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Identifying Patterns in Observations

Image from the film

Topic

  • Evolution
  • Natural Selection
  • Scientific Skills & Literacy
  • Explanations & Argumentation

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Lessons

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IB
Saved By
20 Users
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Description

This activity challenges students to identify observations that Darwin and Wallace made during their travels, as shown in the short film The Origin of Species: The Making of a Theory. Students then evaluate claims about evolution by natural selection based on these observations.

Students review a list of observations made by naturalists Charles Darwin and Alfred R. Wallace. As they watch the film, which tells the story of Darwin and Wallace’s travels, students identify who made which observation from the list. They then use these observations to support different claims about evolution by natural selection and write a paragraph to summarize how the patterns of observations made by each naturalist led them to formulate their ideas.

Student Learning Targets

  • Evaluate claims about evolution by natural selection based on information and evidence presented in a film.
  • Participate in a collaborative discussion of the evidence and its interpretation.
     

Estimated Time

One to two 50-minute class periods.

Key Terms

adaptation, competition, descent, extinction, finch, fossil, reproductive success, species, 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.

Version History

Date Published 06.18.14

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS4-1, HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-4; SEP6

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1.C, EVO-1.E, EVO-1.M; SP6

IB Biology (2016)

5.1, 5.2

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.6
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-2.H, SP1, SP3

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

3.2

Common Core (2010)

ELA.WHST.9–12.2, ELA.WHST.9–12.4

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1; DP1

Materials

Teacher Materials (PDF) 136 KB
Student Materials (PDF) 92 KB
Teacher Materials - Español (PDF) 206 KB
Student Materials - Español (PDF) 161 KB

Use This Resource With

Video Resource
The Origin of Species: The Making of a Theory

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