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Evolution in Action: Data Analysis

Image from the activity

Topic

  • Evolution
  • Natural Selection
  • Math & Computational Skills
  • Data Analysis
  • Statistics

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Lessons

Level

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

In this activity, students analyze and graph data taken from a population of Galápagos finches before and after a major drought. These data track the morphological traits of 100 medium ground finches (Geospiza fortis) living on the island of Daphne Major. 

There are two versions of the “Student Handout” for this activity, which can be customized based on your needs. In “Version 1,” students analyze the data by interpreting and constructing graphs, as well as calculating means and standard deviations. In “Version 2,” students calculate more advanced descriptive statistics (including 95% confidence intervals and the standard error of the mean), use error bars and a t test, and optionally do a linear regression.

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

  • Calculate and interpret descriptive statistics for a data set.
  • Construct graphs with appropriate labels, including a title, axes, and units.
  • Evaluate the evidence provided by data sets in relation to a particular scientific question.
  • Construct biological hypotheses and explanations based on an understanding of natural selection.
  • (“Version 2” only) Determine whether the difference in the means of two groups is significantly different.

Estimated Time

One 50-minute class period for either handout.

Key Terms

confidence interval, error bar, histogram, linear regression, mean, sample, standard deviation, t test, trend line, variability

Primary Literature

Grant, Rosemary B., and Peter R. Grant. “What Darwin's Finches Can Teach Us about the Evolutionary Origin and Regulation of Biodiversity.” BioScience 53, 10 (2003): 965–975. http://bioscience.oxfordjournals.org/content/53/10/965.full.pdf.

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 02.19.14
Date Updated 05.25.21

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS2-2, HS-LS4-3, HS-LS4-4; SEP4, SEP5, SEP6

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1.D, EVO-1.E, EVO-1.M, EVO-1.O, EVO-3.A; SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5, SP6

IB Biology (2016)

5.2, C.1, C.5

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.6, 2.7
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-2.H, SP4, SP5, SP6

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

2.1, 3.2

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9–12.7, ELA.WHST.9–12.1
Math.F-IF.7, Math.S-ID.1, Math.S-ID.2, Math.S-ID.3, Math-S-ID.4, Math.S-IC.1, Math.S-IC.3; MP1, MP2, MP5

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC5; DP1, DP2

Materials

Resource Google Folder (link)
Educator Materials (PDF) 596 KB
Student Handout — Version 1 (PDF) 678 KB
Student Handout — Version 2 (PDF) 458 KB
Data Set (CSV) 5 KB

Additional Materials

  • the finch data set
  • access to Data Explorer or a spreadsheet program
  • (optional) calculator and graphing materials (colored pencils, ruler, graph paper, etc.) 
     

Use This Resource With

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The Origin of Species: The Beak of the Finch
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