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10.5 Modern Evidence of Evolution PDF
10.5 Modern Evidence of Evolution PDF
10.5 Modern Evidence of Evolution PDF
LESSON PLAN
Lesson Title: Modern Evidence of Evolution
Subject: Evolution
Time: 45 Minutes
Lesson Objective(s): (What students will accomplish by the end of a single lesson; needs to
align with core curriculum/student achievement standard)
o Using a manipulative, students will construct hemoglobin amino acid sequences for
three species (horse, human, gorilla). They will identify with 100% accuracy the
discrepancies between the three sequences. Using these differences, they will
determine which organisms are most closely related based on genetic evidence.
Instructional Materials: Materials needed for the lesson (textbook, construction paper,
scissors, PowerPoint, guided note templates)
o Lecture notes printout
o PowerPoint
o Bag of beads (10 colors) per lab station
o 3 pipe cleaners per station
o 3 notecards per lab (labeled with human, horse, and gorilla)
o Amino acid sequence list (1 per lab table)
INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN
Guided Practice: (20 minutes) (teacher directed, scaffolding, check for student
understanding including any questions to ask or anticipate from students)
o PowerPoint
In this section the work of Darwin and Mendel come together.
ASK: What was Darwins mechanism for explaining the diversity
of life? Natural selection. What was Mendels? mixing of genes
transmitted from parents to offspring
Fossils provide a record of evolution
Define paleontology
For those students who are still unclear on the completeness of the
fossil record, explain that not everything that dies becomes a fossil.
However, there have been many transitional species that are
bridging the gaps in the fossil record
o Missing links include the tiktaalik/tetrapods (four-legged
terrestrial vertebrates) and archaeopteryx (dinosaur-bird
link)
Molecular and genetic evidence
DNA sequence analysis: DNA sequence analysis depends on the
fact that the more related two organisms are, the more similar their
DNA will be
Pseudogenes: like vestigial structures; sequences of DNA
nucleotides that no longer function but are still carried with
functional DNA
Homeobox genes: HOX genes; control the development of specific
structures; found in many organisms; evidence of homeobox genes
found in organisms 600 million years old
Protein comparisons: unique sets of proteins are found in specific
types of cells (liver, muscle0; cells from different species that have
the same proteins likely came from a common ancestor (proteins in
light-sensitive cells in the brain of ancient marine worms closely
resemble those of cells found in the vertebrate eyeshows shared
ancestry and that the cells of vertebrate eyes originally came from
cells in the brain)
Evolution unites all fields of biology
Scientists from many fields are contributing to the mechanisms and
patterns of evolution (i.e. medicine, geology, geography,
chemistry, ecology)
Independent Student Practice: (15-20 minutes) (e.g., teacher monitored, check for
student understanding including any questions to ask or anticipate from students)
o Students will break into lab groups of four. At each station will be a bag
containing an assortment of colored beads, three pipe cleaners attached to a
labeled index card, and a description of hemoglobin amino acid sequences of
humans, gorillas, and horses. Students will construct each amino acid sequence
by stringing the correct beads onto the labeled pipe cleaners. Once the sequences
are completed, students should raise their hands to have the sequences checked by
an instructor.
o They will complete their exit slip by answering the following questions:
Which two organisms have the greatest similarities?
Which two organisms are most closely related?
Which two organisms have the most differences in their sequences?
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: check in with students during the amino acid activity; gauge
understanding by students ability to construct the sequence using the given
beads
o Summative:
Formal: Quick Check questions; exit slip
Sources Cited
Hickland, K. (2010, December 29). Science Matters: Comparing Amino Acids & DNA.
Retrieved from http://science-mattersblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/comparing-aminoacids-dna.html