Focus Plan
Texarkana Independent School District
GRADING
PERIOD:
WRITER:
Biology – 4th, Chemistry – 2nd,
PLAN CODE:
L. Petty
COURSE/SUBJECT:
10th grade science
GRADE(S):
10th
TIME ALLOTTED
FOR INSTRUCTION:
1-1/2 hours
TITLE:
I See You
LESSON TOPIC:
How natural selection can cause changes within a population.
TAKS OBJECTIVE:
Objective 3
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the interdependence of
organisms and the environment.
10.7 The student knows the theory of biological evolution. The student is
expected to:
(B) illustrate the results of natural selection in speciation, diversity,
phylogeny, adaptation, behavior, and extinction.
10.1 The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, conducts field and
laboratory investigations using safe, environmentally appropriate, and
ethical practices. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during field and laboratory investigations
10.2 The student uses scientific methods during field and laboratory
investigations. The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement investigative procedures including asking
questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting equipment
and technology;
(B) collect data and make measurements with precision;
(C) organize, analyze, evaluate, make inferences, and predict trends from
data; and
(D) communicate valid conclusions
FOCUS TEKS AND STUDENT
EXPECTATION:
SUPPORTING TEKS AND
STUDENT EXPECTATIONS:
CONCEPTS
Variations
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS/GENERALIZATIONS/PRINCIPLES
The student will understand that
Genetic combinations cause variations in all organisms.
Types of variations
There are many types of variations, including color, behavior and physical.
Survival of the fittest
Some variations make part of a population better able to survive than others.
Reproduction
The organisms that are better able to survive live to reproduce.
Evolution
These changes may occur over a long period of time and cause the evolution of an
entirely new species of organism.
The inability of an organism to adapt to change situations may cause the extinction
of that species.
Extinction
I.
SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES (INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES)
A.
Focus/connections/anticipatory set
Once students are seated, put a transparency of a single zebra against a background setting on the overhead.
Explain that zebra stripes are unique for each zebra, that zebra foals must spend their first day alone with
their mother so that they can distinguish their mother’s stripe pattern from all other zebra patterns in the herd.
Say that the stripes are a protective coloration for the zebras to confuse predators. Point to the transparency
and question how that can be a protective measure since the zebra obviously sticks out against the
background.
Put a transparency of zebras running in a herd. Ask the students where each zebra begins and ends. Explain
that the zebra form of camouflage is not to blend into the background, but to blend into each other. This
makes it harder for the predator to focus on one animal so that it is harder to find a vital spot.
B.
Instructional activities
(demonstrations, lectures, examples, hands-on experiences, role play, active learning experience, art,
music, modeling, discussion, reading, listening, viewing, etc.)
1.
Lecture
Before 1845, there was a species of moth called the peppered moths in Manchester, England. The moths
were a light color with black specks. But variations existed in the genes of the moths and there were also
some born that were black and some born that were white. The moths were preyed on by birds as they
rested on the light gray bark of trees. As with most predators, the birds would pick off the first moth they
saw.
2.
Demonstrate
Demonstrate to students how the birds “hunt”. Spread two pieces of newspaper on the floor. Stand on the
floor, just off the paper and face away from the paper. The “collector” should be sitting in front of the
bird in this position, facing the field. Explain that the timer will say “go” and that the bird will turn
around and pick up the first moth that it sees. The hunter may only pick up one moth at a time and must
completely turn around to hand the moth to the collector. Hunting will continue in this manner until the
timer signifies that 30 seconds have passed.
C.
Guided activity or strategy
Instruct the “birds” to face away from the hunting field while the collector or timer distributes the moths in
the field. (They should be spread out over the paper, but may be planted any way the distributor wants.)
Have students run the activity independently for 30 seconds. While the data is recorded, have the students
pick any remaining moths off the newspaper and pick up the paper. Read them the following information.
“By 1845, the Industrial Revolution was in full swing in England. The coal-burning factories in Manchester
released so much smoke and soot that the trees in the surrounding forests became darkened. The peppered
moths continued to reproduce with the usual variations, some peppered, some black and some white.”
Have the distributor lay down the black paper and redistribute the moths. (The birds should be facing away
from the field during the distribution.)
Have students repeat the test and record the data under “black background”.
D.
Accommodations/modifications
Students requiring accommodations should be assigned a peer tutor. They also do extremely well being the
“birds”.
E.
Enrichment
Students requiring enrichment should be assigned as peer tutors.
II.
STUDENT PERFORMANCE
A.
Description
Students should complete their data table as the guided activity is conducted.
B.
Accommodations/modifications
Students requiring accommodations should be assigned a peer tutor. Students may be told not to answer
questions 9-13 if instructor feels they are too difficult.
C.
Enrichment
Students requiring enrichment may serve as peer tutors.
III.
ASSESSMENT OF ACTIVITIES
A.
Description
Grade Lab Worksheet: I See You
B.
Rubrics/grading criteria
Each question is worth 4 points.
Each data table space is worth 2 points.
Any blanks should be counted as incorrect.
C.
Accommodations/modifications
Students requiring accommodations should not be held accountable for questions 9-13, they are higher-level
questions.
D.
Enrichment
Students requiring enrichment should be able to thoroughly answer questions 9-13 and demonstrate a
thorough understanding between the theories of Darwin and Lamarck.
E.
Sample discussion questions
Go over the “Data Summary” questions on the student answer sheet.
IV.
TAKS PREPARATION
A.
Transition to TAKS context
1. Soot from the burning of coal was rarely found on trees prior to the Industrial Revolution. The “peppered
moth” lived in the forest on the light-colored bark of trees in England. The majority of the peppered moths
were also light in color and easily camouflaged. Dark-colored peppered moths were rare. They were easily
seen against the light-colored bark and were the first to become prey. The tree bark began to darken from
layers of smoke and soot during the Industrial Revolution. What effect did natural selection have on the
population of peppered moths?
(a) More dark-colored moths were eaten and more light-colored moths survived to reproduce. The majority
of individuals in new generations of peppered moths were light-colored.
(b) More light-colored moths were eaten and more dark-colored moths survived to reproduce. The number
of light-colored and dark-colored individuals in new generations of peppered moths became equal.
(c) More light-colored moths were eaten and more dark-colored moths survived to reproduce. The number
of light-colored and dark-colored individuals in new generations of peppered moths became equal.
(d) More peppered moths were eaten. The peppered moth nearly became extinct because none of the moths
had effective camouflage to allow for survival and reproduction.
2. A small group of animals becomes isolated from the larger population when rising sea levels create an
island separated from the mainland. The population of isolated animals contains normal-sized and dwarf
individuals. There are fewer predators and increased competition for food in the smaller, limited habitat.
Many years pass, and several generations of animal reproduce. What is the most likely effect of natural
selection on offspring in the isolated population of animals?
(a) Dwarf animals are better adapted to the limited island environment. Natural selection increases their
chances of reproducing and passing their genetic information for dwarfism on to new generations. The
population of dwarf animals increases faster than the population of normal-sized animals.
(b) Normal-sized animals are better adapted to the limited island environment. Natural selection increases
their chances of reproducing and passing their genetic information for normal size on to new
generations. The population of normal-sized animals increases faster than the population of dwarf
animals.
(c) Dwarf and normal-sized animals are equally adapted to the limited island environment. They have an
equal chance of reproducing and passing the genetic information for size on to new generations. The
ratio of dwarf animals to normal-sized animals remains constant.
(d) Dwarf and normal-sized animals are equally adapted to the limited island environment. They have an
equal chance of reproducing and passing genetic information for size on to new generations. The
populations of dwarf and normal-sized animals grow by an equal amount each year.
B.
Sample TAKS questions
Spring 2003
1. Which of the following is most likely to cause increases in a predator population?
(a) Fewer prey
(b) A reduction in competition
(c) More parasites
(d) A period of drought
Spring 2004
1. The maps below show the geographic ranges of four species of the order Lagomorpha, which includes
rabbits and hares. In which range would developing white fur in winter most likely not be an advantage
for a member of this order?
V.
KEY VOCABULARY
Camouflage
Evolution
Extinction
Natural selection
VI.
RESOURCES
A.
Textbook
None needed
Predator
Speciation
Variations
B.
Supplementary materials/equipment
Moth pattern
Lab Worksheet: I See You
Instructor’s Copy – Lab Worksheet I See You
Transparency master – Zebra
Transparency master – Zebra Herd
C.
VII.
Technology
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
(reteaching, cross-curricular support, technology activities, next lesson in sequence, etc.)
A. Reteaching
Go over the answers to the lab questions with the students.
B. Next lesson in sequence
Biology – continue explanations of evolution leading to speciation
Chemistry – Biology objective 6 dealing with DNA and DNA processes
VIII.
TEACHER NOTES
Before lab:
1. Using the supplied moth pattern, cut out 15 white moths, 15 black moths and 15 newspaper
moths for each group.
2. Also for each group, cut 2 pieces of black and 2 pieces of white bulletin board paper that are
each about 3 feet long. Gather enough newspaper pieces (classified sections work best) that
each group can have 2 double sheets each.
3. Dim the room to represent twilight.
4. Set the class up in 3-4 person groups. Have students designate a time, a “bird”, and a
keeper/counter/recorder for the moths. (If 4 person groups are being used, the
keeper/counter/recorder position can be separated into keeper/counter and recorder.)
During lab:
5. Make sure the “birds” are following the proper procedure for hunting.
6. As a possible discussion activity, write a “total of moths caught” on the board and discuss that
this data is more accurate since it includes more “bird” data.