Curated OER
Variations in Living Things
Biology beginners observe traits in a collection of plant parts to realize the tremendous amount of genetic variation within a species. They consider rules of nature and discuss what would happen if they changed. They also examine data...
Curated OER
Natural Selection And Evolution
Seventh graders investigate the concept of natural selection and its relationship to the theory of evolution. They conduct research using a variety of resources and use the information to create a class presentation and open up the...
Curated OER
Introduction To Natural Selection
Seventh graders investigate the concept of natural selection and it relation to the theory of evolution. They create a definition for classification based upon looking at other subjects that are similar. The variation of species is...
Curated OER
Natural Selection And Evolution
Students investigate the concept of evolution and how natural selection is used as an indicator that evolution has happened. They recognize the three effects it has on diversity and how adaptations can develop. Diversity is explained as...
ARKive
Biodiversity and Evolution – Darwin’s Finches
Teens experience natural selection firsthand (or first beak) in an activity that has them act as finches foraging for food. Using different household items to act as different beak styles, your little finches will collect as much...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Lactase Persistence: Evidence for Selection
What's the link between lactase persistence and dairy farming? Biology scholars analyze data to find evidence of the connection, then relate this to human adaptation. Working individually and in small groups, learners view short video...
Curated OER
Natural Selection
Kids act as scientists and preditors in this short natural selection activity; they collect and analyze data, then apply their new knowledge to real-world examples of natural selection. The layout of the worksheet is easy enough to use...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Evolution in Action: Data Analysis
An environmental factor, such as a drought, sometimes speeds up the rate of natural selection. Scholars analyze data on the beaks of birds around the time of the drought. They compare those that survived to those that perished and find...
Safe Routes to School
Pollution & Evolution
Bring together a study of two major scientific topics with a lesson on the relationship between pollution and evolution. With the help of a PowerPoint presentation, hands-on activity. and class demonstration young scientists learn...
Biology Junction
Evolution – Diversity of Life
Scientists noticed animals with backbones share similar bone structure despite having different forms, such as fins, arms, and wings. Young scientists gain an appreciation for evolution by understanding the history of the theory. They...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Icefish Adaptations
What adaptations exist in order for icefish to survive the subfreezing temperatures of the Antarctic Ocean? Middle and high schoolers can find out through watching a related 13-minute video and performing a simple investigation to...
Curated OER
Evolution Concept Map
In this biology learning exercise, students complete a concept mp on the theory of evolution by natural selection. They fill in 8 blanks with the correct terms from the list.
California Academy of Science
Color Vision Genetics Evolution Simulation
At one point, all mammals carried only two color receptors, but now most humans carry three. An informative presentation and hands-on activity demonstrate how this evolved through genetics. By participating in the activity, pupils...
Curated OER
Natural Selection.... a Cumulative Process... it's in the cards!
Students working in pairs attempt to produce a full sequence of 13 cards of one suit (ace - to king). This must be done by shuffling the suit of cards for each round, then checking the cards.
Serendip
Evolution and Adaptations
Survival of the fittest isn't just for the movies! A five-part lesson explores several different species with known adaptations and analyzes them for their survival strategies. Using both video and research data, scholars draw...
Biology in Motion
Evolution Lab
Evolution occurs though change over time, but can it go any faster? Scholars speed up the process of evolution and observe a simulation of 20 blue organisms fighting for survival. A graph displays the changes in phenotype over time. By...
Curated OER
Why Does Evolution Matter Now?
High schoolers examine how natural selection creates antibiotic-resistant bacteria,
recognize applications of evolutionary principles for medicine, agriculture, and conservation, and discuss how science contributes to decisions in...
Curated OER
Evidence of Evolution by Natural Selection - Testable Hypotheses
The factors that affect selection and evolution are investigated here. Information about some common ancestry examples are given but with no real scientific evidence. This presentation is very obvious in making biased claims about...
Curated OER
Scavenger Hunt: Simulating Natural Selection
Students simulate natural selection using pinto beans. In this biology lesson plan, students identify the factors affecting organism evolution. They record data from the experiment and formulate a conclusion.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Stickleback Evolution Virtual Lab
How quickly do animals evolve? Can comparing different samples of the same fossil answer timeline questions? Scholars use virtual labs to examine fossils and learn about stickleback evolution. They compare pelvic morphology in lakes...
Curated OER
The Natural Selection of Stick-Worms
Students discuss and role-play the elements of natural selection. They use toothpicks to represent Stick-Worms and discover the mechanisms of change of traits in populations.
Curated OER
Artificial Selection
The second lesson in the series begins with a starter activity discussing wild versus domesticated animals. Then, scholars play a card game, with optional variations, to emphasize artificial selection. Next, they attend a field trip to a...
Curated OER
Natural Selection
Students construct a working definition of the word "evolution," and list the key points of Darwin's theory of natural selection. They create paper moths to help them explain the importance of camouflage and how it relates to natural...
Curated OER
Natural Selection: Exploring the 'Ohi'a Common Garden
Seventh graders examine natural variation by visiting the Ohi'a Common Garden in Volcano, Hawaii. In this natural selection lesson, 7th graders study background information about phenotypes, genotypes, and phenotypic plasticity before...