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Developing an Explanation for Tuskless Elephants

Photo of an elephant

Topic

  • Evolution
  • Natural Selection
  • Environmental Science
  • Human Population & Impacts
  • Scientific Skills & Literacy
  • Explanations & Argumentation

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Lessons

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
Saved By
46 Users
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Description

This activity builds on information presented in the video Selection for Tuskless Elephants. Students use scientific evidence and reasoning to construct an explanation of and develop an argument for tusklessness in elephant populations.

In this activity, students complete three tasks: 1) interpret and collect information presented through readings and watching a video; 2) use the information collected to construct an explanation for the high incidence of tusklessness in the Gorongosa elephant population; and 3) develop an argument for or against a trend toward increased incidence of tusklessness in the future.

The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.

Student Learning Targets

  • Use scientific observations 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 in a population.
  • Propose a claim supported by scientific evidence to explain an observation.
  • Provide evidence-based reasoning to make a scientific argument.

Estimated Time

Two 50-minute class periods.

Key Terms

adaptation, claim, evidence, inheritance, poaching, population, reasoning, selection, selective pressure, variation

Terms of Use

The resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. No rights are granted to use HHMI’s or BioInteractive’s names or logos independent from this Resource or in any derivative works.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 11.15.18
Date Updated 04.22.22

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-3, HS-LS4-4, HS-LS4-5; SEP1, SEP4, SEP6

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1.E, EVO-1.G, SYI-2.B, SYI-3.D; SP3, SP4, SP5, SP6

IB Biology (2016)

5.2

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.1, 2.6, 9.10
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-2.A, ERT-2.H, EIN-4.C, SP5

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

3.2, 3.4

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9–12.4, ELA.RST.9–12.7, ELA.WHST.9-12.1
Math.N-Q.1; MP2

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC5; DP1

Materials

Resource Google Folder (link)
Educator Materials (PDF) 579 KB
Student Handout (PDF) 569 KB
Educator Materials - Español (PDF) 860 KB
Student Handout - Español (PDF) 632 KB

Use This Resource With

Video Resource
Selection for Tuskless Elephants

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