Analyzing Data on Tuskless Elephants

Description
This data-driven activity accompanies the video Selection for Tuskless Elephants. It engages students in analyzing data to make evidence-based claims about the occurrence of tusklessness in elephant populations.
By watching segments of this video, students will follow the analyses and discoveries of Joyce Poole, a scientist who has studied elephants for many years. Students will then analyze data to investigate the impact of human activity, namely poaching, on elephant populations.
Student Learning Targets
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Analyze quantitative data in order to make predictions based on evidence.
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Use evidence-based predictions to explain how a population changes over time due to human impacts.
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Explain how the selective pressures on a population may impact the frequencies of phenotypes.
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Propose a claim supported by scientific evidence to answer a research question.
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Determine whether scientific results confirm or contradict a hypothesis.
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Provide evidence-based reasoning that uses available data to support a scientific claim.
Details
adaptation, claim, evidence, frequency, phenotype, poaching, population, reasoning, selection, selective pressure, variation
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Curriculum Connections
HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-3, HS-LS4-4, HS-LS4-5; SEP1, SEP5, SEP6
EVO-1.E, EVO-1.G, SYI-2.B, SYI-3.D; SP3, SP4, SP5, SP6
4.1, C.3
II.A, II.C, VII.C
2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 3.4
ELA.RST.9-12.7, ELA.WHST.9-12.1
Math.N-Q.A.1, Math.N-Q.A.3, Math.S-IC.3; MP2, MP3
CC1, CC5; DP1, DP2