Friday, March 11, 2011

Evolution2a - 7th Grade





Skills to Be Taught @ Evolution
  3.D.6 EVOLUTION

3.D.6.1. Explain that in any particular environment, the growth and survival of organisms and species depend on the physical conditions.
a.  Cite examples and describe that small differences between parents and offspring can accumulate (through selective breeding) in successive generations so that descendants are very different from their ancestors.
b.  Explain that in all environments-freshwater, marine, forest, desert, grassland, mountain, and others-organisms with similar needs may compete with one another for resources, including food, space, water, air, and shelter.
c.  Explain that in any particular environment individual organisms with certain traits are more likely than others to survive and have offspring.
d.  Explain, with examples, ways that people control some characteristics of plants and animals they raise by selective breeding.
e.  Describe ways in which changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms and entire species.
f.  Describe how sediments of sand and smaller particles (sometimes containing the remains of organisms) are gradually buried and are cemented together by dissolved minerals to form solid rock; and describe that such fossils provide evidence for the long history of changing life forms whose remains are found in the rocks.
g.  Explain that the more recently deposited rock layers are likely to contain fossils resembling existing species.  

3.D.8 EVOLUTION

3.D.8.1.  Recognize and describe that evolutionary change in species over time occurs as a result of natural variation in organisms and environmental changes.
a.  Recognize and describe that gradual (climatic) and sudden (floods and fires) changes in environmental conditions affect the survival of organisms and populations.
b.  Recognize that adaptations may include variations in structures, behaviors, or physiology, such as spiny leaves on a cactus, birdcalls, and antibiotic resistant bacteria.
c.  Recognize and describe that adaptation and speciation involve the selection of natural variations in a population.
d.  Recognize and describe that extinction occurs when the adaptive traits of a population do not support its survival.
e.   Recognize that evolution accounts for the diversity of species.

Vocabulary Words to be looked up and put in your journal










Species
Adaptations
Evolution
Scientific Theory
Natural Selection
Variation
Selective Breeding
Overproduction
Competition
Fossil
Sedimentary Rock
Petrified Fossil
Relative Dating
 Absolute Dating
 Radioactive Element
 Half-Life
 Fossil Record
 Extinct
 Gradualism
 Punctuated Equilibrium
 Homologous Structure
 Analogous Structure
 Embryology
 Vestigial Structure
 Hominid




Please Read This article
Darwin's Theory of Evolution 
By Cindy Grigg     
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1     In 1831 the HMS Beagle left England on a journey to chart the coastline of South America. The captain hired Charles Darwin to be the ship's naturalist. Darwin, only twenty-two years old at the time, was more interested in science than the career as a clergyman that his father had planned for him. Darwin's job on the Beagle was to take notes about the living things he saw throughout the voyage.

2     The plants and animals Darwin saw in South America were very different from those in England. He wondered about the diversity of the animals and their environments. Could one of those things affect the other?

3     The Beagle's voyage was intended to last for two years. Instead, it was five years before Darwin returned to England. During those five years, he spent about two-thirds of his time on land observing plants, animals, and fossils. Darwin was amazed at the diversity of the living things he saw. The fossils, too, puzzled him. Darwin saw fossils of animals like the sloths he saw living in the trees. However, the fossils were much bigger than any of the living animals Darwin saw. Darwin wondered what had happened to the larger creatures of the past.


Assignment=Please copy this graphic organizer and complete it in your journal from the reading above.










4     When they reached the Galapagos Islands, Darwin saw even more diversity in the animal species living there. The Galapagos are a group of small islands about six hundred miles from the west coast of Ecuador. Darwin saw giant tortoises, some with a domed shell, and some with a saddleback shell. He even saw some with shells that were in between.

5     Some of the plants and animals on the islands were similar to those on the mainland, but there were differences. Cormorants, large sea birds, lived in both places. The ones that lived on the Galapagos Islands were unable to fly. Darwin inferred that some of the plants and animal species had come to the islands from the mainland. After many generations of the species reproduced on the islands, their offspring had different traits than the species on the mainland.

6     Darwin even noticed there were differences among species of the same animals that lived on different islands. The tortoises had differently shaped shells depending on which island they lived. Local people told Darwin they could identify the island by looking at the tortoises' shells living there.

7     The finches living on different islands had noticeable differences, too. The most striking differences were the size and shapes of the birds' beaks. The birds' beaks were well suited to the type of food the birds ate. This adaptation helped the birds survive and reproduce in their own environments. A gradual change in a species over time is called evolution.

8     Darwin knew farmers used selective breeding to produce sheep and other domestic animals with desired traits. By allowing only the animals with desired traits to reproduce, farmers were able to breed better farm animals. He wondered if a similar process happened in nature.

Assignment=Please copy this graphic organizer and complete it in your journal from the reading above.





9     After returning to England, Darwin did not publish his findings for twenty years. Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection has become one of the most important, and most controversial, scientific theories of all time.

Copyright © 2011 edHelper 
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QUIZ ON  Darwin's Theory of Evolution
Directions: Please copy the questions and circle your answers in your journal

1.   What was the first thing Darwin noticed that amazed him?
  The Galapagos Islands
  How long the voyage was
  Argentina
  The diversity of the animals and plants he saw
2.   Why was Darwin puzzled by fossils?
  He had never seen fossils before.
  He wondered why the fossilized animals looked different from the living animals he saw.
  He wondered why the same kind of animal was still living.
  He didn't know what made the fossils.
3.   How did Darwin think plants and animals came to be on the Galapagos Islands?
  He thought natives had brought them in canoes.
  He thought they swam there.
  He thought a creator had put them there.
  He thought they had drifted over from the mainland.
4.   Differently-shaped finches' beaks were an example of:
  Selective breeding
  Different species
  Cross breeding
  Adaptations to diet
5.   Gradual change in a species over time is known as:
  Selective breeding
  Adaptation
  Environmental evolution
  Evolution
6.   Darwin inferred that evolution must happen in nature because he had seen:
  Selected breeding
  Fossils
  Different types of monkeys
  All of the above


 Darwin's Theory of Evolution

Why do you think Darwin waited more than twenty years before he published his ideas about evolution? Please explain in a 4-6 sentence paragraph in your journal.

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Darwin's Theory of Evolution

Why is Charles Darwin so important ? Please explain in a 6-8 sentence paragraph in your journal

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Darwin's Theory of Evolution 
By Cindy Grigg     
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naturalist
selective
natural

career
clergyman
similar

which
controversial
adaptation

produce
process
throughout

striking
unable
saddleback
Directions:  Fill in each blank with the word that best completes the reading comprehension.
     In 1831 the HMS Beagle left England on a journey to chart the coastline of South America. The captain hired Charles Darwin to be the ship's (1)  _______________________  . Darwin, only twenty-two years old at the time, was more interested in science than the (2)  _______________________   as a (3)  _______________________   that his father had planned for him. Darwin's job on the Beagle was to take notes about the living things he saw (4)  _______________________   the voyage.
     The plants and animals Darwin saw in South America were very different from those in England. He wondered about the diversity of the animals and their environments. Could one of those things affect the other?
     The Beagle's voyage was intended to last for two years. Instead, it was five years before Darwin returned to England. During those five years, he spent about two-thirds of his time on land observing plants, animals, and fossils. Darwin was amazed at the diversity of the living things he saw. The fossils, too, puzzled him. Darwin saw fossils of animals like the sloths he saw living in the trees. However, the fossils were much bigger than any of the living animals Darwin saw. Darwin wondered what had happened to the larger creatures of the past.
     When they reached the Galapagos Islands, Darwin saw even more diversity in the animal species living there. The Galapagos are a group of small islands about six hundred miles from the west coast of Ecuador. Darwin saw giant tortoises, some with a domed shell, and some with a (5)  _______________________   shell. He even saw some with shells that were in between.
     Some of the plants and animals on the islands were similar to those on the mainland, but there were differences. Cormorants, large sea birds, lived in both places. The ones that lived on the Galapagos Islands were (6)  _______________________   to fly. Darwin inferred that some of the plants and animal species had come to the islands from the mainland. After many generations of the species reproduced on the islands, their offspring had different traits than the species on the mainland.
     Darwin even noticed there were differences among species of the same animals that lived on different islands. The tortoises had differently shaped shells depending on (7)  _______________________   island they lived. Local people told Darwin they could identify the island by looking at the tortoises' shells living there.
     The finches living on different islands had noticeable differences, too. The most (8)  _______________________   differences were the size and shapes of the birds' beaks. The birds' beaks were well suited to the type of food the birds ate. This (9)  _______________________   helped the birds survive and reproduce in their own environments. A gradual change in a species over time is called evolution.
     Darwin knew farmers used (10)  _______________________   breeding to (11)  _______________________   sheep and other domestic animals with desired traits. By allowing only the animals with desired traits to reproduce, farmers were able to breed better farm animals. He wondered if a (12)  _______________________   (13)  _______________________   happened in nature.
     After returning to England, Darwin did not publish his findings for twenty years. Darwin's theory of evolution by (14)  _______________________   selection has become one of the most important, and most (15)  _______________________  , scientific theories of all time. 
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Copyright © 2011 edHelper 


 Darwin's Theory of Evolution Comprehension Questions

1.   What was the first thing Darwin noticed that amazed him?
  How long the voyage was
  The diversity of the animals and plants he saw
  Argentina
  The Galapagos Islands
2.   Why was Darwin puzzled by fossils?
  He had never seen fossils before.
  He wondered why the same kind of animal was still living.
  He didn't know what made the fossils.
  He wondered why the fossilized animals looked different from the living animals he saw.
3.   How did Darwin think plants and animals came to be on the Galapagos Islands?
  He thought they swam there.
  He thought natives had brought them in canoes.
  He thought they had drifted over from the mainland.
  He thought a creator had put them there.
4.   Differently-shaped finches' beaks were an example of:
  Selective breeding
  Adaptations to diet
  Different species
  Cross breeding
5.   Gradual change in a species over time is known as:
  Environmental evolution
  Adaptation
  Evolution
  Selective breeding
6.   Darwin inferred that evolution must happen in nature because he had seen:
  Selected breeding
  Fossils
  Different types of monkeys
  All of the above


Name _____________________________ Date ___________________ 
(Key 1 - Answer ID # 0991608)Write a paragraph using all of the words that are given.
1.    among, natural, controversial, between  
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2.    scientific, diversity, striking, during, journey  
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Charles Darwin

Assignment=Summarize the article, "Charles Darwin"  about Darwin's early studies.
Explain your answer in 4-6 sentences in your journal.







This geographic separation from other of their species seems to be what made different species evolve on the Galapagos Islands. The 600 mile separation of the islands from the mainland may have led to those animals evolving into new species.





1.Individuals of the same kind differ in their characteristics, and sometimes  the differences give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing.
2.The characteristics of organisms affect their ability to survive and reproduce.

There are ways in which organisms in one habitat differ from those in another habitat and these differences help them to survive and reproduce.



New species might form when a group of individuals remains separated from the rest of its species long enough to evolve different traits.  note Kaibab squirrel in Arizona.

ASSIGNMENT=
Please look up the Kaibab squirrel in Arizona on the internet and do a report @ how it acquired different traits than other squirrels.
Please write a 2 + paragraph report and cut and paste some pictures that are examples. Then send it as your comment to the blog.



Continental drift causing  Pangaea to separate into other continents.  This created isolation and species evolve independently of each other

3.




Theory of Evolution

The theory of evolution says that species change over time. Did you ever wonder how new species evolve? Natural selection seems to explain how variations can lead to changes in a species. Geographic isolation seems to be one of the main ways this happens.




Overproduction happens when species reproduce many more offspring than can possibly survive. The world has limited resources. Many species create many more offspring than there are resources like food, water, and living space to support them. This creates a struggle to survive for the offspring. Those who are better able to survive then pass on their genes to their offspring. This is the process of natural selection.

Assignment=Please copy this graphic organizer and complete it in your journal from the reading above.



When did humans evolve? Who are our ancestors? Why did we evolve?  The phony Piltdown Man.
At the turn of the century, scientists could only dream about finding the answers to these questions. The fossilized remains of a species known as Neanderthal had been found, and there was a primitive, human-like skull that had been discovered in Indonesia.
Beyond that, there was little hard evidence to work with.

With the 1912 "discovery" of the Piltdown Man, the study of human evolution was sent down a wrong track. When the phony Piltdown Man, with its human skull and orangutan's jaw, was finally exposed in 1953, the pieces of the great puzzle began to fall into place. With the experts' opinions no longer skewed, the relationship between the real fossils started to make sense.

There have been many discoveries, and much has been learned about the human odyssey over the past few decades. Many questions, however, still remain.



Assignment=Please copy this graphic organizer and complete it in your journal from the reading above.


Please click this website and click the quicktime video about the Evolution of Humans
Then take 15-20 notes from the video in your journal.





Assignment=Please copy this graphic organizer and complete it in your journal from the reading above.


1.Individuals of the same kind differ in their characteristics, and sometimes  the differences give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing.
2.The characteristics of organisms affect their ability to survive and reproduce.
3.There are ways in which organisms in one habitat differ from those in another habitat and these differences.  An example of this is the finch birds in the Galapagos Islands



The Finches  on the Galapagos Islands

The finches ( a kind of bird) on the Galapagos Islands  eat a variety  of foods, including seeds, nectar from fruit  and insects.  Charles Darwin noted variation  (differences)  in the length and width of the finches'  beaks based on the finches' diet.




Assignment=Please copy this graphic organizer and complete it in your journal from the reading above.




Copy and answer in your Journal
Assignment=Which of the following explanations for the situation of the finches on the GALAPAGOS ISLANDS explains how natural selection worked in the case  of these birds?   (pick one)


a) Many finches with different shaped beaks migrated from South America  (600 miles across the ocean) and naturally settled in areas where they could eat the availablke food.
b) One kind of finch migrated to the Galapagos,  and the beak of each individual finch changed to match it's food source during it's lifetime.
c) Finch beaks tend to naturally match the food in the environments in which those finches originated .
d)  Variations or changes in finches' beak sizes and shapes allowed those finches with beaks suited to the food available to them to survive and reproduce.


WRITING ASSIGNMENT=
Pick one (a-d) and fully explain your answer in a long paragraph  (in your journal)



Please play this game below

Please summarize the lesson you learned from the game in your journal  (2-5 sentences)
   Please explain how you think the game could be set up better - in your journal









Galapagos: Beyond Darwin



Objectives

Students will understand the following: 
1.
The term endemic, as applied to animal and plant life, means "native," or "restricted to certain geographical areas"
2.
The presence of introduced species, or animal and plant species not endemic to a certain area, can endanger endemic species in that area.
3.
Many unusual animal species are endemic to the Galapagos Islands.
4.
The presence of introduced animal and plant species in the Galapagos is endangering the endemic animal and plant populations.


Materials

For this lesson, you will need: 









Research materials on the Galapagos Islands
Research materials (e.g., a field guide or materials available from your state department of agriculture) on plant and animal species in your area
Computer with Internet access
Pictures of the Galapagos Islands and of some of the animals endemic to the islands (e.g., giant tortoises, iguanas, blue-footed boobies)
World map clearly showing Galapagos Islands
Materials needed to create a garden of endemic plants on the school grounds or elsewhere


Procedures











1.
Locate the Galapagos Islands on a world map so that students can clearly see where they are located (in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles, or 970 kilometers, west of Ecuador).
2.
Show students pictures of the Galapagos and of some of the unusual animals that live there (e.g., giant tortoises, iguanas, blue-footed boobies).
3.
Review with your students what they know about the Galapagos Islands and their significance. Be sure they know that Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835 and studied the animal life there. He was particularly interested to observe how animal species had adapted, over a long period of time, to conditions in an isolated part of the world.
4.
On the chalkboard, write the terms endemic and introduced. Explain that endemic species of animals or plants are those that are native to certain geographical areas and restricted to those areas. Tell students that the animals in the pictures they have just seen are endemic to the Galapagos Islands. Then explain that introduced species are those brought into an area where they would not naturally exist.
5.
Discuss with the class the possible effects of introduced species on endemic species, making the point that introduced species can actually endanger species endemic to a particular location. For example, certain introduced plants, also called "invasives," can take over an area and crowd or choke out native plants. Another example to consider is an introduced animal species that preys on endemic animal species or occupies the habitat of endemic species.
6.
Go on to explain that, in the Galapagos Islands, introduced species are presently endangering endemic species.


















7.
Using research materials such as field guides, help students identify species of plants and animals endemic to your area. Help students find out what conditions might have allowed some plants to become endemic. (Your state department of agriculture can be a help.)
8.
Have students list as many endemic plants as they can.
9.
With the class, use the research students have done to plan a garden of plants endemic to your area. Plans should include how to keep introduced, or invasive, species out of the garden.
10.
As a class project, create an endemic garden on the school grounds or on a nearby available plot of ground.



Adaptations

Have students do research on endemic and introduced species in the Galapagos, explaining how one endemic species has been endangered by one or more introduced species.

Discussion Questions










1.
How did Darwin's work aboard the Beagle differ from the way scientists today work aboard the Steward Johnson?
2.
Why are island populations so important in the study of animal adaptation?
3.
What significant evidence do sea mounts provide about the history of the animals located today on the Galapagos Islands?
4.
What adaptations must deep water organisms make as they are brought up for study from the deep sea environment?
5.
What is meant by evolution through natural selection?
6.
Many people believe, incorrectly, that the phrase "survival of the fittest" means only the strong survive. What does "survival of the fittest" really mean?

Please watch this video below and take 20+ notes in your journal

http://www.khanacademy.org/video/introduction-to-evolution-and-natural-selection?playlist=Biology



Please play this game below

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/evolution.html

Please summarize the lesson you learned from the game in your journal  (2-5 sentences)
   Please explain how you think the game could be set up better - in your journal




Cool Lesson Plan to try in your class

TITLE:  Animal Survival

AUTHOR:  Jeffrey Kimber, McGill Elem., Ely, NV

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:   science

OVERVIEW:  All children love animals but often do not
understand why, in the course of nature, they must die to
allow others to survive.

PURPOSE:  The purpose of this lesson is to demonstrate to
the class that it is not cruel or unfair when animals die.
It is only natural that the strongest of each species
survive while the weak perish.

OBJECTIVES:  The students will demonstrate an understanding
of why some animal perish while others survive. This will be
evaluated through classroom discussion and a simple quiz.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:  handkerchiefs for blindfolds, scarves
for tying up a broken leg, and chips or markers to be used
for food, video - "The Lions of Africa."

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:  This lesson is designed as more
of a game than a sit down experiment.  The children become
the animals for the lesson.  Any animal can be chosen as
long as the children are all the same animal.  The object of
the game is survival.  To survive, each child must gather
enough food chips to live.  Those who don't will perish.  To
make the lesson effective, not all of the children can be
healthy animal.  This should be explained to the children
that in nature, not all animals are healthy.  Some of the
children should be blindfolded to make them blind.  Others
should have other disabilities such as a broken leg which
cannot be used, a broken back which halts the use of both
back legs, etc.  It aids in the children's understanding if
the teacher tells the students how the animal got his
disability using real life situations.
  The actual game begins with spreading the food chips
around the floor of the classroom.  All of the animal start
in one particular spot.  When the teacher tells the children
to start, they crawl around the room gathering as many food
chips as they can in the time allotted.  This time allowed
will depend on the size of the class.  When time is called,
the animals step gathering and return to their seats.  The
teacher then writes on the board how much food they needed
to survive and for how long.  For example, a deer that
gathered 30 food chips is healthy for the next year, whereas
a deer who gathered 20 food chips may be healthy for only
six months.  A deer who only gathered 10 food chips or less
will probably only live for another two or three months.
This part of the lesson is followed by classroom discussion
of what happened to the deer in our forest.  The children
will note which deer were the first to perish, usually the
lame deer or the very old or sick.  With some teacher
assistance, the children will internalize the activity to
relate to when their cat had kittens and one died, etc.
This is a good lesson for those classrooms which have a
class pet who has died also.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:  After classroom discussion, a good
culminating activity is to show the video "The Lions of
Africa."  It discusses a pride of lions surviving a drought
in Africa and what becomes of them.  It is a very factual
and sometimes graphic video and should be previewed by the
teacher for lower elementary grades.




Please play this game below


Please summarize the lesson you learned from the game in your journal  (2-5 sentences)
   Please explain how you think the game could be set up better - in your journal



Please complete this activity below



Please summarize the lesson you learned from the activity in your journal  (2-5 sentences)
   Please explain how you think the game could be set up better - in your journal








POST TEST - Copy and put in your Journal

§       How did Charles Darwin explain the differences between species on the Galapagos Islands and on mainland South America?
§       What observations led Charles Darwin to propose his theory of evolution?
§       How does natural selection lead to evolution?
§       How fast does evolution occur?
§       How do new species form?
§       What role does geographic isolation play in evolution?
§       How do most fossils form?
§       How can scientists determine a fossil’s age?
§       What is the fossil record?
§       What do fossils reveal?
§       What is a half-life?
§       How are species classified?
§       What evidence from modern day organisms can help scientists determine evolutionary relationships among groups?
§       What information do homologous structures reveal?





WATCH THESE VIDEOs,  AND TAKE 10-20 NOTES for Each Video IN YOUR JOURNAL ABOUT WHAT YOU LEARNED.

)








Assignment=Please create your own test from the video , copy it in your journal and take the test.

1.









2.









3.



  
4.
  False
  True
5.Complete the sentence:
                                   ______.









6.









7.









8.












Species
Adaptations
Evolution
Scientific Theory
Natural Selection
Variation
Selective Breeding
Overproduction
Competition
Fossil
Sedimentary Rock
Petrified Fossil
Relative Dating
 Absolute Dating
 Radioactive Element
 Half-Life
 Fossil Record
 Extinct
 Gradualism
 Punctuated Equilibrium
 Homologous Structure
 Analogous Structure
 Embryology
 Vestigial Structure
 Hominid



Darwin
Charles Darwin was a British scientist who lived in the nineteenth century. He was born in England in 1809. Darwin�s concept of natural selection changed the way people thought about the development of life, especially the evolution of man.

Darwin went to the University of Edinburgh to study medicine, but he dropped out before finishing and went instead to the University of Cambridge to become a preacher. While he was there, he met two men that had an important influence on his future. One was Adam Sedgwick, a geologist, and the other was John Stevens Henslow, a scientist who studied nature. After Darwin graduated from Cambridge, Henslow convinced him to come aboard the ship HMS Beagle as an unpaid assistant. They would travel around the world observing nature. Darwin was impressed with nature. He was amazed by the way natural forces had shaped the surface of the earth.


Assignment=Summarize this last article in your Journal












INDICATOR

  • 1. Recognize and describe that evolutionary change in species over time occurs as a result of natural variation in organisms and environmental changes.
OBJECTIVES
  1. Recognize and describe that gradual (climatic) and sudden (floods and fires) changes in environmental conditions affect the survival of organisms andpopulations.
  2. Recognize that adaptations may include variations in structures, behaviors, or physiology, such as spiny leaves on a cactus, birdcalls, and antibiotic resistant bacteria.




An organism’s living and non-living surroundings make up its environment. When there is a gradual change in the environment, populations with sufficient variation among their members might be able to adapt to the change. In some populations, there is a great deal of variety among individuals. When individuals with the most favorable traits reproduce, their offspring receive those traits and can pass them on to their offspring. When the environment is stable, there may be very little change in a population. Some species, such as horseshoe crabs, have earned the nickname “living fossils” because they have not changed for millions of years. But when there is a sudden change in the environment — a colder climate, an epidemic, or a new predator — many individuals within a population may be killed. If the environmental change is on a large scale, it can affect an entire species. Species that cannot adapt to environmental changes may die out completely and become extinct. Those organisms within a species that have favorable traits will survive and reproduce. Gradually, the organisms within the population may look and behave differently. At some point, the changes in a population are so significant that a new species has formed. This change is called evolution. Evolution is responsible for the vast diversity of life on Earth.












Working in groups, have students read the following articles dealing with gradual and rapid environmental changes. Each student in the group will read one article and share its contents with the rest of the group.
Students produce a presentation of the key points of their findings (poster, PowerPoint, brochure, news report, etc.) describing how gradual climatic and sudden changes in the environment can affect the survival of organisms and populations.
/instruction/lessons/science/grade8/xml/3D1a.xml
Resources for Objective 3.D.1.a:


ASSIGNMENT=Cooperative activity









Working in groups, have students read the following articles dealing with gradual and rapid
environmental changes. Each student in the group will read one article and share its
contents with the rest of the group.
Resources:
Ocean News Intertidal Stressors
http://oceanlink.island.net/ONews/ONews7/intertidal.html
Arctic Science Journeys Adapting to Climate Warming
http://seagrant.uaf.edu/news/03ASJ/04.11.03adapting.html
Food and Climate: Basics
http://www.atmosphere.mpg.de/enid/
2__The_climate_change_issue_climate_change_effects_on_plants_18l.html
Problems: Forest Fires
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/forests/problems/forest_fires/index.cfm
Florida’s Drought Affects Fish and Wildlife
http://www.floridaconservation.org/Whatsnew/07/northcentral/drought.html
Students produce a presentation of the key points of their findings (poster, PowerPoint,
brochure, news report, etc.) describing how gradual climatic and sudden changes in the
environment can affect the survival of organisms and populations.
Science Toolkit: Grade 8 Objective 3.D.1.a
Content




Adaptations are characteristics that help an organism survive and reproduce in a particular environment. The adaptation can be a physical or behavioral characteristic.
A zebra’s stripes are a physical adaptation. A zebra is able to blend in well with its environment and hide from predators. The stripes make it difficult for a lion to distinguish an individual zebra walking through tall grass. Because of its green color, a red-eyed tree frog is able to hide under leaves during the day. It comes out at night in search of insects. The frog’s red eyes and bright coloring may distract predators and allow it time to escape.
Cacti grow and live in very hot and arid environments. In order to survive in this type of environment, they store water in enlarged stems. The spines on the stem are actually leaves adapted to prevent water loss by reducing their surface area. They also protect the plant from herbivores. Cacti also have a thick, tough covering that reduces water loss from the plant.
Behavioral adaptations in birds include calls and songs. Bird calls among members of a species or of different species may serve to alert other birds to danger or attract them to an area. The quality of a bird song may be an indicator of the fitness of the bird; the better the song, the more likely bird will be to attract a mate.
Some bacteria have developed a resistance to antibiotics. Because of natural variations within the bacteria population, some survive and pass on the resistance to the next generations. Bacteria reproduce through the process of binary fission, rapidly increasing the number of bacteria resistant to antibiotics in a short period of time.
/instruction/clarification/science/grade8/xml/3D1b.xml
Resources for Objective 3.D.1.b:
CLARIFICATIONS | Lesson Seeds |












Students read the article: Yellow Perch in Lake Winnipeg and then discuss the questions.http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/sustain/limfac.pdf
Discuss:
  1. Describe some of the adaptations of the Yellow Perch. Are they structural, behavioral or physiological?
  2. How do these adaptations help the organism survive?
  3. What types of gradual or sudden changes in Lake Winnipeg could affect the survival of an organism or population?
  4. Brainstorm examples of adaptations in other environments.
/instruction/lessons/science/grade8/xml/3D1b.xml
Resources for Objective 3.D.1.b:









Battle of the Beaks

Author: Judy Scotchmoor










Overview: In this lesson, students learn about adaptive advantage, based on beak function, by simulating birds competing for various foods.
Lesson Concepts:
  • Inherited structures provide adaptive advantage in a competitive environment.
Grade Span: 6–8
Materials: (for 28 students)
  • 7 scissors
  • 7 plastic spoons
  • 7 tweezers
  • 7 large binder clips
  • 4-5 boxes of large paper clips
  • 200 large rubber bands
  • 4-5 boxes of toothpicks
  • 2 cups of macaroni
  • 28 plastic cups (best if clear)
  • 28 Recording Sheets
  • Graph paper
  • Grid for recording results (see below)
Advance Preparation:
— Gather materials and prepare the grid.
— Copy Recording Sheets (HTML or pdf).
Time: Two hours
Grouping: Whole class
Teacher Background:
In any habitat, food is limited and the types of foods available may vary. Animals that are better adapted to take advantage of available foods will fare better than those who are less well adapted, and thus live to pass on their genes to the next generation. While this concept seems rather obvious, it is essential that each student fully grasp its significance. Understanding the idea of adaptive advantage opens the door to understanding populations in ecosystems as well as the process of evolution.
Explore this link for additional information on the topics covered in this lesson:
Vocabulary: population, selection, advantage
Procedure:
    First hour
  1. Have students select either a spoon, tweezer, binder clip or pair of scissors, and a plastic cup and then sit quietly in a large circle.
  2. Explain to them that they are now birds. They are very hungry birds. They can only eat with the implement they have selected and they can only use that implement for eating. The cup represents their stomach. It must remain upright at all times. They must hold their beak in one hand and their stomach in the other. They can only place food in their stomachs with their beaks.
  3. Explain to them that certain food items will be placed in the feeding area (middle of the circle but spread out evenly towards the students/birds). When you say “go” they are to collect as much food and place it in their stomachs as possible until you say “stop.”
  4. Take one of the food items (paper clip beetles) and distribute the clips within the feeding area. Say “go” and allow birds to feed for 1–2 minutes or until all of the food is gone. [NOTE: Depending upon your students you may need to caution about behavior. Even adults doing this activity become a bit more aggressive as the activity proceeds, but obviously safety is foremost. If some students are not responsible enough for this, have them be observers and take notes on the birds’ behaviors.]
  5. Once you have said “stop” have students empty their stomachs and count the contents. Hand each a Recording Sheet to fill in. Have them return all food items.
  6. Repeat this activity using each of the other food items (toothpick twigs, rubber band worms, macaroni munchies). By the end of the activity, each of the students should have completed his/her row for the beak type and filled in the total amount of food.
  7. Pause for a class discussion:
       a) What did you notice about your feeding abilities?
       b) Did everyone with your type of beak have the same success rate with the same foods? Why or why not?
       c) What did you notice about your behavior and the behavior of others?
  8. Examine the data: Tally up the class totals for each of the beak types in a grid on the board. Have the students create bar graphs that represent the class total for each of the beak and food types. This can be started in class and continued for homework.
  9. Second hour
  10. When all of the graphs have been completed, have students pick up their beaks and stomachs once again and return to their circle. Explain that obviously most habitats have more than one kind of food available. Ask: What will your strategy be if all of the food types are available?
  11. Spread out all of the materials into the feeding circle. Allow about 4 minutes for feeding. Gather the data and have students help to sort out the food items once again for clean up.
  12. Again continue with the class discussion. What were your strategies? How was this different from the previous eating experiences?
  13. Assess student understanding by posing this question: What would happen if all the bird types we have been working with flew to an island where no birds had been before and the only food type available was macaroni munchies. Which bird beak type would be mot likely to be successful? Explain your answer.
Extensions:
Give a food value for each of the food types. Would this change your feeding strategies? How much more of one type of food would you have to eat to equal only one of something else, etc. What would happen if there was a change in the environmental conditions (drought, etc) causing the loss of one of the food items. What would happen to the bird populations?



Science Grade 8 Objective 3.D.1.e
Activity
Have the students complete the web activity “All in the Family,” available at
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/change/family/.
Discussion Questions:
1. Why are physical features such as size or shape misleading when it comes to
evolution?
2. Explain the statement, “All living things are related to each other like the branches on
one big ‘tree of life.’”
Science Toolkit: Grade 8 Objective 3.D.1.e
Content


Click this website
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/change/family/.




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