Unit 7 – Evolutionary Biologist

1. Life as we know it has existed for a relatively short period of time in relation to the age of the Earth and yet living organisms have been on earth for a long time.

2. The heritable characteristics of populations can change through natural selection, sexual selection, mutation, genetic drift, and gene flow.

3. Organisms can be classified based upon their physical, genetic, and evolutionary relationships 

Unit Big Ideas

1. Heritable variation exists within every species of organism whose ultimate goal is to survive and reproduce.

2. As the world continues to change, populations adapt and evolve through the process of natural selection.

3. Life as we know it has existed for a relatively short period of time in relation to the age of the Earth.

4. Organisms can be classified into groups based upon their physical, genetic, and evolutionary relationships.

Unit Essential Questions

1. How does evolution occur as organisms adapt to changes over time?

2. What limits the rate of change as life adapts over time?

3. What do organisms do to ensure their reproductive success?

4. If we all came from a common ancestor, why are we different?

5. Is evolution inevitable for all living things?

6. How do new species form?

Learning Objectives

Evolution 

1. Students will compare and contrast evolution and natural selection. 

2. Students will explain how various studies support the theory of evolution and compare the strengths and weaknesses of each. 

   1. Morphology (Structural Differences)

   2. Fossils

   3. Artificial selection

   4. Embryology

   5. Biogeography

   6. Anatomical Differences

   7. Molecular Comparisons

      1. Chemical comparisons like Amino Acid Sequences

      2. Comparison of small segments of DNA like a single gene

      3. Comparison of genomes. 

   8. Observations of Real Examples of Evolution 

3. Students will describe what is necessary for natural selection to occur.

4. Students will be able to apply what they have learned in genetics to how a mutation can cause a phenotypic change. 

5. Students will describe five things that can lead to evolution. 

   1. Natural Selection

   2. Sexual Selection

   3. Gene Flow

   4. Genetic Drift (Small Population)

   5. Mutation

6. Students will describe what is necessary for natural selection to occur.

7. Students will be able to apply what they have learned in genetics to how a mutation can cause a phenotypic change. 

8. Students will illustrate that evolution can move different directions based on changes in the environment. 

9. Students will clearly state that a population can adapt/evolve and an individual does not. 

10. Students will do activities that show how populations can change over time, but students will not be expected to calculate genotypic frequencies on their own. 

11. Students will describe how the three general ways that phenotype in a population can change and identify which is most likely to lead to speciation.

    1. Directional

    2. Disruptive

    3. Stabilizing 

12. Students will discuss things that can lead to speciation.and describe different ways a species is defined.

    1. Geographic

    2. Timing

    3. Behavior

    4. Mechanical

    5. Gamete Isolation

    6. Non Viable Offspring

    7. Non Fertile Offspring

    8. Less Fit Offspring

13. Students will describe the term adaptive radiation

14. Students will create phylogenetic trees when given data on similarities or differences. 

15. Students will interpret phylogenetic trees. . 

16. Students will compare the concepts of gradualism and punctuated equilibrium.

17. Students will describe and give examples of convergent evolution.

18. Students will appropriately interpret the time scale of the history of life on earth.