Introduction
FOCUS QUESTION: How does natural selection help to explain why there are so many diverse species in the world around us?
Look at the pictures of the rainforest above. What different kinds of plants and animals do you see? Have you ever wondered why there are so many different species on Earth and where they all came from?
In this webquest, you will start by looking at some of the most diverse and bizarre creatures on Earth. Then you will learn how new species form through the process of natural selection. You may have heard some true things about natural selection and some myths (not true). In this webquest you will find the truth about what natural selection is and how it works. When you are finished your research, you will use what you have learned and your creativity to show how a hypothetical species evolves over time.
Click on the task tab to begin your journey!
Task
Remember, by the end of this webquest you should be able to answer the focus question:
How does natural selection help to explain why there are so many diverse species in the world around us?
What will I do?
A) You and a partner will spend three days in the computer lab researching and completing activities to learn more about how natural selection helps to explain the diversity in the world around us. A research worksheet will be provided to help you record what you learn. You will practice thinking like a scientist as you make observations, ask questions, and put information together to reach a conclusion!
B) When you complete your research, you will spend one day in the classroom synthesizing information. You and your partner will make a poster to show how natural selection and speciation happens in a hypothetical species.
How will the work be divided between partners?
Each partner will complete a research worksheet. For some of the research activities, you will complete part A and your partner will complete part B. You should discuss your answers and share what you learned after each activity.
For the poster activity, each partner will have a specific job to complete. The research worksheet will decribe each partner's job.
How will my work be graded?
Click on the evaluation tab to see the rubric for the project. When you finish reading the rubric, click on the process tab and begin the activites for day 1.
Process
Day 1- Investigating Biodiversity and Understanding the Meaning of Species
Complete steps A-C if you have not already done so. Then start with resource 1, step D.
A) Click on the introduction tab and read the information there.
B) Click on the task tab and read the information there.
C) Click on the evaluation tab and look over the project rubric.
D) Resource 1- You will start by watching a short YouTube video on a unique ecosystem, Hydrothermal Vents. As you watch, complete part 1 of your research worksheet. Click the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D69hGvCsWgA
E) Resource 2 – Watch the first 6 minutes of the video about the Golden River in Brazil. As you watch, complete part 2 of the research worksheet. http://www.youtube.com/watchv=ZzX9de4m9EU&list=PL915B6EAAFADFCF04
F) Resource 3- Before you can learn more about how diverse organisms come about, you need to know what a species is. As you read, complete part 3 of the research worksheet. Click the link: http://eol.org/info/468 Encyclopedia of Life- What is a Species?
Day 2- How Natural Selection Works
A) Resource 4- Before you can learn more about how evolution works, you need to clear up some misunderstandings that you may have about evolution. Click the link and follow the directions on part 4 of the research worksheet:
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/misconceps/IHowitworks.shtml
B) Resource 5-You will now read about evolution and try an interactive game which shows how populations change over time. Note: This is a simple view of how evolution works and there is some debate on whether the moth color is a genetic trait. However, this simulation can help you get a basic idea of how evolution works before you learn more details. Click the link and follow the directions of part 5 on the research worksheet to complete the activity.http://www.techapps.net/interactives/pepperMoths.swf
C) Resource 6- Darwin stated that four conditions are needed for natural selection to happen. When these four conditions are in place, the population will change by natural selection. Read the article and complete example 1 of the conditions for natural selection chart. http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_25
Day 3- Longblock (90 minutes)- Natural Selection and Speciation
A) Resource 7- You will complete one more simulation which shows more details about how natural selection leads to changes in biodiversity. Your goal is for your population to survive one million years without going extinct. This game shows an important idea: it takes a very long time for natural selection to happen! The game also shows genetic mutations, which are important for introducing new variations into the population. In the website, click on learn about natural selection. Read the three slides, then play the survival game. On the research worksheet, complete example 2 of the conditions for natural selection chart and complete the questions in part 7.
http://www.sciencechannel.com/games-and-interactives/charles-darwin-game.htm
B) Resource 8- Now that you know how populations change through natural selection, you will learn how new species form. Remember: a species is a group of organisms that can reproduce and create fertile offspring. Read “How Do New Species Evolve” and “Darwin’s Finches Today”. Then answer the questions in section 8 of the research worksheet. http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/darwin/evolution-today/how-do-new-species-evolve
C) Resource 9- You will now watch a 15 minute video to show how researchers studied speciation (making new species) in lizards and finches. Each partner will watch a different video and answer the questions on the research worksheet. You only need to write the answers for the video you watch. At the end of class today, you will discuss these videos and the focus question answer with your partner.
Partner 1 watch the video: “The Origin of Species: The Beak of the Finch”
Partner 2 watch the video: “The Origin of Species: Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree”
D) Tomorrow, you will make a poster to show how a theoretical species (like the one in the Darwin game), evolved and formed new species. This page is an example of how new species form. Read the page to get ideas for your project. http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evo101/VBDefiningSpeciation.shtml
E) You have completed your research, congratulations! Click on the conclusion tab.
Day 4- You will use what you learned to create a poster. This part will be in the classroom. The directions are on your research worksheet.
Evaluation
Objectives: By the end of the webquest you should be able to:
a) Describe how different species are adaptated to their environments.
b) Define species and give examples of what keeps members of different species from reproducing.
c) Describe the four conditions that Darwin stated are needed for natural selection to occur.
d)Explain how speciation occurs through natural selection and geographic isolation.
RUBRIC- The completed research worksheet and poster will be graded using this rubric and count as a test/project grade.
|
Criteria |
REMARKABLE= 4 |
ACCEPTABLE=3 |
MAKING PROGRESS =2 |
STARTING OUT= 1 |
|
Research handout completed and use of class time |
All questions are answered. On task all or most of the time in computer lab. |
At least 80% of questions are answered. On task most of the time in computer lab. |
At least 70% of questions are answered. On task some of the time in the computer lab. |
Less than 70% of questions are answered. On task less than half of the time in computer lab. |
|
Accuracy of answers on research worksheet |
At least 90% of the answers are correct. |
At least 75% of the answers are correct. |
At least 60% of the answers are correct. |
Less than 60% of the answers are correct. |
|
Poster diagram part 1- conditions for natural selection |
All four of the requirements listed on the research worksheet are completed to a high quality. |
Three of the requirements listed on the research worksheet are completed to a high quality. |
At least 2 of the requirements listed on the research worksheet are completed. Quality could be improved. |
Only one of the requirements listed on the research worksheet is completed. Quality could be improved. |
|
Poster diagram part 2- speciation |
All four of the requirements listed on the research worksheet are completed to a high quality. |
Three of the requirements listed on the research worksheet are completed to a high quality. |
At least 2 of the requirements listed on the research worksheet are completed. Quality could be improved. |
Only one of requirements listed on the research worksheet is completed. Quality could be improved. |
|
Answer to focus question |
Answer shows excellent understanding of natural selection and speciation. Group members discussed their answer together. |
Answer shows adequate understanding of natural selection and speciation. Group members discussed their answer together. |
Answer shows limited understanding of natural selection and speciation. Group members discussed their answer in limited ways or not at all. |
Answer shows very limited understanding of natural selection and speciation. Group members did not discuss their answers. |
Conclusion
Congratulations!
You have completed your research! Hopefully, you have enjoyed learning about the diverse species in the world around us and how natural selection helps explain this diversisty. Tomorrow, you will have a chance to be creative and use what you have learned over the past three days. You will make a hypothetical species and make a poster to show how your species has evolved over time.
Now it's time to discuss the focus question! Discuss the question with your partner and write the answer you come up with together on the research worksheet.
Focus Question: How does natural selection help to explain why there are so many diverse species in the world around us?
Credits
Webquest created by: Andrea Metayer, April 2014.
Rainforest Pictures From:
National Geographic. Habitats: Rainforest Gallery. Retrieved from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/rainforests-tropical/#/rain-forest-lizard-puerto-rico_23900_600x450.jpg.
Resources used in Webquest:
American Museum of Natural History. (2014). How Do New Species Evolve? Retrived from http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/darwin/evolution-today/how-do-new-species-evolve.
Discovery Communication, LLC. (2014). Who Wants to Live a Million Years? Retrieved from http://www.sciencechannel.com/games-and-interactives/charles-darwin-game.htm.
Encyclopedia of Life. What is a Species? Retrieved from http://eol.org/info/468.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute. (2014). Origin of Species. Video. Retrieved from http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/origin-species
Liew, Vincett (2011, August 15). Amazon: The Secrets of the Golden River. Retrieved April 29, 2014 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzX9de4m9EU&list=PL915B6EAAFADFCF04.
Peppered Moths: Natural Selection in Black and White. Retrieved from http://www.techapps.net/interactives/pepperMoths.swf.
PHeldd. (2008, August 25). Hydrothermal Vents. Retrieved April 29, 2014 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzX9de4m9EU&list=PL915B6EAAFADFCF04.
University of California Museum of Paleontology. (2006). Understanding Evolution for Teachers. Retrieved from http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evohome.html.
Teacher Page
Massachusetts Curriculum Biology Frameworks Addressed:
5.2 Describe species as reproductively distinct groups of organisms. Recognize that species are further classified into a hierarchical taxonomic system (kingdom, phylum, class, order,family, genus, species) based on morphological, behavioral, and molecular similarities. Describe the role that geographic isolation can play in speciation.
5.3 Explain how evolution through natural selection can result in changes in biodiversity through the increase or decrease of genetic diversity within a population.
Focus Question: How does natural selection help to explain why there are so many diverse species in the world around us?
Learning Objectives: By the end of this webquest, students should be able to:
a) Describe how different species are adaptated to their environments.
b) Define species and give examples of what keeps members of different species from reproducing.
c) Describe the four conditions that Darwin stated are needed for natural
selection to occur.
d)Explain how speciation occurs through natural selection and geographic isolation.
Target Student Audience:
This webquest was designed to help make the biology content accessible to high school ELL students. The resources on diversity were chosen to catch students' interest and help them build background knowledge. The handouts were designed to support students at low intermediate or intermediate proficiency levels with reading comprehension and notetaking skills.
Prerequisite Skills:
Before beginning this webquest, students should have a basic understanding of the following vocabulary words: adaptation, biodiversity, species, natural selection, gene.
Students should have a basic understanding of who Darwin was and a basic understanding of natural selection.