Analyzing Data on Tuskless Elephants

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Resource Type
Level
High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
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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

  • Analyze quantitative data in order to make predictions based on evidence.

  • Use evidence-based predictions to explain how a population changes over time due to human impacts.

  • Explain how the selective pressures on a population may impact the frequencies of phenotypes.

  • Propose a claim supported by scientific evidence to answer a research question.

  • Determine whether scientific results confirm or contradict a hypothesis.

  • Provide evidence-based reasoning that uses available data to support a scientific claim.

Details
Estimated Time
One to two 50-minute class periods.
Key Terms

adaptation, claim, evidence, frequency, phenotype, poaching, population, reasoning, selection, selective pressure, variation

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Version History
Date Created
Date Modified
Curriculum Connections
NGSS (2013)

HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-3, HS-LS4-4, HS-LS4-5; SEP1, SEP5, SEP6

AP Biology (2015)

2.D.1, 4.A.5; SP2, SP3, SP5

IB Biology (2016)

4.1, C.3

AP Environmental Science (2013)

II.A, II.C, VII.C

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 3.4

Common Core (2010)

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

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC5; DP1, DP2

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