Grade 11 Biology – Evolution Unit: Culminating Activities By John Miranda, Qiumin Huang and Laura Pepper
Students will choose one Culminating Activity of their choice to work on.
Culminating Activity One:
Scenario As an expert biologist working for National Geographic, you have been selected by your editor for a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel 3 million years into the future to document the evolution of an animal of your choice. Based on the data and observations you collect, you will have to submit an evolutionary article to the editor. Your story must include the environmental conditions of the time period, as well as the appearance, lifestyle and characteristics of your chosen animal.
Assignment Outline: Your assignment consists of three parts: 1. Observations of your animal and its environment in present day conditions (location: Toronto Zoo). 2. Observations of your animal and its environment in the future (location: 3 million years in the future!). 3. Evolutionary Article.
PART 1: Observations of Animal at Toronto Zoo After touring the zoo (as a class of course!), you should be familiar with all of the zoogeographical pavilions/areas (Eurasia, Indo-Malaya, Australasia, Americas and Africa). You must choose an animal in one of these regions and make careful observations of both the region and the animal itself. Refer to the appendix for a list of animals. (Each student will study a different animal, so you MUST have the teacher’s approval before proceeding to the next step.)
Copy and complete the following tables to organize your observations. Be sure to consider selective pressures and adaptations that may have affected the organisms in your region, as well as evidence of convergent evolution.
Zoogeographical Area: ______
Characteristics of Zoogeographical Area Student Observations Climate (temperature, humidity, precipitation, etc.) Characteristics of Plant Life (height, leaf size, colour, etc.) Characteristics of all animal life in this region. Pick 3 or 4 animals to study in detail. (diet, anatomical features, size, etc.)
Animal: ______
Characteristics of Animal Student Observations Physical (size, feet, location of eyes and ears, body covering, teeth, tail, etc.) Behavioural (lives in isolation or in groups, passive or aggressive, nocturnal or diurnal, reproductive strategies, etc.) Ecological Role (diet, predator or prey, role in food web) Adaptations (camouflage, mimicry, structural, physiological, etc.) Other
Once you review your observations with your editor, you are ready to board the time travel machine and head to the future! (Please report to your teacher before embarking on your journey )
PART 2: Observations of your animal in the future Congratulations!!! You have arrived 3 million years in the future. Complete the following:
1. Make observations on the futuristic environment that you encounter. Refer to the observations that you made at the zoo to guide you in compiling your scientific notes. Point form notes are acceptable.
2. After taking a number of DNA samples from various animals, you discover a descendant of the animal you studied at the zoo. Make observations of the animal, referring to the observations that you made at the zoo to guide you in compiling your scientific notes. Point form notes are acceptable. Draw a sketch of this new animal.
NOTE: Keep in mind that your observations (animal’s appearance, behaviour and ecological role) must be based on aspects of natural selection.
Your fun-filled day of exploration has sadly come to an end. It is now time to re-board the time travel machine and return to present day. Be sure to check in with your editor (teacher) who is anxious to review your observations before you begin your article!
PART 3: Evolutionary Article Your article must satisfy the following criteria:
1. 500-750 words in length. (Times New Roman, Font Size 12, Double-spaced) 2. Include all observations recorded at the zoo and in the future. 3. Incorporate at least 3 of the main concepts listed under Background Information and explain how these concepts relate to your animal’s evolution. 4. Graphics and illustrations should be included. 5. Make sure to cite all external sources used. Refer to the citation guidelines given out at the beginning of the year. APPENDIX 1
A list of animals and some hints about the signs.
Concept Connection Name/Type of Animal Location in the Zoo READ THE SIGNS!!
Fish Cichlids (fish) Darwin’s Dream Pond Adaptive Radiation Aba aba (electric fish) African Pavilion Anemone Fish Australasian Pavilion Symbiosis Piranha (fish) America Pavilion Reptiles Komodo Dragon Australasian Pavilion Top of food chain Malayan water monitor Indo Malaya Pavilion Miscellaneous Mammals Elephants African Savannah Adaptation (meet the keeper) Pygmy Hippopotamus African Pavilion Adaptation Hippopotamus African Savannah Naked Molerats African Pavilion Convergent evolution (bee) Meerkat African Pavilion Adaptation Gr. Indian Rhinoceros Indo-Malaya Adaptation White Rhinoceros African Savannah Polar Bear Near Americans Pavilion Behavioural Adaptation (meet the keeper) Primates Orangutan (great ape) Indo Malaya Pavilion Gorilla (great ape) African Pavilion Adaptation (meet the keeper) Mandrill (primate) African Pavilion Sexual selection Olive Baboons (primate) African Savannah Lion-tailed Macaque Indo Malaya Outdoor Adaptation Marmoset (primate) American Pavilion White-headed Saki American Pavilion Sexual Selection Spider Monkey (primate) Americas Outdoor Big Cats Cheetah African Savannah Adaptation Lion African Savannah Behavioural Adaptation Jaguar Americas Outdoor Adaptation Clouded Leopard Malayan Woods Pavilion Adaptation Snow Leopard Eurasia Outdoor Siberian Tiger Euroasia Outdoor Sumatran Tiger Indo Malaya Outdoor Assessment and Evaluation
Assessment:
Check Point #1 Check Point #2 Student Name Observations of Observations of Animal at Toronto Zoo Animal in the Future
Comments:
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______TOTAL = ______44 Evaluation:
Performance Criteria Marks Support for Topic (K/U) (2) (4) (6) (8) [8 marks] Student does not Student supports Student gives Student enhances all provides details to support main ideas. information with support for viewpoints through support ideas explanations. information with good detailed and clear detail. explanations. Logical Sequence (C) (2) (4) (6) (8) [8 marks] Student puts Student shows Student work is easy Student enhances all a logical flow is shown information, with structured approach to understand and viewpoints through throughout the article prompting, into to flow of topic. written in a clear detailed and clear sequence. sequence. explanations. Grammar (C) (1) (2) (3) (4) [4 marks] Student leaves Student leaves some Student finds and Student leaves no finds and fixes serious errors in serious errors in final fixes most errors in errors in final report. mechanical and final report. report. final report. grammatical errors in final report
Formatting (C) (1) (2) (3) (4) [4 marks] Student produces Student produces Student produces Student exceeds produces report as report with many report with some report with no stated requirements. specified prompts. prompts. prompts. Reference Material (C) (1) (2) (3) (4) [4 marks] Student needs help Student uses Student uses Student refers to uses multiple sources using materials. materials, but needs materials with proper materials throughout with proper citations help with citations. citations. the project, and uses full citations. Zoo Observations (T/I) (1) (2) (3) (4) [4 marks] Observations are Observations are Observations are Observations exceed detailed observations are incomplete or lack somewhat complete detailed and expectations. made detail. and attempts at complete. including detail are made. Future Observations (T/I) (1) (2) (3) (4) [4 marks] Observations are Observations are Observations are Observations exceed detailed observations are incomplete or lack somewhat complete detailed and expectations. made detail. and attempts at complete. including detail are made. Concept Connections (A) (2) (4) (6) (8) [8 marks] Student has Student has Student has Student has concepts are incorporated one incorporated two incorporated three incorporated more incorporated and concept in article. concepts in article. concepts in article. than three concepts connections are in article. explained appropriately Fails to explain Made attempts to Explains concepts in Explains all concepts concept in relation explain concepts in relation to animal’s in relation to animal’s to animal’s relation to animal’s evolution. evolution in an evolution. evolution. exceptional manner.
Comments:
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______Culminating Activity two:
Culminating Task Guidelines: Adapt an Animal
For your culminating task, you will start with a population of at least 100 animals from ONE species. You can choose any animal you like. Describe your animal’s traits. Describe the type of environment your animal population lives in and how its traits are adapted to living in its environment. You will then change the animal’s environment and describe the animal’s EVOLUTION as it adapts to the new environment over many generations. You will start your “Evolution” in 2003 and decide how much time has passed to the end of your “Evolution”.
Required elements: Part 1 1) Create 3 physical and 2 behavioral traits for your animal population. 2) Identify 3 environmental factors in the animal’s environment. 3) Create a “Phenotype Frequency” table that describes the diversity of each trait in your animal population. 4) Graph each trait in a “Frequency Distribution” graph. Are the distributions “normal” or “skewed”? 5) A 2 paragraph description of the animal population and its niche, and how it uses its traits to survive in its environment. Words to use in Part 1 paragraphs: Population, Traits, Environment, Niche, Adaptation, Frequency.
Required elements: Part 2 1) Change at least one of the environmental factors from part 1. 2) Describe how the environmental changes lead to “Natural Selection”. 3) Use the “Natural Selection” to create a new “Phenotype Frequency” table for the changes in part 2. These are changes over ONE or TWO generations at most. 4) Graph each trait in a “Frequency Distribution” graph. 5) Compare the graphs in part 1 to the new graphs in part 2. Was the “Natural Selection” you used to change the trait frequencies “Directional”, “Stabilizing”, or “Disruptive”?
Required elements: Part 3 1) Determine if your “Natural Selection” leads to “Speciation” (Your animal population changes to a new species). 2) Determine how much Geologic Time has passed since 2003. 3) Describe the evidence that a scientist could find to study the changes in your animal population and its environment from 2003 to the end of your Evolution.
Conclusion: Summarize the changes you made to the environment, the “Natural Selection”, the changes in the animals traits, and the amount of geologic time needed for speciation in a short two paragraph conclusion.
Words to use in your conclusion: Natural Selection, Microevolution, Macroevolution, Geologic Time, Speciation. Evaluation: TOTAL = ______44
Performance Criteria Marks Support for Topic (K/U) (2) (4) (6) (8) [8 marks] Student does not Student provides Student provides Student provides very provides details of traits, provide details some details good detail detailed and clear both physical and explanations. behavioural Use of vocabulary and (2) (4) (6) (8) terminology (C) uses vocabulary uses vocabulary and uses vocabulary and uses vocabulary and [8 marks] and terminology of terminology of the terminology of the terminology of the includes vocabulary words the discipline with discipline with some discipline with discipline with high and uses them in an limited effectiveness effectiveness considerable degree of appropriate manner effectiveness effectiveness Grammar (C) (1) (2) (3) (4) [4 marks] Student leaves Student leaves some Student finds and Student leaves no finds and fixes serious errors in serious errors in final fixes most errors in errors in final report. mechanical and final report. report. final report. grammatical errors in final report
Expression and (2) (4) (6) (8) organization of graphs and tables graphs and tables graphs and tables graphs and tables are information (C) are not clearly have some errors are mostly labeled clearly labeled and [8 marks] labeled and are and are somewhat and accurate accurate clearly labeled graphs, inaccurate labeled and tables Use of Initiating and (1) (2) (3) (4) planning skills and uses initiating and uses initiating and uses initiating and uses initiating and strategies (T/I) planning skills with planning skills with planning skills with planning skills with [4 marks] limited effectiveness some effectiveness considerable high degree of explaining environmental effectiveness effectiveness factors and changes Use of critical/creative (1) (2) (3) (4) thinking processes, student describes student describes student describes student describes skills, and strategies (T/I) one piece of two pieces of three pieces of more than three [4 marks] evidence evidence evidence pieces of evidence description of evidence that support evolution Concept Connections (A) (2) (4) (6) (8) [8 marks] Fails to explain Made attempts to Explains concepts in Explains all concepts concepts are concept in relation explain concepts in relation to animal’s in relation to animal’s incorporated and to animal’s relation to animal’s evolution. evolution in an connections are evolution. evolution. exceptional manner. explained appropriately
Comments: ______
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______Culminating Activity three:
Promoting Evolution Awareness through Your Own Website
Work in groups of two to create a webpage about evolution to share with other students in Grade 11 in the school, using www.webstarts.com . You will need to include the following contents:
Evolution theories by early philosophers and scientists Darwin and his theory of natural selection Mechanism for evolution Mutation and Selection Natural and artificial selection Factors that affect the evolutionary process Updated research supporting and confirming the processes of evolution.
Part One: Research
Using the above, research all required information pertaining to the concept. Look for facts, dates, history, locations, scientific discoveries, opposition to evolution due to religious believes, etc. Make sure that for every important point of the concept (your discretion) you find high quality pictures, diagrams, video clips, etc. Remember that most people are attracted to colorful visual stimuli. Part Two: Organization of material
Once you have gather all necessary information, select the most important points and summarize your research in the way you would present it to an audience. As a guideline, you can follow the order as you would in a PowerPoint presentation. As you organize all your data tie it with your fantastic pictures, diagrams, video clips, etc. Hint: Remember, you are trying to create awareness that evolution exists and therefore you need to consider people’s religious believes. So do not appear preachy or insulting. This is not the way people will listen to you, let alone learn from you. You must use tact to get the attention of all your audience.
Part three: Create your website
Get a computer with internet access and log on to www.webstarts.com. There, you will need to sign up in order to use your free website. Once you have access come up with a very instructive, attractive, and cool name for your website. It must be original so take time to think about your www.coolname.com. Follow their easy to use instructions on how to enter all your data and how to paste all your pictures, and videos, etc. Make it as attractive as possible. Include a questionnaire for every topic in your webpage. Make the questionnaire interactive and fun. Again, be creative. After you are done with your website, follow the instruction to make your domain ready in minutes. How do you know you are ready? If you feel darn proud about your work, you’re ready! Part Four: Present it in class
Start with a small introduction on the importance of knowing about evolution, and how and why it has been difficult to create awareness about it (again, be sensitive to the believes of others). Tell your audience the reason you chose this assignment and why you felt it was important for you to create awareness. Use Google or yahoo to find your domain. You need to show how your website can be found through these search engines. Once you find your domain log on and demonstrate how you can use this website, its important components, how to enter comments about your website, how to debate, etc. Make sure that you are promoting awareness about evolution at the same time you are showcasing your website. Oral presentation should be no more than 20 minutes. Evaluation: Website Project CheckBric
Student Name: ______Task: Creating Awareness on Evolution Via your Own Website Total Mark: ___/ 240 = ___% Due date: November 17, 2011.
Follow the list below and check the first space as you complete your work. I will mark you based on your effort and quality of your assignment on the space to the right.
A Knowledge 10 Excellent 7 Good __ __ Mentioned important facts on evolution. 5 Satisfactory __ __ Depth of material on the subject is instructive. 3 limited __ __ Information is related to all processes of evolution. 0 Not included __ __ Mentioned and applied information from the course. __ __ Information is very interesting and useful to all audiences.
B Communication __ __ Showed effort and dedication. __ __ Spelling and grammar were adequately used. 10 Excellent __ __ References are well documented in your website. 7 Good __ __ Written information is interesting and convincing. 5 Satisfactory __ __ Pictures are interesting, attractive and colorful. 3 limited __ __ Diagrams are interesting, attractive and colorful. 0 Not included __ __ Videos are interesting, attractive and creative. __ __ Oral presentation was rehearsed. __ __ website presentation has the Wow factor.
10 Excellent 7 Good C Thinking 5 Satisfactory __ __ Analysis of research is very thorough. 3 limited __ __ Information makes audience reflect on the importance of evolution. 0 Not included __ __ Information is presented in a way that creates awareness despite people’s misconceptions. __ __ Organization of content links concepts appropriately.
D Application 10 Excellent __ __ Website effectively promotes awareness on the importance of evolution. 7 Good __ __ Website content shows a great deal of historical events with dates. 5 Satisfactory __ __ Questionnaires have been used to test knowledge of evolution in website. 3 limited __ __ A section for comments and debates has been added to the website. 0 Not included __ __ Name of the domain is very creative. __ __ Domain can be easily found in popular search engines such as Google and yahoo