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TPACK Template Lee von Krebs

Online synchronous
Learning
Environment
Content

Subject Natural Selection

Grade Level Grade 7 Life Science

Learning LS.6 The student will investigate and understand that populations in a
Objective biological community interact and are interdependent. Key ideas include
a) relationships exist between predators and prey and these
relationships are modeled in food webs;
b) the availability and use of resources may lead to competition and
cooperation;
c) symbiotic relationships support the survival of different species;
and
d) the niche of each organism supports survival.

LS.7 The student will investigate and understand that adaptations support
an organism’s survival in an ecosystem. Key ideas include
b) physical and behavioral characteristics enable
organisms to survive within a specific ecosystem.

LS.8 The student will investigate and understand that ecosystems,

communities, populations, and organisms are dynamic and change over time.
Key ideas include
a) organisms respond to daily, seasonal, and long-term changes;
b) changes in the environment may increase or decrease population
size;

LS.11 The student will investigate and understand that populations of

organisms can change over time. Key ideas include
a) mutation, adaptation, natural selection, and extinction change
populations;
c) genetic variation, influence survivability and diversity of
organisms.
Pedagogy

Online On day 1 of the lessons on natural selection, the students were engaged in a
Activity class wide zoom meeting where the introduction to natural selection was the
course topic. 
The students learned during the zoom meeting that natural selection is a
process that explains the survival of species and shows how species can
change over time to better survive in their environments.
Students learned that certain traits or adaptations involving color,
camouflage, food gathering processes, physical traits, sensory abilities, or
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behaviors enhance the survival of a species.

The students also learned the four principles at work in evolution; variation,
inheritance, selection and time.
The teacher presented a video on natural selection during the zoom meeting,
the teacher also provided the students with visual and text material that was
posted on blackboard.
The introductory lesson in the zoom meeting is the beginning of a series of
lessons where students will be able to define natural selection, and how
mutations and environmental factors effect natural selection upon
completion.

On day 2 of the lesson, students will explore the process of natural selection
by using a simulation activity to demonstrate natural selection.
The lesson will begin with a zoom meeting, where the simulation activity will
be explained by the teacher to the students.
The students will be provided with a link to the simulation activity on
blackboard.
The students will be assigned to breakout groups of 3 to 4 students.
The students will work independently on the simulation activity, and will
meet back with their breakout groups every 10 minutes to share and discuss
their results.
The students will spend approximately 20 minutes using the simulation
activity and approximately 10 minutes discussing their results.
The teacher will be available in the main class zoom meeting to help students
if needed. The students can leave their breakout groups to go to the main
zoom meeting for questions and then return to their breakout groups.

In this activity, students will use the PhET interactive simulation on natural
selection.
The students will learn about Natural Selection and how genetics, mutations,
and selection affect a population by changing, adding, or removing different
variables into their simulations.
The students will be using a bunny population in their simulation. The
students will be able to add mutations and set environmental factors that
affect their bunny population.
The students will explore how organisms with different traits survive various
selection agents within the environment.
The students will;
 Determine which mutations are favored by the selection agents of
predators and food variety and which mutations are neutral.
 Describe which traits change the survivability of an organism in
different environments.
 Experiment with environments which produce a stable population of
bunnies, a population that dies out, and a population that takes over
the world.
 Track genes through multiple generations.
 Compare how dominant and recessive genes get passed onto
offspring.
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The students will adjust the mutations and environmental factors in their
bunny population in order to sustain a balanced and thriving population. The
students will have to consider which genetic traits will help their bunnies
survive in different environments, make them less susceptible to predators
and other environmental factors that will affect their survival. Students will
also learn that a thriving bunny population can become overpopulated and
survival can become threatened.

This simulation can be translated into 21 languages. The simulation is easy to

use, and can be stopped and restarted at any time. Students with special
needs can remain in the main zoom classroom with the teacher for assistance
if necessary.

After the students have completed their natural selection simulation activity,
the students will leave their breakout groups and rejoin the main classroom
zoom meeting.
The students will spend approximately 15 minutes discussing their results
with the class.

The students will be evaluated at the completion of the lesson series by a test
that will determine their understanding of natural selection and the processes
that affect natural selection.
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Technology
Technology Website for the simulation activity
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/natural-selection

Student’s access to their Blackboard account, internet access for the Zoom
meeting and simulation activity.

An iPad, Chromebook, PC, or Mac that meet the below software

requirements. *Linux systems may not be compatible.

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS:
HTML5 sims can run on iPads and Chromebooks, as well as PC, Mac, and Linux
systems.
iPad:
iOS 12+ Safari
Android:
Not officially supported. If you are using the HTML5 sims on Android, we
recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome.
Chromebook:
Latest version of Google Chrome
The HTML5 and Flash PhET sims are supported on all Chromebooks.
Windows Systems:
Microsoft Edge, latest version of Firefox, latest version of Google Chrome.
Macintosh Systems:
macOS 10.13+, Safari 13+, latest version of Chrome.
Linux Systems:
Not officially supported. Please contact phethelp@colorado.edu with
troubleshooting issues.

Credits:
Design Team Third-party Libraries

 Chris Malley (lead developer)  base64-js-1.2.0.js

 Amanda McGarry (lead designer)  es6-promise-1e68dc.auto.min.js
 Wendy Adams  FileSaver-b8054a2.js
 Megan Hoffman  font-awesome-4.5.0
 Oliver Nix  he-1.1.1.js
 Jonathan Olson  himalaya-0.2.7.js
 Ariel Paul  jama-1.0.2
 Kathy Perkins  jquery-2.1.0.js
 Noah Podolefsky  lodash-4.17.4.js
 Megan Lai (graphic arts)  mdn-array-from-polyfill.js
 pegjs-0.7.0.js
 seedrandom-2.4.2.js
 TextEncoderLite-3c9f6f0.js