolution to the next. Have students also record notes about body structures and movement.
After students have completed the game and their Cognitive Comics, show slide 10. Ask students the following questions present on the slide:
Were there any differences between the organisms?
Were there any similarities between the organisms?
What did the game say about the relationship between the organisms?
Have students consider the questions individually then discuss their answers with an Elbow Partner. Invite a few volunteers to share out their answers. Lead a class discussion on student responses.
Explain
15 Minute(s)
Transition to slide 11 and draw students’ attention to the four images on the slide. Have students participate in Picture Deconstruction by describing what they see without interpreting it. Do not define or mention homologous structures or homology and do not describe the picture. Allow students to share out their descriptions. Ask students to then interpret the image and describe what they think it represents.
Display slide 12 and show students the “Homologous Structures” video.
Extend
20 Minute(s)
Show slide 13 and ask students to imagine the nose of a pig, an elephant, and a human. Ask them to consider the questions present on the slide. Point out that these noses all have different functions and appearances, but they have similar structures and locations. Tell students that these are called homologous structures.
Display slide 14 hand have students navigate to the Hand It to the Animals Sorting Cards activity using the URL on the slide. Have students complete the interactive Card Matching activity by matching animal names and functions to the correct x-ray image.
Transition to slide 17 and invite students to respond to the following questions present on the slide:
Which parts of this activity were easy?
Which parts were difficult?
What did you notice about the x-rays?
Discuss the challenges students faced with this activity. Ask students if there could have been more than one answer to any questions, particularly about function.
Display slide 18. Organize students into groups of three or less and give each group one copy of the attached CER handout. Invite each group to respond to the prompt, “What is the relationship between the animals? Base your claim on what you see in the x-rays,” using the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) strategy. Have groups work together to complete the handout.
Invite volunteers to share their claims, evidence, and reasoning with the whole class.
Evaluate
10 Minute(s)
Move to slide 19 and give each student one copy of the attached I Used to Think… But Now I Know handout. Use the I Used to Think… But Now I Know instructional strategy to have students respond to the question on the slide and compare their thoughts prior to the lesson with their current thoughts. Encourage them to consider what they thought about the similarities, differences, and relationships between organisms before the lesson to what they know now. Have them record their thoughts prior to the lesson in the “I Used to Think” column and their current thoughts in the “But Now I Know” column. If they need help getting started, have them refer to their How I Know It handouts.
Resources
Animal hand x-ray images. (2021, February 21). 40two. https://40two.info/barge/ap/ip_images/Animal%20Hands%20X-ray%20Images/
K20 Center. (n.d.). Card matching. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/1837
K20 Center. (n.d.). Claim, evidence, reasoning (CER). Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/156
K20 Center. (n.d.). Cognitive comics. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/198
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elbow partners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/116
K20 Center. (n.d.). How I know it. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/144
K20 Center. (n.d.). I used to think . . . but now I know. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/137
K20 Center. (n.d.). Jigsaw. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/179
K20 Center. (n.d.). Photo or picture deconstruction. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/140
K20 Center. (n.d.). SafeShare. Tech Tools. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-tool/4269
K20 Center. (2019, October 17). Flap to the future level 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w60cN5Spje4
K20 Center. (2019, October 17). Flap to the future level 2 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7TTxIp5rHo
K20 Center. (2019, October 17). Flap to the future level 3 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OHdPjLZwLE
K20 Center. (2019, October 17). Flap to the future level 4 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl17zFYRoaU
Katz, B. (2019). A human-sized penguin once waddled through New Zealand. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/human-sized-penguin-once-waddled-through-new-zealand-180972904/
MooMooMath and Science. (2023, November 1). Homologous structures [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLi_PQ6-aK8
1News. (2019, August 7). Scientists discover New Zealand’s ‘Squakzilla’, biggest parrot in history [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4wbbxI9cLM
Stewart, L. (2023, November 21). Homologous structures: Definition, structure & characteristics. Study.com. https://study-com.translate.goog/academy/lesson/homologous-structures-comparison-of-body-structures-across-species.html?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=es&_x_tr_hl=es&_x_tr_pto=wa
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.). Flap to the future—The flight adaptations game. Bird Academy. https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/features/flaptothefuture/