One Week Unit Plan Date: 8/31/19

Subject Area: Biology Unit Central Focus: Evolution Grade Level: 9-10

Central Focus for the Unit:

●​ Evolution is a process of change, in which species develop new traits, and these traits are selected for or against by the
environment. The process of evolution has taken billions of years, and has taken organisms from simple, single celled
prokaryotic organisms to the diverse, complex forms of life we see today.

Unit Rationales/Instructional Goals:

By the end of this unit, students will understand that: (Goals)

●​ Evolution is a process that results in diverse forms of life that adapt to their environments over successive
generations.
●​ Natural selection is the engine of evolution. In natural selection, selection pressures prevent individuals with some
traits from reproducing and encourages reproduction in others, allowing those traits to multiply.
●​ Natural selection can be modeled mathematically.
●​ Evidence for evolution includes fossil record, homologous structures, genetic evidence, embryology, and direct
observation.

By the end of this unit, students will be able to: (Learning Objectives)
●​ Predict how selection pressures might affect species.
●​ Create hypotheses surrounding natural selection and present test these hypotheses through sound experimental
procedure in a computer simulation.
●​ Calculate selection coefficient and relative fitness, and explain how these predict future trends in phenotype
distribution.
●​ Use current evidence to present arguments for evolution.

Content Standard(s): State Standards (CCLS, NGSS, etc.) List the number and text of the standard. If only a portion of a standard
is being addressed, then only list the relevant part(s). Visit the U.S. Map of Standards and select your state to locate the appropriate
standards for your unit subject area. Type the standard(s) here.
New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards (HS LS)4-1 - “Communicate sceintific information that common ancestry and
biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of emperical evidence”
HS-LS4-2 - “Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the
potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual
reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and
reproduce in the environment.””
HS -LS4-3 - “Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait
tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait.”
HS - LS4-4 - “Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations.”
HS - LS4-4 - “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.

ITSE Standards: Go to the ISTE Standards, examine the standards for students, view the indicators under each standard, and
select the standards for your unit subject area. Type the ISTE standard(s) here.

ISTE 6e - “Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as
visualizations, models or simulations.”

Unit Assessment and Evaluation Method: Type your unit assessment and evaluation method here. If you need supplemental
information, visit the U.S. Department of Education Assessment Design Toolkit or download the Types of Assessment Items
document and locate the assessment and evaluation method you will use within your unit.

The unit assessment will be a performance task in which students will propose a reasonable scenario in which a species responds to
selection pressure, with specific adaptations over a short period of time, and broader change over millions of years. They will then
use estimated figures to calculate relative fitness of all three genotypes of the three specific adaptations, after which they will
construct a paper or poster organizing all of this information in an understandable and persuasive manner, using research to back up
their suppositions.
Part One:Unit Plan
Monday Lesson Plan || Tuesday Lesson Plan || Wednesday Lesson Plan || Thursday Lesson Plan || Friday Lesson Plan
Part Two: Reflective Summary

Monday Lesson Plan

Lesson Title: Evolution: The Story of Life

Central Focus for the learning segment:

Evolution is a process of speciation and diversification that results in different species evolving from one common ancestor through
the process of natural selection

Content Standards:

HS-LS4-1. “Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of
empirical evidence.”

HS-LS4-2. “Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the
potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and
sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to
survive and reproduce in the environment”

Learning Objectives: Type in your learning objectives for this lesson.

1.​ Students will understand evolutionary theory, apply this knowledge to thinking about evolutionary history, and then learn to
analyze, evaluate and create cladograms to map evolutionary relationships.
2.​ Students will have a working knowledge of evolutionary theory by natural selection, the history of its discovery, and the
layout and function of cladograms.

Materials/Resources:
Provide a list of the materials and resources you will use as sources of input for the students during this lesson. At least one
resource must be technology used for instructional purposes that is supported by the ITSE standard(s) referenced above.

Students will have access to the encyclopedia britannica article on Evulotion at

https://www.britannica.com/science/evolution-scientific-theory And the article on the difference between phylogenetic trees and
cladograms from Pediaa at https://pediaa.com/difference-between-cladogram-and-phylogenetic-tree/

Context: List the steps for the lesson.

A.​ Prior learning and Prerequisite Skills: Students will have previously covered basic genetics, and will understand that genes,
which are passed down from parent to offspring, determine traits by coding for proteins.
B.​ Misconceptions:
-​ Evolution is not a ladder or a tree. It is more of a bush. Life does not climb toward a “higher” form. It merely adapts to
changes in the environment.
-​ Evolution is a “theory” in the scientific sense, not a common one. This means there are extensive bodies of evidence to
support it, but that does not mean that it is incompatible with any religion a student may choose to follow. Darwin himself
reconciled evolution with his own strong faith. To avoid unneeded classroom controversy, this misconception will only be
addressed if it arises.
C.​ Explain how your plans linked student’s prior academic learning and personal/cultural/community assets to new learning.
Students will draw on their current knowledge of how species are similar to or different from each other. They will use their
knowledge of genetics and the needs of an organism to imagine how evolution works on increasingly large scales. If
necessary, those students who come from religious backgrounds will learn how Charles Darwin reconciled the theory of
evolution with his own strong faith.
Plan Details: Write a detailed plan that describes the procedure of your class session including model of instruction,
conceptual/skill development, activities, questions, and conclusion.

Model of Instruction: WIPPEA model (TEAL Center Fact Sheet Number 8, n.d.) and Explicit Instruction (Archer, 2011)

●​ Warmup
○​ Students will have previously read the Encyclopedia Britannica article on evolution (Ayala n.d.), and the article on
phylogenetic trees and cladograms, and completed concept maps centering on evolution.
■​ For five minutes, discuss the student’s concept maps. What connections did they draw to other previously
covered concepts? What qualities does evolution have?
○​ Ask the students to define evolution, natural selection, phylogenetic tree, and cladogram.
●​ Introduction
○​ Read the excerpt from Charles Dawrin’s book On the Origin of the Species found at the following link
 https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/darwin/endless-forms-most-beautiful/from-so-simple-a-beginning
■​ For 5 minutes, discuss the passage above. What does it tell them about Darwin, or the way in which he
regarded evolution? How is evolution applicable to them in their lives, and the world around them?
●​ Presentation
○​ Impress upon the students that evolution occurs because of four factors, which, together, make up the process of
natural selection
■​ Organisms increase in number
■​ Mutations and gene recombination in organisms result in diverse traits and genetic variability.
●​ Make sure students remember recombination from previous segments on genetics
■​ Limited resources mean that organisms that have gained advantageous traits through mutation and
recombination survive to reproduce more often.
■​ Organisms that reproduce pass on their genes, making those traits more common. If different mutations
develop among populations that are reproductively isolated, they will speciate, or become separate species.
●​ “what do you think reproductive isolation means?”
●​ “Why would this cause one species to become several species?”
●​ “These last two factors, together, are called natural selection, and we will cover this process in more
detail in a future lesson.”
○​ Show the students the youtube video at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s64Y8sVYfFY
■​ Discuss the video. Ask if students have any questions.
●​ Take special note of the fact that all of these finch species evolved from a single common ancestor.
Ask the students how Darwin knew this. Mention that further evidence will be covered shortly.
○​ Show the student’s the cladogram of Darwin’s finches at the following link
https://news.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/31-finches-2-2.jpg
■​ Explain that this is a cladogram.
●​ “What is a cladogram?”
○​ An evolutionary tree that does not account for degrees of genetic change.
●​ What do they think the different finches eat? Why would they have evolved this way? What kinds of
food might be available on the islands the finches live on?
●​ Explain that branching points represent common ancestors for all species they branch off of, which
means these species are closely related to each other.
○​ Show the students the cladogram of mammals at the following link
■​ “This cladogram was in your reading from last night.”
■​ Explain that species who branch off earlier on the tree are called “basal” and are more similar to ancient
ancestral forms. They may look a lot like the ancestors they share with other species that have changed
more. These species are more “derived”.
■​ Explain how evolutionary history is related to taxonomy. e.g. taxonomic groups are based on evolutionary
 history. All mammals share a common ancestor (point to the first branching point), all carnivorans share a
common ancestor, all canines share a common ancestor, and so on. In order to find that common ancestor,
one would need to find out what taxonomic group they belong to, and research the common ancestor for that
group. Ensure that students understand.
●​ “What is the most basal mammal on this cladogram?”
●​ “Which ones are the most derived?”
●​ “Are there any relationships that you find surprising?”
○​ Point out that whales are in the same group as hoofed mammals because they evolved from
an extinct species of terrestrial hoofed mammal called Indohyus.
○​ Show the students the phylogenetic tree of life at the following link
https://pediaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Difference-Between-Cladogram-and-Phylogenetic-Tree-1.png
■​ “This is a phylogenetic tree representing all known life on earth”
■​ “How is a phylogenetic tree different from a cladogram?”
■​ “Which forms of life on this tree are you familiar with? Why do you suppose most of them are bacteria?”
■​ Point out to the students how small animals appear as a group.
■​ “What do you think the common ancestor of all life might have looked like?”
●​ Practice
○​ Demonstrate how to draw a cladogram by thinking of a hypothetical scenario.
■​ Ask a student to name an animal.
■​ Draw six islands on the board. Ask students to list one climate for all islands. Divide the islands into two
groups of three and have the students list a terrain for each group. Then have the students list a unique food
source for each island. Ensure each food source is something that the animal could adapt to eat.
■​ List the traits of the ancestor’s original habitat Ensure that one of them has the same food source as the
original habitat.
■​ Write “common ancestor” to the side, on the bottom of the board.
■​ State that the common ancestor species arrives at the island with a food source similar to the mainland. Ask
the students to think of adaptations that this species might make to survive in the climate and terrain. Think
about what the species original habitat is like. Note that many large species become smaller when they
adapt to islands, because this helps adapt to limited resources.
■​ Ask the students to name the new species that evolves on this island. Draw a line sideways, and then all the
way up to the top of the cladogram, and write the species name.
■​ Repeat this for the two other islands that share terrain. What kind of adaptations is the species going to need
to make to survive on these new islands? List these traits, name the species and record them on the
cladogram by drawing another line upward, which then branches off into two other lines that go all the way
up to the top, then write the species names at the ends.
■​ Repeat this one last time with the last islands. Record them on the cladogram in the same manner. Ensure
 that the new lines branch from that of the species that lives on the islands the new species originate from.
●​ Evaluation and Application
○​ Divide the students into groups of three. Write “hagfish,” “shark” “frog“ “cow” and “human” on the board. Ask the
students to discuss with their partner and pick four more animals to include in the cladogram they are going to
design together
■​ “You will design a cladogram, like the one we just designed together, that includes the animals I have listed,
plus four more animals of your choosing. Feel free to pick your favorites, or animals that have special
significance to you.”
■​ “Use your research skills to discover how these species are related to each other, and design a cladogram
that depicts these relationships.”
■​ “You will then, on your own, write a half to one page paper on your justification for the layout of your
cladogram. Cover evolutionary history, and state whether the common ancestor for your species is known.”
■​ “You can use the taxonomy of your species to help guide you. If species are in the same taxonomic group,
that means they share a common ancestor, but you need to include the evidence for that taxonomy. How do
we know these species share a common ancestor?”
■​ “Remember that the earlier a species branches off of the cladogram, the more basal it is. This means that it
could share a common ancestor with many other species.”

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks: How will you support diverse student needs? Include what you and students will
be doing:

Instruction will involve a constructivist approach with frequent conversation. Formative assessment will be conducted constantly to
prevent misunderstanding and ensure a grasp of requisite information. Students will perform group, collaborative research on
taxonomy and evolutionary history in heterogeneous groups, with the exception of gifted students who will work together. Students
will then write short essays, and will be afforded necessary supports to ensure that struggling readers and English learners are
graded on grasp of content.

Type of Student Assessments and what is being assessed: How will you know whether students are making progress towards
the learning goal(s) and how will you assess the extent to which they have met the goal(s)? You must justify at least 2 formative or
summative assessment strategies that occur in your plan. You must describe how the assessment is aligned with the stated
objectives, which objective(s) it is assessing, how the strategy provides evidence of student understanding, and how you will
provide feedback to the student on each of the 2 assessment strategies.
●​ Formative Assessment:
 During the initial warmup and during the presentation, the conversation about the content will be encouraged and questions
will be asked frequently. Students will have achieved understanding when they demonstrate through their answers to these
questions and through the content of conversation, that they have internalized the concepts successfully.
●​ Summative Assessment:
Students will construct a cladogram and write an essay on the evolutionary history of a set of species, and how these
species are related to each other. Mastery will have been achieved when students present an accurate cladogram, and
present a succinct, accurate, and well researched paper that describes all common ancestors and speciation events
depicted in the cladogram.
Modifications to the Assessments for students with diverse needs:
504 and IEP students will be given extra time to complete the essay if necessary. Text to speech software will be provided for
struggling readers, and translation software will be provided for English learners.

APA References:

Martin-Hansen L. (2002) Defining Inquiry. National Science Teaching Association. Retrieved from
https://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=46515

TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 8: Effective Lesson Planning. (n.d.). US Department of
Education. Retrieved from https://lincs.ed.gov/state-resources/federal-initiatives /teal/guide/lessonplanning

Timeline: Most classes are between 45-90 minutes given the grade and the content. Please plan your lesson to meet these time
requirements and indicate that timeline here.
Warmup - 5 min
Introduction - 5 min
Prsentation - 25 min
Practice - 10 min
Evaluation and Application - 20 min
My Unit Plan
Monday Lesson Plan || Tuesday Lesson Plan || Wednesday Lesson Plan || Thursday Lesson Plan || Friday Lesson
Plan

Part Two: Reflective Summary

Tuesday Lesson Plan

Lesson Title: Natural Selection: The Mechanism of Evolution

Central Focus for the learning segment:

Natural selection is the process by which evolution occurs. In natural selection, environmental factors called selection pressures
prevent one species from reproducing, while others pass on their traits, changing the distribution of traits in the species.

Content Standards:

HS-LS4-4. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations.

ISTE 6e - Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as
visualizations, models or simulations.

Learning Objectives: Type in your learning objectives for this lesson.

1. Understand how natural selection contributes to the evolution and change of species.
2. Understand selection pressure, and how environmental conditions contribute to it.
3. Apply this understanding through guided, self designed experimentation.

Materials/Resources:
Provide a list of the materials and resources you will use as sources of input for the students during this lesson. At least one
resource must be technology used for instructional purposes that is supported by the ITSE standard(s) referenced above.
 ●​ Students will have access to the livescience article (Saplakogu, 2019), the article on Natural Selection from
Encyclopedia.com (Gale 2008), and to the Natural Selection manipulative. (Natural Selection n.d).

Context: List the steps for the lesson.

A.​ Prior learning and Prerequisite Skills:

Students will have previously learned how to hypothesize, and construct procedures to test these hypotheses. They will have an
understanding of ecology from previous units.
B.​ Misconceptions:
Evolutionary change does not occur in direct response to selection pressure. These environmental factors do not lead directly to
mutation. Instead they select for mutations that are beneficial in that particular circumstance.
C.​ Explain how your plans linked student’s prior academic learning and personal/cultural/community assets to new learning
Students draw on their previous knowledge of ecology and genetics, and build and understanding of evolution on the microscale,
as well as the macroscale based on an ecological and genetic background.
Plan Details: Write a detailed plan that describes the procedure of your class session including model of instruction,
conceptual/skill development, activities, questions, and conclusion.

Model of Instruction: WIPPEA model (TEAL Center Fact Sheet Number 8, n.d.), Explicit Instruction (Archer, 2011), Structured
inquiry and Guided Inquiry (Martin-Hansen, 2002)

Students will have read article on Natural Selection from Encyclopedia.com

●​ Warmup
○​ Show the students the article on the Aldabra rail (Saplakogu, 2019) at
https://www.livescience.com/65477-flightless-bird-evolves-twice.html
■​ Read the article to the students, asking questions frequently.
●​ “Why do you think the ancestor of the modern Aldebra rail re evolved flightlessness?”
●​ “What is the advantage of flightlessness?”
●​ “What selection pressure might lead to flightlessness?”
●​ Introduction
○​ Ask the students to recall the reading.
■​ “What is natural selection?”
■​ “How does natural selection relate to evolution?”
■​ “Why is it called natural selection?”
■​ “What is a selection pressure?”
 ●​ An environmental factor that prevents organisms with a specific trait from reproducing, thereby
encouraging traits that are advantageous for dealing with that factor.
●​ Presentation
○​ Ask the students to recall the definition of “niche” from previous lessons on ecology
■​ “What is a niche?”
■​ “How do you think niches are related to evolution and natural selection?”
○​ Introduce the topic of convergent evolution
■​ Often, when selection pressures are the same, and species fall into the same niche, they will evolve similar
structures.
■​ Show the students the picture of ichthyosaurs (Tamura, n.d). at
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Ichthyosaurios5.jpg
●​ “What other animals do these remind you of? Pay special attention to the shape of the mouth.”
○​ Dolphins
●​ “Based on this fact, what ecological niche do you think ichthyosaurs probably evolved to fill?”
○​ Fast moving predators of small fish.
●​ “Ichthyosaurs are not closely related to dolphins. One is a reptile and the other, a mammal, but
because they evolved to fulfill similar ecological functions, they have similar selection pressures, and
converge into the same basic shape.”
●​ “What were these selection pressures informed by?”
○​ The need to catch fast moving prey in water
●​ “Think of the Aldabra rail. How does convergent evolution apply here?”
■​ “What other examples can you think of regarding convergent evolution?”
●​ Birds and bats
●​ Giraffes and brontosaurus
■​ “How does convergent evolution relate to natural selection and selection pressure”
●​ Convergent evolution shows that selection pressures consistently select for the traits that are most
advantageous for a situation.
○​ Question
■​ “How does a selection pressure change a species”
●​ Individuals with advantageous traits get to reproduce, and those with traits that are selected against
do not, and therefore do not pass on their genes. The selection pressure does not cause mutation,
but encourages specific traits to spread, and keeps others from doing so.
●​ Practice
○​ Open the manipulative on the projector.
 ■​ Point out all the menu options to the students. Show how to select the three mutations for the rabbits, how to
change the climate, and choose selection pressures. Ensure they see you click the “add friend” button. And
show them how the rabbits multiply as each new generation appears.
■​ Select the “predator” selection pressure. Note that the rabbits which are white by default, either go extinct, or
their populations are significantly decreased.
●​ “Normally, mutations are random, but since we are in control we can choose which mutations to
impose on the rabbits. Which one of these do you think would allow the rabbits to avoid predators
more easily? How can we find out?”
■​ Select all mutations, set each new trait to “recessive” and then introduce a few waves of predators, allowing
time between each
●​ “Which mutation do you think helped most against the wolves? Why do you think this?”
●​ “Notice now that most of the rabbits are brown, but not all, even though all the white rabbits are being
eaten. Why do you think this is? Remember our unit on Mendelian genetics.”
○​ Recessive genes can survive even if they impose negative qualities that keep species from
reproducing, because they don’t manifest these qualities when they are heterozygous. This is
called a maladaptation.
○​ Sometimes these are genetic diseases. Hemophilia, and color blindness are examples of
these maladaptations in humans.
●​ Application and Evaluation
○​ Divide the students into groups of 3 and ensure each group has a computer. Instruct them to open the manipulative.
○​ Divide students into groups of 3 and pass out the inquiry worksheet, which will include the following questions, and
a summary of the instructions to investigating them, as well as a space for procedures, results and conclusions
under each question.
■​ What selection factors or environmental conditions seem to encourage the development of white fur?
■​ What selection factors or environmental conditions seem to encourage the development of long teeth?
■​ What selection factors or environmental conditions encourage the development of long tails?
■​ What occurs when selection pressures are applied but no mutations occur?
■​ If species of lizard with a similar diet and lifestyle were subject to the same selection factors, what
adaptations do you think would occur?
○​ Explain the activity
■​ “For the first four questions, you will design and record an experimental procedure to answer it. Neatly
record your procedures, their results, and your conclusions. For the last question, answer based on your
knowledge of natural selection.”
■​ “Remember that you need to control for all possible factors. This includes climate.”
■​ “To make things faster, you can select the ‘next generation’ button, instead of waiting for the next generation
to occur.”
 ○​ Ask if any of the students have questions, and allow them to complete the activity for the rest of class.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks: How will you support diverse student needs? Include what you and students will
be doing:

Instruction will involve a constructivist, inquiry approach with frequent conversation, but will still contain elements of explicit
instruction. Formative assessment will prevent misunderstanding, and ensure a grasp of the material. Students will perform
experimentation in groups, and will communicate frequently in order to build knowledge together. Groupings will be heterogeneous
so that general education students can support special education students. The manipulative is available in multiple languages,
which will be distributed as needed.

Type of Student Assessments and what is being assessed: How will you know whether students are making progress towards
the learning goal(s) and how will you assess the extent to which they have met the goal(s)? You must justify at least 2 formative or
summative assessment strategies that occur in your plan. You must describe how the assessment is aligned with the stated
objectives, which objective(s) it is assessing, how the strategy provides evidence of student understanding, and how you will
provide feedback to the student on each of the 2 assessment strategies.
●​ Formative Assessment:
During the initial warmup and during the presentation, the conversation about the content will be encouraged and questions
will be asked frequently. Students will have achieved understanding when they demonstrate through their answers to these
questions and through the content of conversation, that they have internalized the concepts successfully.
●​ Summative Assessment:
The summative assessment consists of the worksheet that will be completed during the course of the experiment. Students will
create hypotheses based on the research questions posed therein, and design experimental procedures to answer these
hypotheses. Students will have internalized the concepts successfully when they have posed and answered questions in a manner
that suggests they understand the mechanisms behind natural selection.

Modifications to the Assessments for students with diverse needs:

Students with reading difficulties may have the research questions dictated to them if necessary. English learners may be given the
questions in their native language in addition to the manipulative. Students with learning disabilities may be given extra time to
complete the assessment, or they may be allowed to work in a different part of the room.

APA References:

Archer, Anita L. (2011). Explicit instruction : effective and efficient teaching. New York
:Guilford Press,
Martin-Hansen L. (2002) Defining Inquiry. National Science Teaching Association. Retrieved from
https://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=46515

Tamura, N. ( n.d.) Ichthyosaurious4.jpg. Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthyosaur#/media/File:Ichthyosaurios5.jpg

TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 8: Effective Lesson Planning. (n.d.). US Department of
Education. Retrieved from https://lincs.ed.gov/state-resources/federal-initiatives /teal/guide/lessonplanning

Saplekoglu, Y. (2019). This Bird Evolved into Existence Twice - Thousands of Years Apart. Livescience Retrieved from
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kEoFCQykWs6qYZx4PJmYqmB3Mr7ADd6-/edit#

Timeline: Most classes are between 45-90 minutes given the grade and the content. Please plan your lesson to meet these time
requirements and indicate that timeline here.
Warmup - 5 min
Introduction - 10 min
Presentation - 10 min
Practice - 10 min
Application and Evaluation - 25 min
My Unit Plan
Monday Lesson Plan || Tuesday Lesson Plan || Wednesday Lesson Plan || Thursday Lesson Plan || Friday Lesson
Plan

Part Two: Reflective Summary

Wednesday Lesson Plan

Lesson Title: Mathematical Models of Evolution

Central Focus for the learning segment:

Students will learn to calculate relative fitness and the selection coefficient and will understand how these factors influence how
species change.

Content Standards:

HS-LS4-4: “Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with advantageous heritable trait
tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait.”

Learning Objectives: Type in your learning objectives for this lesson.

1. Learn and comprehend mathematical models of evolution, including the fitness coefficient (w) and selection factor (r).
2. Understand how these models can predict the rise or fall of specific genotypes.
3. Use this understanding to predict future trends in phenotype distribution.

Materials/Resources:
Provide a list of the materials and resources you will use as sources of input for the students during this lesson. At least one
resource must be technology used for instructional purposes that is supported by the ITSE standard(s) referenced above.
●​ Students will have access to calculators, and the formulae for fitness coefficient and selection factor.

Context: List the steps for the lesson.

 A.​ Prior learning and Prerequisite Skills:
Students will have an understanding of basic algebra and natural selection.
B.​ Misconceptions:
Natural selection works through selection pressure, which control for trait distribution by preventing individuals with some traits
from reproducing. Selection pressure does not induce mutation, but manipulates traits that have already appeared through
mutation.
C.​ Explain how your plans linked student’s prior academic learning and personal/cultural/community assets to new learning:
Students will combine prior knowledge of algebra, ecology, and natural selection to understand how mathematical models can be
used to predict its effects. Students will reflect on their previous knowledge of natural selection while they do so.

Plan Details: Write a detailed plan that describes the procedure of your class session including model of instruction,
conceptual/skill development, activities, questions, and conclusion.

Model of Instruction:WIPPEA model (TEAL Center Fact Sheet Number 8, n.d.) and Explicit Instruction (Archer, 2011)

●​ Warmup
○​ Discuss the previous lesson
■​ “Now that you have had time to sleep on it, what are some more thoughts on natural selection. What can we
connect it to in our own lives?”
●​ Introduction
○​ Question
■​ “What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?”
■​ “What factors can act as selection pressures?”
■​ “How do selection pressures affect the distribution of traits?
●​ They reduce the frequency of traits that are selected against
■​ “How do selection pressures affect the distribution of genotypes
●​ They reduce the frequency of genotypes that code for traits that the environment selects against.
●​ Presentation
○​ Introduce variables.
■​ “In order to understand mathematical models of evolution, we must first understand the variables involved.
●​ Write the following variables on the board and explain
○​ w = Relative fitness
■​ “This is a measure of the fitness of a particular genotype. Fitness, in this context,
means how well suited the trait is for survival and reproduction given environmental
pressures. What is a genotype?”
●​ A particular combination of alleles
 ○​ s = selection coefficient
■​ “This is a measure how much the environment selects against the given trait. We can
use it to predict how the population will change in the future.”
○​ Discuss fitness
■​ “Relative fitness is a number between 1 and zero. as a number it is calculated by one of three formulas,
used in different circumstances.”
■​ Write the following formula on the board
●​ W = survival rate x highest survival rate
■​ “This formula is used if the reproductive rates differ between genotypes, but the survival rates do not. What
do we mean by survival and reproductive rates? We covered these when we studied ecology”
●​ Survival rate is the percent of individuals to survive to reproduce. Reproductive rate is the average
number of offspring produced by each female.
●​ Record this on the board under the equation.
■​ Write the following formula on the board
●​ W = survival rate / highest survival rate.
■​ “This formula is used if the reproductive rates are the same, but the survival rates are different.”
●​ Record this on the board under the equation.
■​ Write the following formula on the board
●​ W = (survival rate x reproductive rate)/(highest survival rate x highest reproductive rate)
■​ “This formula is used if the reproductive rates and survival rates both differ.
○​ Discuss the selection coefficient
■​ “The selection coefficient of a genotype is, very simply, one minus the relative fitness of that genotype. You
can use this formula”
■​ Write the formula on the board
●​ s=1-w.

●​ Practice
○​ “Now we will complete some practice problems
○​ Lead the students through the following problems
■​ If the survival rate of homozygous dominant genotype (AA) is 10%, the survival rate of the heterozygous
genotype (Aa) is 10%, and the survival rate of the homozygous recessive genotype (aa) is 20%, and all
three have a reproductive rate of 4, what is the relative fitness and selection factor of each genotype?
■​ The survival rate of AA is 15% and the reproductive rate is 10. The survival rate of Aa is 20% and the
reproductive rate is 15. The survival rate of aa is 5% and the reproductive rate is 10. What is the relative
fitness and selection factor for each genotype?
 ●​ Application and Evaluation
○​ Divide students into groups of three. Give each group a paper bag, full of beans, and 30 jewelry beads, two dice,
and stopwatch. 10 of the beads are black and smooth numbered 1-10, 10 of them are red and textured and
numbered 11-20, and 10 of them are white and textured and numbered 21-30. Pass a worksheet to all students
containing spaces for all data, calculation, and their conclusions.
○​ Review the steps to the experiment with the students. This information will also be on the worksheet.
■​ “We will be simulating natural selection, and then mathematically modeling it by calculating fitness coefficient
and selection factor..”
■​ “Our simulated species will have alleles with full dominance, so they will have two phenotypes, but three
genotypes.”
■​ “Our beads are colored and textured to represent the different possible genotypes and phenotypes. White,
smooth beads are homozygous recessive, red textured beads are heterozygous dominant, and black
textured beads are homozygous dominant.
●​ Write this on the board.
○​ White, smooth = aa
○​ Red, textured = Aa
○​ Black, textured = AA
■​ “We will consider even numbered beads to be female, and odd numbered beads to be male.”
■​ “The ‘phenotype’ in this case is texture, which our genes control for. Which texture is controlled for by the
dominant gene? Recessive?”
●​ Recessive is smooth and textured is dominant.
■​ “In front of you is a bag full of smooth beans. You will place the beads in the bag, and one of your group,
representing a predator, will close their eyes and attempt to get as many as possible out within 30 seconds.
Use the stopwatch to time the student.”
■​ “Get all beads out of the bag, and count up how many of each genotype survived. Record your results”
■​ “Then, simulate reproduction. Assume that texture is detrimental to reproduction. Roll two dice to determine
the number of offspring of each female. Subtract two if the bead is textured.”
■​ “Calculate the survival rate, the average reproductive success, the relative fitness of each genotype and the
selection factor.”
■​ “Present a prediction as to how the distribution of genotypes and phenotypes will change in the future.”
○​ Allow the students to complete the experiment, paying close attention as they do so.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks: How will you support diverse student needs? Include what you and students will
be doing:
Instruction will make liberal use of explicit instruction to aid the communication of mathematical concepts in a setting that students
are usually not used to using them in. Students will frequently be asked to comment on the lesson and express any confusion they
have about the mathematical concepts involved. The teacher will frequently ask if students understand the content. Students will
work alone, but will be able to ask for help at any time.

Type of Student Assessments and what is being assessed: How will you know whether students are making progress towards
the learning goal(s) and how will you assess the extent to which they have met the goal(s)? You must justify at least 2 formative or
summative assessment strategies that occur in your plan. You must describe how the assessment is aligned with the stated
objectives, which objective(s) it is assessing, how the strategy provides evidence of student understanding, and how you will
provide feedback to the student on each of the 2 assessment strategies.
●​ Formative Assessment:
During the initial warmup and during the presentation, the conversation about the content will be encouraged and questions
will be asked frequently. Students will have achieved understanding when they demonstrate through their answers to these
questions and through the content of conversation, that they have internalized the concepts successfully.
●​ Summative Assessment:
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the subject through the worksheet given at the end of the class. They will
complete several problems, both in which reproductive rate and survival rate are the same, and in which they are different,
and will calculate fitness and the selection coefficient. They will then interpret the results to predict future changes in

Modifications to the Assessments for students with diverse needs:

Students with learning disabilities, especially those with difficulties in math, will be given extra time to complete the assessment.
The worksheet can be distributed in multiple languages for english learners. Certain special education students may be allowed to
complete the assessment in other parts of the room to aid in concentration, or may be allowed to use stress balls or other fidget
devices.

APA References:

Archer, Anita L. (2011). Explicit instruction : effective and efficient teaching. New York
:Guilford Press,

TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 8: Effective Lesson Planning. (n.d.). US Department of
Education. Retrieved from https://lincs.ed.gov/state-resources/federal-initiatives /teal/guide/lessonplanning

Timeline: Most classes are between 45-90 minutes given the grade and the content. Please plan your lesson to meet these time
requirements and indicate that timeline here.
Warmup - 5 min
Introduction - 5 min
Presentation - 10 min
Practice - 20 min
Application and Evaluation - 20 min plus homework
My Unit Plan
Monday Lesson Plan || Tuesday Lesson Plan || Wednesday Lesson Plan || Thursday Lesson Plan || Friday Lesson
Plan

Part Two: Reflective Summary

Thursday Lesson Plan

Lesson Title: Evidence for Evolution

Central Focus for the learning segment:

Given current evidence, evolution is the best explanation we have for the diversity of life around us, the differences and similarities
we see in that life, and the apparent leftovers organisms still retain from ancestral forms.

Content Standards:

HS - LS4-4 - “Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations.”
HS - LS4-4 - “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.

Learning Objectives: Type in your learning objectives for this lesson.

1.​ Students will understand and remember evidence behind the scientific consensus on evolution
2.​ Students will apply this understanding by composing a scientifically literate, evidence based argument

Materials/Resources:
Provide a list of the materials and resources you will use as sources of input for the students during this lesson. At least one
resource must be technology used for instructional purposes that is supported by the ITSE standard(s) referenced above.
 ●​ Students will have access to all visuals used in the lesson, as well as the videos from BBC (Attenborough 2017), and It’s
Okay to be Smart (Hanson 2018), and the NPR segment on rattlesnakes (Ellenbolt 2013). They will also have access to the
article on Indohyus (Venema, 2017) and to computers to use during the group research portion of the lesson.

Context: List the steps for the lesson.

A.​ Prior learning and Prerequisite Skills:

Students will have an understanding of the mechanisms of evolution and natural selection and of the role of evidence in scientific
practice. Students will have a basic knowledge of genetics, the fossil record, and the development of vertebrates.
Misconceptions:
Evolution is a theory in the scientific sense, not the common one. It possesses a large enough body of evidence that the history of
life as a story of evolution can be taken as fact, since it provides the best possible explanation of all the available evidence. It is the
only explanation that is supported by scientific consensus, and therefore the only one that can be argued for using honest scientific
rigor.
Explain how your plans linked student’s prior academic learning and personal/cultural/community assets to new learning:
Students draw on their previous knowledge of the importance of scientific evidence in arguing scientific terms. They will see this
evidence applied to well known organisms that they are familiar with, either from personal experience or from media, and will learn
how their own genetic structure contains evidence of humanity’s evolutionary past. The lesson makes liberal use of technology and
new media to convey this evidence.

Plan Details: Write a detailed plan that describes the procedure of your class session including model of instruction,
conceptual/skill development, activities, questions, and conclusion.

Model of Instruction:WIPPEA model (TEAL Center Fact Sheet Number 8, n.d.) and Explicit Instruction (Archer, 2011)

●​ Warmup
○​ Students will have previously read the New Scientist article on indohyus (Palmer, 2007) at
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13110-deer-like-fossil-is-a-missing-link-in-whale-evolution/
■​ For 10 minutes, discuss the reading. How did scientists know Indohyus was related to modern cetaceans?
Were students surprised that whales were descended from hooved mammals?
●​ Introduction
○​ Ask the students to recall the evidence for evolution included in the first lesson’s reading. What did they think of this
evidence?
●​ Presentation
○​ Homologous structures
■​ Explain that comparative morphology is the comparison of physical characteristics of different species.
These comparisons suggest that species share common ancestors.
■​ Show the students the comparative morphology graphic (Ayala, 2019) from the lesson 1 reading at
https://www.britannica.com/science/evolution-scientific-theory
●​ “Here we can see the similarities in the forelimb bones of various vertebrates. How are these similar?
How are they different? Why are they different? Why are they similar?”
○​ Morphology
■​ Explain that current morphological characteristics of animals can be connected to
■​ Show the students the photo of snake spurs at (Pollard, n.d.)
https://www.sciencesource.com/archive/Spurs-on-Python-SS2204934.html
■​ And a skeleton from Najash riogegrina (Groshong, 2003) at
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9020-oldest-snake-fossil-shows-a-bit-of-leg/
●​ “This is Nagash riogegrina, an ancestor to modern snakes. We know it was a snake because of its
head morphology, which is the same as that of modern snakes, but this species had legs”
●​ “The anal purs on pythons and anacondas, very basal types of snakes, are thought to be remnants of
the legs of their ancient ancestors”
○​ Ask the students to define “basal”
■​ Show the students the image of archaeopteryx (Castro, 2018) at
https://www.livescience.com/24745-archaeopteryx.html
●​ “This is what is called a transitional fossil. These are fossils of species that have some traits of
modern species, and others of ancestral species, showing one moment in a gradual change from one
form to the other. How is archaeopteryx like a bird? How is it like other dinosaurs?
■​ Show the students the first few minutes of the video of a baby hoatzin (Attenborough, 2017) at
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170518-the-hoatzin-is-a-bird-that-resembles-a-reptile.
●​ “Here you can see that the bird uses the claws on its wings for locomotion. In its native Amazon
Rainforest, it is able to slowly climb through the trees with them.”
●​ “Because the genetics that underlie even something as small as a finger are very complex, it is
nearly impossible for evolution to produce a complex appendage such as this with no predecessor.
Where do you think the genetics for these claws came from if they could not appear on their own?”
○​ Embryology
■​ Ask students to recall the discussion of embryology from the Lesson 1 reading. How does embryology relate
to evolution?
■​ Show the students the graphic of a cetacean fetus (Venema, 2017) at
https://biologos.org/articles/whale-evolution-theory-prediction-and-converging-lines-of-evidence
 ●​ Point out the leg bud, and the position of the nostrils. Mention that the leg bud will disappear and that
the nostrils will migrate toward the top of the head.
●​ Question the students
○​ “Why would the leg bud appear in a species that has no need of hind limbs?”
○​ “Why do you think the nostrils form in the front and then migrate upward?”
○​ Atavism
■​ Show the students the image of dolphin hindlimbs at
https://www.livescience.com/4298-dolphin-remains-legs.html (Lambert, n.d.)
●​ “As we learned from last night’s reading, dolphins and other cetaceans evolved from land dwelling
hooved mammals.”
●​ “Sometimes the genes that control traits that are lost during the course of evolution are merely
dormant. They are not active, but are still present. When they are reactivated, as is the case here, we
call it ‘atavism’”.
●​ “How does this present evidence for evolution?”
○​ Genetic Evidence
■​ Show the students the “It’s Okay to be Smart” video from PBS Digital Studios (Hanson, 2018) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GfKZlTRNjA
●​ Ask the students to discuss the video. How do genes change through the course of evolution?
○​ Direct observation
■​ Show the students the graphic for antibiotic resistance at (Antibiotic Resistance, 2018)
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/14F6D/production/_103996858_explainerchart.png
●​ “How is this process related to evolution and natural selection?”
●​ Explain the chart and then explain that antibiotic resistance develops quickly because bacteria are
very simple organisms and can mutate and reproduce quickly.
○​ Why would this lead to faster evolution?
○​ How might this explain why there are so many bacteria species?
■​ Show the students the NPR recording on rattlesnakes losing their rattles in South Dakota (Ellenbolt, 2013) at
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=216924322
●​ Discuss the recording
○​ How does this provide evidence for evolution?
○​ If this trend continues, how would you expect the rattlesnake population to change in south
dakota?
●​ Practice
○​ Ask student volunteers, in turn, to present a scientific argument for evolution. As a class, have them list off points,
and lead them to base these conclusions on evidence covered in class.
○​ List these points on the board, until a coherent argument for evolution appears.
 ○​ Review the argument created by the class, and ensure that it covers all lines of evidence mentioned in class.
○​ Ensure the students ensure why the argument makes sense, and why it is persuasive.
●​ Evaluation and Application
○​ Explain the assignment and assessment to them.
■​ “You will research additional evidence for evolution. You will then write a short essay arguing scientifically for
evolution.”
■​ “Your argument must contain three arguments from different categories. These categories may include
genetic, morphological, atavistic, embryonic and direct evidence.”
■​ “You may include one piece of evidence we have covered in class, but must find two more.”
■​ “Succinctly and efficiently explain how this evidence supports evolution.”
■​ “The paper only needs to be half a page, double spaced in APA format, so you have until tomorrow to
complete it.”
■​ “Alternatively you may construct a poster, with visual aids depicting the evidence that you have found, and
short descriptions explaining how the evidence supports the conclusion that evolution provides an
explanation for the diversity and development of life on earth. Citations will still be necessary, and will need
to be in apa format”
○​ Spend the rest of the class allowing students to research in groups.

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks: How will you support diverse student needs? Include what you and students will
be doing:

The lesson will be delivered in a highly constructivist format, with a high use of technology and visual aids and frequent opportunity
for conversation. Explicit instruction will be used to convey the proper manner of constructing a scientific argument. This way,
knowledge will be constructed socially, but English learners and students with disabilities will be able to grasp much of the
information visually as well as verbally.

Type of Student Assessments and what is being assessed: How will you know whether students are making progress towards
the learning goal(s) and how will you assess the extent to which they have met the goal(s)? You must justify at least 2 formative or
summative assessment strategies that occur in your plan. You must describe how the assessment is aligned with the stated
objectives, which objective(s) it is assessing, how the strategy provides evidence of student understanding, and how you will
provide feedback to the student on each of the 2 assessment strategies.
●​ Formative Assessment:
During the initial warmup and during the presentation, the conversation about the content will be encouraged and questions
will be asked frequently. Students will have achieved understanding when they demonstrate through their answers to these
questions and through the content of conversation, that they have internalized the concepts successfully.
●​ Summative Assessment:
 Students will work in groups to construct a persuasive argument supporting a scientific basis for evolution. They may
construct either a paper or a poster, with references that support their argument, and presents their argument in an
understandable, persuasive manner. Students will have succeeded when their argument presents accurate evidence that
presents a valid, scientific argument for evolutionary theory.
Modifications to the Assessments for students with diverse needs:

English learners will have access to translation software to use during research, and will be allowed to compose their arguments in
their native languages. Struggling readers will have access to text to speech software. Students with disabilities may be given extra
time to complete their papers or posters.

APA References:

Antibiotic Resistance. (2018). World Health Organization. Retrieved from

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antibiotic-resistance

Archer, Anita L. (2011). Explicit instruction : effective and efficient teaching. New York
:Guilford Press,

Attenborough, D. (2017). The Hoatzl is a Bird that Resembles a Reptile [Video file]. British Broadcasting Network. Retrieved from
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170518-the-hoatzin-is-a-bird-that-resembles-a-reptile

Ayala J.F. (2019) Evolution. Encyclopedia Britannica . Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/evolution-scientific-theory

Castro, J., (2018). Archaeopteryx: The Transitional Fossil. Live Science. Retrieved from
http://bbc.com/earth/story/20170518-the-hoatzin-is-a-bird-that-resembles-a-reptile
https://www.livescience.com/24745-archaeopteryx.html
Ellenbot, G. (2013). Some Rattlesnakes Losing Their Warning Rattle in S. Dakota [Audio file}. National Public Radio. Retrieved
from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antibiotic-resistance

Hanson, J. [It’s Okay to be Smart]. (2018) How your DNA Proves Evolution is Real [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GfKZlTRNjA

Lambert, K., (n.d.) How Atavisms Work. https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/evolution/atavism.htm

Palmer, J. (2007). Deer-like fossil is a missing link in whale evolution. New Scientist. Retrieved from
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13110-deer-like-fossil-is-a-missing-link-in-whale-evolution/
Pollard, S.D. (n.d.). Spurs on a Python. Science Source. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencesource.com/archive/Spurs-on-Python-SS2204934.html

TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 8: Effective Lesson Planning. (n.d.). US Department of
Education. Retrieved from https://lincs.ed.gov/state-resources/federal-initiatives /teal/guide/lessonplanning

Groshon, K. (2003). Oldest Snake Fossil Shows a Bit of Leg. New Scientist. Retrieved from
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9020-oldest-snake-fossil-shows-a-bit-of-leg/

Venema, D. (2017). Whale Evolution: Theory, Prediction and Converging Lines of Evidence. Biologos. Retrieved from
https://biologos.org/articles/whale-evolution-theory-prediction-and-converging-lines-of-evidence

Timeline: Most classes are between 45-90 minutes given the grade and the content. Please plan your lesson to meet these time
requirements and indicate that timeline here.

Warmup - 5 minutes
Introduction - 5 minutes
Presentation - 30 minutes
Practice - 10 minutes
Evaluation and Application - 10 minutes and homework
My Unit Plan
Monday Lesson Plan || Tuesday Lesson Plan || Wednesday Lesson Plan || Thursday Lesson Plan || Friday Lesson
Plan

Part Two: Reflective Summary

Friday Lesson Plan

Lesson Title: Evolution in Total: A Final Review and Assessment

Central Focus for the learning segment:

A Comprehensive Review and Assessment of Evolution and Adaptation

Content Standards:

ISTE 6e - “Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as
visualizations, models or simulations.”

Learning Objectives: Type in your learning objectives for this lesson.

1.​ Obtain a deeper understanding of the previously covered information through creatively applied group work.
2.​ Demonstrate this understanding by constructing the evolutionary history of a fictional animal, as it adapts to assigned
environmental changes.
Materials/Resources:
Provide a list of the materials and resources you will use as sources of input for the students during this lesson. At least one
resource must be technology used for instructional purposes that is supported by the ITSE standard(s) referenced above.
●​ Students will have access to all readings for the unit, computers for research, and the directions for the project they are to
complete.

Context:

A.​ Prior learning and prerequisite skills

Because this lesson is a review and assessment of all previously covered information in the unit, all previously mentioned prior
learning and skills will be required during this lesson.
B.​ Misconceptions
Because this lesson is a review and assessment of all previously covered information in the unit, all misconceptions from previous
units apply here, and will need to be monitored by the teacher.
C.​ Explain how your plans linked students prior academic learning and personal/cultural/community assets.
Students will be allowed to choose the final form in which their assessment is presented, and will be able to think creatively using
the concepts they have learned during the unit. Group work will allow students to use their personal strengths to benefit the group,
and differentiated assessment will allow them to choose the method of assessment that best capitalizes on those strengths.

Plan Details: Write a detailed plan that describes the procedure of your class session including model of instruction,
conceptual/skill development, activities, questions, and conclusion.

Model of Instruction: Structured inquiry and Guided Inquiry (Martin-Hansen, 2002) and WIPPEA model (TEAL Center Fact Sheet
Number 8, n.d.)

●​ Warmup
○​ Revisit the Darwin quote from the beginning of the first lesson
○​ “Now that we have learned about evolution and natural selection in more detail, does this quote bring anything else
to mind? What new connections can you form with the material we have ”
○​ Discuss the quote for five minutes covered in class?
●​ Introduction
○​ “Today we will be reviewing all previously covered information, and doing a group project that will serve as
comprehensive coverage of the unit. Part of the project will be completed here, as a group, and the rest of it will be
completed on your own, and will be completed by next Friday. ”
○​ Review and discuss the following topics ask students to define each one
■​ Evolution as a whole
 ■​ Natural selection
■​ Convergent evolution
■​ Selection pressure
■​ Selection coefficient
■​ Fitness
●​ Presentation
○​ Explain the group project to the students
■​ “In groups of three, you will start with a real animal, which I have assigned, and several environmental
factors that will act as selection pressures, which I will also assign.”
■​ “Together, you will discuss how your species might adapt when subject to these selection pressures. You will
research together to support your ideas, by finding previous examples of how species adapted to these
pressures in real life. Remember that adaptations are not random, nor directly caused by selection pressure.
They do not appear in response to pressures, but are selected for by them. Two adaptations can be new
mutations, but one must be a trait that already exists among the species, or could reasonably be proposed to
exist.”
■​ “Decide what types of genotypes control for each adaptation. Which one is recessive? Which one is
dominant?”
■​ “Estimate how each genotype affects reproductive rate, if it does at all. Why or why not? How does it affect
survival rate, if at all? Why or why not? Support your ideas with research. Be sure to find the reproduction
and survival rates of the real world species. It is impossible to estimate a hypothetical figure with absolute
accuracy, so just try to arrive at a reasonable one. You will need it when you calculate the relative fitness and
selection coefficient on your own.”
■​ “The species does not become more prevalent, and can occur over a short period of time. Your scenario will
also include a long term environmental change. Discuss among yourselves how the species could adapt
over the course of 10 million years if subjected to the same selection pressures for that long. What specific
adaptations would be necessary? Remember that Indohyus evolved from a small, deerlike animal into the
whales and dolphins we see today. Be creative, but back your ideas with research. Does the animal change
environments like indohyus did? Does the environment change around the animal? What kind of adaptations
would be necessary for that new environment?”
■​ “You will each create one anatomical drawing, for a total of three among all of you. The first will be a drawing
of the animal as it exists now. The second will be a drawing of the animal with the adaptations you have
discussed. The third will contain your hypothetical ‘far future” version of the animal. ”
○​ Explain the homework portion
■​ “At home, on your own, you will choose between a poster or a paper in APA format, which includes the
anatomical drawings you and your group mates have sketched. You will also conduct calculations using the
 figures you arrived at in class to determine relative fitness and selection coefficient for each genotype of
each adaption. Include the results in your paper.”
■​ “You must include all of the information you arrived at in class, including your adaptations, the justification for
them, how and why the selection pressures selected for them, whether the traits were dominant or negative,
and all of the research you found in class to support your suppositions, plus any more that you are able to
find on your own.
■​ “Whether you choose to write a paper organize your thoughts in a clear, understandable manner, and cite
your sources in apa format.”
●​ Practice
○​ “We will practice briefly together, and then you will start your project in groups.”
○​ “Our practice species will be a deer and our selection pressure will be slow deforestation of the deer’s habitat.”
○​ Question
■​ “What adaptations do deer currently have to their environment?
■​ Allow the students to answer.
○​ Question
■​ “What adaptations would deer have to make to an environment with fewer forests and trees?
■​ Allow the students to answer
○​ At this point, take care to dismiss any final misconceptions about likely adaptations. New limbs in vertebrates are
very unlikely, as are large, fast changes to body plan that do not involve things like size.
●​ Application and Evaluation
○​ Distribute the following scenarios to the students.
■​ Feral goats
●​ “Due to rising sea levels, a population of feral goats (Capra aegagrus) on a large, temperate island
finds that their home is slowly sinking. While there are few predators on their island. The island’s
terrain is mostly grassland. Food is becoming less prevalent on land. Describe traits that the
selection pressures implied by this condition could select for.
●​ “Over the next 10 million years, the island begins to erode further. Those goats that are still there
must contend with the slow loss of the land they live on. What mutations develop over this amount of
time that the condition selects for?
■​ Oak trees (for 504 students)
●​ “Due to climate change, a forest of scarlet oak (Quercus coccinae) is receiving less and less rain
every year, and forest fires are becoming more common. Describe traits that the selection pressures
implied by this condition could select for”
●​ Over the next 10 million years, desertification occurs. Rainfall drops dramatically, and the local oak
trees must adapt
 ○​ Allow the students to complete the projects on their own. Observe, and ensure that the adaptations that they choose
are realistic.

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks: How will you support diverse student needs? Include what you and students will
be doing:

Students will engage in a highly constructivist review and assessment of all information previously covered in class. They will do so
through group work and solo work, and will use this knowledge to construct a complete story of the evolution of one species during
one period of time. Student needs will be supported via differentiated assessment, and accommodations where needed.

Type of Student Assessments and what is being assessed: How will you know whether students are making progress towards
the learning goal(s) and how will you assess the extent to which they have met the goal(s)? You must justify at least 2 formative or
summative assessment strategies that occur in your plan. You must describe how the assessment is aligned with the stated
objectives, which objective(s) it is assessing, how the strategy provides evidence of student understanding, and how you will
provide feedback to the student on each of the 2 assessment strategies.
●​ Formative Assessment:
During the initial warmup and during the presentation, the conversation about the content will be encouraged and questions
will be asked frequently. Students will have achieved understanding when they demonstrate through their answers to these
questions and through the content of conversation, that they have internalized the concepts successfully.
●​ Summative Assessment:
Students will construct a reasonable, scientifically plausible scenario in which an assigned species survives by adapting to
selection pressures from the environment. They will perform research, and estimate reproductive rate and survival rate together,
and will create anatomical drawings depicting how their species changes. Then they will imagine how their species would respond
to a long term change in the environment. They will perform fitness and selection calculations on their own, and construct a paper
or poster that communicates their ideas, and that supports the plausibility of their suppositions with well founded, scientific
evidence. Students will have succeeded when they create a plausible scenario, which conveys an accurate understanding of
evolution and natural selection, and that includes a correct calculation of selection and fitness.

Modifications to the Assessments for students with diverse needs:

English learners will be given access to translation software and multilingual research content. They will also be allowed to
compose their arguments in their native languages. Students with disabilities will be allowed extra time to complete the solo portion
of the assignment, as well as text to speech software if necessary. Gifted students will be assigned a more challenging topic to
research, in order to challenge them and stimulate their learning.

APA References:
 Martin-Hansen L. (2002) Defining Inquiry. National Science Teaching Association. Retrieved from
https://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=46515

Timeline: Most classes are between 45-90 minutes given the grade and the content. Please plan your lesson to meet these time
requirements and indicate that timeline here.

Warmup - 1 min
Introduction - 4 min
Presentation - 5 min
Practice - 10 min
Application and Evaluation - 40 minutes.

Part Two: Reflective Summary

Directions:
Write a reflective summary in which you reflect on the depth and coherence of your understanding of instructional planning and the
appropriate application of a growing repertoire of instructional strategies, materials (teacher resources), and assessment methods.
Be sure to document your choice of instructional strategies and teacher resources, and include reflection of the elements listed
below:
How did I........?

●​ Stimulate critical and creative thinking.

●​ Appeal to students’ multiple intelligences.

●​ Include varied instructional approaches, such as ones that incorporate peer learning or technology, geared toward diverse
learners.

●​ Include both formative and summative assessment methods that monitor and communicate student progress.
 ●​ Evaluate teacher resources in the decision making for lesson planning.

●​ Enable myself as a teacher to build a positive classroom climate.

Finalize your reflection with a statement on the professional responsibility of educators in designing well-constructed topical units.
Support your decision-making through citations from your Readings and current research.

Several lessons in the unit use differentiated instruction and assessment (Martin, Loomis, 2014 pp150) or group work , which
allows students to take on different roles in the learning process, which lead into their strength. In the thursday and friday lesson
plans, students have a choice of either writing a paper, or creating a visual poster, which convey the same information. This allows
students who may be better with visual learning and communication to express their understanding in a way that suits them.
Assessment varies from verbal presentations to group activities in every lesson, ensuring that instruction is differentiated to a variety
of learning styles. Visual and auditory style instructions are included every day, and the activity on Wednesday is strongly kinesthetic,
which differentiates instruction to the three learning modalities (Martin, Loomis, 2014, pp 146;).
Creative thinking critical and creative thinking were stimulated through conversation, and through open ended inquiry style
instruction. Students are encouraged to think creatively in a scientific manner. In the Tuesday lesson plan, students are required to
hypothesize, construct methods to test these hypotheses, and then draw conclusions from the results. In the Friday lesson and final
assessment, students develop their own evolutionary story based on scientific facts and research as they stand. This mandates
critical, creative thinking, deepening and assessing understanding at the same time.
Technology is widely used in this unit. The Tuesday lesson plan uses a simulation of natural selection, and the Thursday
lesson makes liberal use of new media, visual aids, video, and audio formats to convey evidence for evolution. In addition, the unit
uses both inquiry methods, and explicit instruction, which work together to create a whole cloth understanding of evolution from within
and from without. Conversation is encouraged throughout the unit. Students and the teacher share equal responsibility in the
construction of knowledge. This is in line with a Vygotskyan, constructivist view of learning, which sees the construction of knowledge
as a social activity (Berger K.S. 2015 pp 53, Martin, Loomis, 2014 pp 143).
Formative assessments in this unit are constant. Conversation is always encouraged and questions are asked frequently by
the teacher. In every lesson, instruction is often given in a way that leads students to the proper conclusions via questioning, which
also acts as a formative assessment. In each lesson, summative assessments take the form of independent or group learning
activities, which are monitored and assessed by the teacher while they occur, and then later assessed in more detail and graded.
These activities are designed both to provide a product which can be assessed at the end of the lesson, and to allow the students to
construct knowledge independent of the teacher.
 Teacher resources were consulted constantly in the planning for the unit. Specifically the WIPPEA model (TEAL Center Fact
Sheet Number 8, n.d.), which each lesson was most closely based around. I also paid close attention to the University of California at
Berkely’s guidelines on teaching evolution (Understanding Evolution, n.d.), which is an excellent resource on the pitfalls one might
face when teaching this sensitive and complex topic. I also made liberal use of explicit instruction, as described by Archer (2011).
Students are encouraged to participate in learning, and the plan is to show that their input is valued through consistent
questions, but I feel that true classroom climate is a matter of attitude, and is not something that can be written down or planned.
Classroom climate is in how a teacher responds to negative comments, and reacts to incorrect answers with grace and
encouragement as well as correction. This is a matter of attitude, praise, and refusing to be dour or discouraging. My climate will be
positive, because I will be positive, and will encourage students to do the same. This will encourage the basic needs of the student,
specifically their need for self-worth and belonging, which are needed before learning can begin (Martin, Loomis, 2014, pp 71.)
Education isn’t simply a job. By definition, it is a responsibility. Everyone in modern society has had their lives affected in
some way, likely a very large way, by a teacher. It is not a job that one can ethically phone in. Every decision made in the classroom
could be something that will be remembered for the rest of a student’s life. A badly planned lesson is a bad lesson, one that is not as
good at conveying the information therein as it should be, and this is vital, because teachers hold the wellbeing and futures of their
students in their hands. In my case, my responsibility is to construct topical, well planned, empowering units that encourage scientific
literacy, which is a component of good citizenship.
How can a student become a valuable, wise member of society without understanding the natural world around us? How will
they know how to respond to anti vaxxers, anti-evolutionists and climate change deniers, who make their decisions based on faulty
evidence that isn’t based on good science? Helping to create moral, wise, healthy citizens is the foremost responsibility of the
teacher “Hence”, as Aristotle said, “the importance… of having been trained in some way from infancy to feel joy and grief at the right
things: true education is precisely this” (Martin, Loomis, 257). I my case, the right thing is a love of knowledge and what is correct and
backed by evidence, and the wrong thing is willful ignorance, misconception, and falsehood.
As such, lesson planning is not just something to make lessons go smoother. It is a professional responsibility, one that must
be taken seriously. Martin and Loomis posit that teaching is, in a very real way, a profession, not a just a job (Martin, Loomis, 2015, p
406). It requires specific skills, rigorous study, enormous effort, and it has a real and powerful effect on other people. Doing it well can
change someone’s life for the better, inspire a person to great heights, and help create the next Kennedy or Einstein. Doing it wrong
can push a great person down, and make a person’s life worse for a long time. It is extremely important, therefore, that it be done
right, and lesson planning is the first step to ensure that this occurs.

References:

Archer, Anita L. (2011). Explicit instruction : effective and efficient teaching. New York
:Guilford Press,

Berger K.S. (2015) The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence. New York,
NY: Worth Publishers.

TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 8: Effective Lesson Planning. (n.d.). US Department of
Education. Retrieved from https://lincs.ed.gov/state-resources/federal-initiatives /teal/guide/lessonplanning

Understanding Evolution (n.d.). University of California at Berkeley. Retrieved from https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/home.php

Martin D.J., Loomis K.S. (2014). Building Teachers: A Constructivist Approach to Introducing Evolution, Second Edition. Belmont, CA:
Cengage Learning