Biology Partnership
(A Teacher Quality Grant)
Evolution
Nancy Dow
Jill Hansen
Tammy Stundon
April 12, 2014
Gulf Coast State College
Panhandle Area Educational Consortium
5230 West Highway 98
753 West Boulevard
Panama City, Florida 32401
Chipley, Florida 32428
850-769-1551
877-873-7232
www.gulfcoast.edu
Florida Next Generation Sunshine
State Standards
• SC.912.L.15.1 Explain how the theory of evolution is
supported by fossil record, comparative anatomy, comparative
embryology, biogeography, molecular biology, and observed
evolutionary change.
• SC.912.L.15.10 Identify basic trends in hominid evolution
from early ancestors six million years ago to modern humans,
including brain size, jaw size, language, and manufacture of
tools.
• SC.912.N.3.1 Explain that a scientific theory is the
culmination of many scientific investigations drawing together
all the current evidence concerning a substantial range of
phenomena; thus, a scientific theory represents the most
powerful explanation scientists have to offer.
Clarifications
• Students will identify evidence and/or explain how
the scientific theory of evolution is supported by
the fossil record, comparative anatomy,
comparative embryology, biogeography, molecular
biology, and observable evolutionary change.
• Students will identify examples of and basic trends
in hominid evolution from early ancestors to
modern humans.
• Students will explain the development of a theory.
• Students will recognize the differences between
theories and laws.
Content Limits
• Items assessing evolution will focus on a conceptual
understanding of the supporting scientific evidence.
• Items will not require memorization of the names of
specific human fossils or the names of the different
hominid species.
• Items assessing the fossil record must focus on the
fossil rather than geologic formations in isolation.
• Items assessing the fossil record will not require
understanding of the specific mechanisms used for
relative dating and radioactive dating.
• Items will not require the memorization of the
geologic time scale, including era, period, and/or
epoch.
• Items referring to adaptive radiation, convergent
evolution, coevolution, or punctuated equilibrium
should focus on the concepts rather than on the
definition of the terms.
• Items referring to the development of language or
the manufacturing of tools will relate this
development to changes in the skull or brain size.
• Items will not assess types of genetic mutation or
how these mutations occur.
• Items referring to comparative anatomy and
comparative embryology will assess anatomical
similarities such as homologous structures and
vestigial organs but will not require specific
knowledge of embryologic stages or structures
• Items may assess how the overall
contributions of scientists such as Darwin,
Lamarck, Lyell, Malthus, Mendel, or
Wallace aided in the development of the
scientific theory of evolution.
• Items will not assess the differences among
intelligent design, creationism, and the
scientific theory of evolution.
• Items assessing a scientific claim, the
development of a theory, or the differences
between theories and laws are limited to the
scientific theory of evolution.
• SC.912.L.15.13 Describe the conditions
required for natural selection, including:
overproduction of offspring, inherited
variation, and the struggle to survive, which
result in differential reproductive success.
(MODERATE)
• SC.912.L.15.14 Discuss mechanisms of
evolutionary change other than natural
selection such as genetic drift and gene
flow. (MODERATE)
• SC.912.L.15.15 Describe how mutation and
genetic recombination increase genetic
variation. (Moderate)
Benchmark Clarifications
– Students will explain and/or describe the conditions
required for natural selection that result in differential
reproductive success.
– Students will explain and/or describe the scientific
mechanisms, such as genetic drift, gene flow, and
nonrandom mating, resulting in evolutionary change.
– Students will explain and/or describe how mutation and
genetic recombination increase genetic variation.
– Students will identify ways in which a scientific claim is
evaluated (e.g., through scientific argumentation, critical
and logical thinking, and consideration of alternative
explanations).
Content Limits
– Items will not address descent with modification or
common descent.
– Items addressing mutation and genetic recombination
in relation to increasing genetic variation must be
assessed in the context of evolution.
– Items will not assess the Hardy-Weinberg principle
or genetic equilibrium.
– Items may address how meiosis contributes to
genetic variation but may not assess the steps or
stages of meiosis.
– Items assessing a scientific claim are limited to the
topics discussed in SC.912.L.15.13, SC.912.L.15.14,
and SC.912.L.15.15.
Teaching Evolution
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Responsibility
Communicate your passion
Tell good stories
Engage the students
Teach a complex topic like evolution that is easy
for 12 year olds to understand, but not too simple.
Evolution surfaces throughout
a biology curriculum; refer to it.
“Nothing in biology makes sense
except in the light of evolution.”
– Dobzhansky
Richard Dawkins talks with a high school student.
Teaching evolution
• Key points:
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–
–
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Evolution: Decent with modification
Earth History – Use the 24 hour clock analogy
Charles Darwin – start with the story!
Variation/mutation, inheritance, and selection –
finches to bacteria….
– Speciation – best shown as the branching ‘tree of
life” model
– Evidence of evolution – from radiometric dating
to embryological evidence
– Human evolution – Story of “Lucy”, human
thumb activity, skull activity…
Lee Meadow’s
“The Missing Link”
• An inquiry approach for teaching all
students about evolution.
• Don’t say evolution is ‘just a theory’
• Many students feel they have to defend their
faith. Relieve that feeling.
• http://leemeadows.blogspot.com/
Evolution
X
Evolution is NOT linear,
so where did this come from?
Evolution
Intelligent Design is NOT in the standards. Do not
approach the topic OR even state “versus.” This is
truly NOT a topic, or the place, where students
need to feel they need to defend their faith.
Survival of the Sneakiest
Survival of the Sneakiest
Discussion questions
• When it comes to crickets, what does fitness
mean?
• Is calling good or bad for a cricket's
fitness?
• Give some examples of selection at work in
this cricket story.
• How does selection favor calling? How
does selection favor not calling?
?
How long can a fruit fly
survive without food?
“SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST”—ONLY THE ‘BEST’ FLY WILL SURVIVE
AND BE ABLE TO REPRODUCE AND PASS IT’S GENES ON TO THE NEXT
GENERATION.IT IS THEN SAID TO BE ‘FIT’-THIS IS NATURAL SELECTION.
Number of flies
AVERAGE STARVATION RESISTANCE
The average fruit fly
can survive about 20
hours without food.
A MORE
GENETICALLY
‘FIT’ FLY
GENETICALLY
‘UNFIT’” FLY
Hours until starvation
THE EXPERIMENT
= 500 fruit flies
Food removed
Food returned
Only the most starvationresistant flies live to lay eggs.
?
1 INITIAL SETUP
Start with a cage that
contains a large
number of fruit flies
(5,000), and remove
the food.
2 TESTING
STARVATION
RESISTANCE
Wait until 80% of the
starve to death,
Eggs flies
then return the food to
the cage. Record the
New generation average starvationresistance time.
Can fruit flies evolve so that they can
resist starvation longer? Can
we see Natural Selection at work? (YES)
3 START NEW
GENERATION
After the surviving flies
eat a bit, collect the eggs
those flies lay and
transfer them to a new
cage.
GENERATION 1
Average starvation resistance:
20 HR.
Hours until starvation
GENERATION 2
Average starvation resistance:
23 HR.
Hours until starvation
Experiment continues through 60 generations.
GENERATION 60
Average starvation resistance:
160 HR.---this is evolution
(change) at work
Number of flies
Number of flies
Number of flies
THE RESULTS
Hours until starvation

Over many generations of natural
selection, the population changes! The
flies now resist starvation much longer.
THE EVOLUTIONS OF POPULATIONS
THERE ARE FOUR
MECHANISMS THAT CAN
GIVE RISE TO EVOLUTION:
1.MUTATION
2.GENETIC DRIFT
3.MIGRATION (Gene Flow)
4.NATURAL SELECTION
Greatly and quickly seen in isolated populations like those on islands.
-Allele frequency will change over generations; situations/EVR will
favor one allele over another
-Those populations at equilibrium are not evolving
-Species with more genetic diversity will adapt better to environmental
changes
Mutations
five
• Rare because you have self
correcting enzymes
• Natural Process that produces
genetic diversity
• Not all mutations are bad
– Some won’t affect the body at all
digit
s
wrist
bone
Genetic Drift
• Blood types/ear lobes
– Some are advantageous
(thumb)
Random selection….need a constant
change and variety of alleles to survive
Migration
(Gene Flow)
Natural Selection
Three conditions for NS to occur:
1. Variation of the trait
2. Trait must be inheritable
3. One version is in greater abundance
Each mechanism changes
the allele frequency
• With your ipad/smart phone go to
http://science.discovery.com/games-andinteractives/charles-darwin-game.htm
• Or google “Darwin evolution game”
• If you survive, let me know!
1. Why is it beneficial to have diversity in a population?
2. What were some of the selective pressures in your
environment that accented the survival of some of you
population?
3. What were you looking for in the mutation lifeline to help
your population survive?
4. Based on your experience in playing this game, do you
think there have been more extinctions of species than
successes of various species? Explain.
Evolution does not work this way
Organisms with favorable genetic variations
will tend to survive and breed successfully
Comparative embryology:
Similar embryo development in closely related species
similar embryos, diverse organisms
Investigating Hominoid Fossils.
Homologous and Analogous
Structures
Homologous structures show
evidence of a common ancestor
Analogous structures
have a similar function but
not a common ancestor.
Similar structures are due
to a common
environmental
pressure/need.
Human Thumb Activity
With the thumb came the
power and precision grips 
use of tools! An advantageous
characteristic of most species
in the genus Homo.
The Most FIT!!!!
Dog versus Wolf Card Game
Evolution Thinket
• Additional Resources:
– Understanding Evolution website- Berkley
– http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/edu
cators/lessons/lesson5/act1.html
– http://www.elucy.org/
– Evolution of Cetaceans
• Next slide for more resources
Or Die!
The Natural History Museum presents “The evolution game”
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/evolution/what-isevolution/natural-selection-game/the-evolution-experience.html
This game is all about natural selection, the player plays the role of a
young bird which must survive in order to reproduce. You must eat
enough bugs to survive each season, but the color of the bugs changes
depending on which bugs are easiest to find.
The Big Picture on Evolution
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/stellent/groups/corporatesite/@msh_publi
shing_group/documents/we b_document/wtd026042.pdf
This teaching resource from the Welcome Trust is a short issue all
about evolution. It explains the research and applications of evolution
as well as the history – great for older kids, or those interested in
learning more.
Follow up
•Q & A
•Post Test