This 45-minute lesson plan aims to teach students about evolution and natural selection through a computer simulation. Students will first review key terms and concepts. They will then play an online game where they must adapt the traits of an organism over generations to help it survive environmental pressures for 1 million years. The teacher will guide students through an introduction and demonstration before students work independently, recording their strategies and results. Formative and summative assessments include a pre-assessment bell ringer, checking in with students during the simulation, and having students complete a worksheet analyzing their approaches.
This 45-minute lesson plan aims to teach students about evolution and natural selection through a computer simulation. Students will first review key terms and concepts. They will then play an online game where they must adapt the traits of an organism over generations to help it survive environmental pressures for 1 million years. The teacher will guide students through an introduction and demonstration before students work independently, recording their strategies and results. Formative and summative assessments include a pre-assessment bell ringer, checking in with students during the simulation, and having students complete a worksheet analyzing their approaches.
This 45-minute lesson plan aims to teach students about evolution and natural selection through a computer simulation. Students will first review key terms and concepts. They will then play an online game where they must adapt the traits of an organism over generations to help it survive environmental pressures for 1 million years. The teacher will guide students through an introduction and demonstration before students work independently, recording their strategies and results. Formative and summative assessments include a pre-assessment bell ringer, checking in with students during the simulation, and having students complete a worksheet analyzing their approaches.
This 45-minute lesson plan aims to teach students about evolution and natural selection through a computer simulation. Students will first review key terms and concepts. They will then play an online game where they must adapt the traits of an organism over generations to help it survive environmental pressures for 1 million years. The teacher will guide students through an introduction and demonstration before students work independently, recording their strategies and results. Formative and summative assessments include a pre-assessment bell ringer, checking in with students during the simulation, and having students complete a worksheet analyzing their approaches.
LESSON PLAN Lesson Title: Who Wants to Live a Million Years? Subject: Evolution Time: 45 Minutes
State Core Curriculum/Student Achievement Standard(s:)
o SC.11.1.3. Explain how organisms are related by descent from common ancestors. o SC.11.1.2. Demonstrate an understanding that organisms ensure species continuity by passing genetic information from parent to offspring.
Lesson Objective(s): (What students will accomplish by the end of a single lesson; needs to align with core curriculum/student achievement standard) o After completing a computer simulation, students will understand how genetic variations in a population can create adaptations in individuals that can lead to either the success or downfall of a population, and demonstrate competency by completing a worksheet with at least 85% accuracy.
Instructional Materials: Materials needed for the lesson (textbook, construction paper, scissors, PowerPoint, guided note templates) o Mobile lab (laptop for each student) o Who Wants to Live a Million Years worksheet
o Who Wants to Live a Million Years? http://www.sciencechannel.com/games-and-interactives/charles-darwingame/
INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN
Sequence of Instructional Procedures/Activities/Events (provide description and
indicate approximate time for each): o Connections to previous learning, definitions of terms reviewed Bell Ringer: What is an animal that you can think of that has lived on Earth for the longest period of time? What do you think has helped these animals survive so long? o Presentation of New Information or Modeling: (term definitions, concepts, processes and/or approaches) Tell students that we are going to be applying some of the ideas they came up with in the bell ringer to a computer simulation. They will be given an organism and the choice of some genetic variations. Over a period of time they will try to make adaptations to help their organisms
survive through natural disasters and predators. The goal is to find the right combination of adaptations to help their organisms survive for a million years. o Guided Practice: (teacher directed, scaffolding, check for student understanding including any questions to ask or anticipate from students) Using the projector, guide students to the correct website using the address listed on their worksheet Instruct students to complete the Learn About Natural Selection section of the website before moving on to the game This includes Natural Selection, Darwins Bio, and Quiz sections o Independent Student Practice: (e.g., teacher monitored, check for student understanding including any questions to ask or anticipate from students) Students should work through all sections of the simulation, making sure to fill out their worksheets as they go along. Complete the Natural Selection, Darwins Bio, and quiz sections of the simulation before moving on to the Survival Game o Record all answers on the worksheet Students should complete at least three attempts at The Survival Game, making sure to carefully note initial and additional adaptations for each attempt o Culminating or Closing Procedure/Activity/Event: (e.g., review terms, concepts, and/or learning process; establish connections to the next lesson; check for student understanding including any questions to ask or anticipate from students) Find out which students were able to survive a million years at least once. Have them describe the adaptations and lifesavers they used
partner work) o Direct Instruction: walking students through an introduction to the simulation o Individual Work: Students should work by themselves to complete both the simulation game and their individual worksheets
Differentiated Instruction: (Accommodations for such groups as English Language
Learners, hearing impaired, learning disabled, physically disabled, and/or gifted/accelerated learners. o Hearing impaired: headphones will be provided so that students can work with their preferred volume level
o Gifted/accelerated: have these students complete more than three simulations,
using different adaptations each time. Have them describe how they think some adaptations may affect other adaptation, whether beneficially or detrimentally. o ELL: provide a sheet with common terms and definitions used when describing the process of natural selection
Student Assessment/Rubrics: What will you use to determine if students have met the objective(s) for this lesson? (Include pre- and post-assessment plansformal and/or informal, summative and/or formative, etc.). o Pre-assessment: Formal: Bell Ringer o Formative: Informal: As students complete the simulation, walk around the room and periodically check in with students. Make sure they are following directions correctly. Ask which adaptations they have used and which ones they find to have been the most beneficial. o Summative: Formal: completion of Who Wants to Live a Million Years worksheet
1. Every species exhibits ___________________. 2. List at least two variations between the finches pictured. _________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What causes the finches to have these different traits? __________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Natural Selection: Part Two 1. Many _______________ are passed from parents to their _____________________. 2. Offspring get (all or some) traits from each parent. (circle the correct answer) Natural Selection: Part 3 1. Organisms with the most beneficial traits will prosper. This is known as _____________ ____ _____ _________________________. 2. Organisms that survive will only pass on their beneficial traits if they do what? _______________ _________________________________________________________________________________
Darwins Bio: 1. The boat that Darwin sailed on when he visited the Galapagos Islands was called: ________________________________ 2. Where was Charles Darwin born? _______________________________________________________ 3. What was the name of the book that Charles Darwin wrote? _________________________________
Quiz: 1. _____
5. _____
9. _____
2. _____
6. _____
10. _____
3. _____
7. _____
Final score _______/10
4. _____
8. _____
Now its time to play the Survival Game
Its important to read the comments and suggestions from Mr. Darwin. The species has a wide variety of traits. Click on the hint button on the lower right hand side of the screen to find out about these traits as well as their pros and cons. Trait
Pros
Cons
Thin Bulky Furry Hairless Long neck Short legs Long legs Stripes
Your goal is to try to get your species to survive for 1 million years through environmental pressures such as temperature changes, predators, and diseases. As you play the game, keep track of what traits you started with as well as what pressures you encounter. To begin, you will choose three organisms. You can access more mutations (variations due to chance changes in the genes). What does Charles say about diversity? You will have two life preservers/mutations to introduce new traits into your population. Read carefully and choose wisely. Make note of any life preservers used. Make a table of three attempts to make it to a million years. Record your initial traits, additional mutations, and pressures that you experience during the game.
Attempt #
Initial Traits
Additional Mutations
Pressures
(Lifesaver)
If you make it to 1 million years, what enabled you to accomplish this? _______________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ If you didnt make it, what could you have done differently? ________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________
