Independent Project
Adrienne Hill
EDUS 516
Holy Family University
Dr. Parmigiani
March 23, 2011
Bogiages, Christopher A., Lotter, Christine (2011). Modeling Natural Selection. The
Science Teacher, 78(2), 34-40
This article is written directly for teachers in response to national calls for more inquiry-based
learning in the classroom. The thought being that with inquiry-based learning, students not only
learn the science content material, but also how to think like scientists. It also fosters
excitement and enrichment in the learning process.
In summary, this article is a step-by-step guide for educators on how to use model based inquiry
and wikis to teach a unit on natural selection. The author defines model based inquiry (MBI) as a
pedagogical strategy that engages student’s in modeling using four core conversations: 1)
organizing what we know and what we don’t know, 2) generating models, 3) seeking evidence,
and 4) constructing arguments. The author divides the unit by day and gives specific strategies
and activities to be completed each day with the end goal of completing a wiki in a collaborative
effort with their peers.
It begins with organizing what we know and what we do not know, to first of all confront
students’ misconceptions about natural selection. The second day is spent reviewing and
discussing what scientific models and then allowing the students to create their own concept
maps based on the What We Know chart from the day before. The third day is spent seeking
evidence. The students will be allowed to go online to research and collect evidence on
examples of natural selection. They will then modify their models based on what they have
learned. On day 4, the pairs of students will construct an argument the links the evidence they
found to their original claim or assertion on their concept maps, with given parameters. Day 5
will be spend collaborating with student’s who addressed the same questions grouping together
to create a wiki page. This wiki page will contain their combined claims, models and arguments.
Students will then use a questionnaire to critique all of the class wikis. After they’ve finished
their critiques, the original pairs will have the opportunity to revise their original concept map of
how evolution works.
This entire article is completely significant to me as a teacher of Biology. It is quite easy to see
how the unit would be not only valuable to any science educator, but to the students as well.
You could easily replace the topic with any other topic with the same activities and have
success. The article stated that students post-assessment testing showed a significant average
difference from their pre-assessment data.
The authors’ references date from 1989 to 2010. It’s important to note that not all of the
references were related to technology, where they would need to be the most current. Many of
the references were related to the content area and to education in general.
The article was very thorough, providing illustrations to depict charts and examples of the
different tools the students would use in this model based inquiry. The article is a valuable tool
that any educator could use directly in their classroom.
Class Activity relating to the Independent project article:
In class, the students would be given a true/false worksheet to allow them to think about
Natural Selection and Evolution (attached). After 5 minutes, I would go over the answers to
allow everyone to see if they were correct in their assumptions or not.
Then I would direct the class to the Khan Academy website to watch a short video presentation
titled “Introduction to Evolution and Natural Selection” at this web address:
http://www.khanacademy.org/video/introduction-to-evolution-and-naturalselection?playlist=Biology
Evolution Study Questions
True/False Questions: Answer the following questions True (T) or False (F).
1. _____ Evolution is a scientifically valid theory
2. _____ Organisms existing today are the result of evolutionary processes that have
occurred over millions of years.
3. _____ The theory of evolution is based on speculation and not valid scientific
observation and testing.
4. _____ Modern humans are the product of evolutionary processes which have occurred
over millions of years.
5. _____ There is a considerable body of data which supports evolutionary theory.
6. _____ Most scientists accept evolutionary theory to be a scientifically valid theory.
7. _____ The theory of evolution is capable of being scientifically tested.
8. _____ The theory of evolution cannot be correct since it disagrees with the Biblical
account of creation.
9. _____ With few exceptions organisms on earth came into existence at about the same
time.
10. _____ The age of the earth is less than 20,000 years.
11. _____ The theory of evolution brings meaning to the diverse characteristics and
behaviors observed in living things.
12. _____ Evolutionary theory generates testable predictions with respect to the
characteristics of life.
13. _____ Organisms exist today in essentially the same form in which they always have.
14. _____ Evolution is not a scientifically valid theory.
15. _____ Much of the scientific community doubts if evolution occurs.
16. _____ Current evolutionary theory is the result of sound scientific research and
methodology.
17. _____ Evolutionary theory is supported by factual, historical, and laboratory data.
18. _____ Humans exist today in the same form in which they always have.
19. _____ The age of the earth is approximately 4-5 billion years.
20. _____ The available evidence is ambiguous as to whether evolution actually occurs.
Source: http://employees.csbsju.edu/ssaupe/biol106/lectures/evolution%20questions.pdf