Science Performance
HS Biology
Topic – Determining species
Title
“Classifying Birds in the United States”
from: Scientific Argument in Biology, NSTA Press
Performance Expectation: HS-LS4-5 Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in
environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2)
the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species. [Clarification Statement:
Emphasis is on determining the cause and effect relationships for how changes to the environment such as deforestation,
fishing, application of fertilizers, drought, flood, an the rate of change of the environment affect distribution or disappearance
of traits in species.]
Note: This activity would be done prior to addressing changes in environmental conditions to develop/reinforce/assess students’
understanding of biological species concept. It could be done in conjunction with heredity – variation in traits.
Performance Expectations: Lesson Performances
Construct explanations biological species concept.
Engage in argument from evidence to support a reasonable scientific explanation to justify classification
of the ten birds.
Communicate information for how evidence related to structure and function and speciation supports
claim with respect to the number of species represented by 10 different birds.
Student Science Performance
Gathering:
Information and question provided by the teacher.
Reasoning:
Analyze data
Developing evidence
Construct an explanation from evidence
Students in groups of four analyze the provided data to develop evidence to support their claim for the
focus question: How many species do these 10 different birds represent? Each group records their
claim, evidence and reasoning on a white board to share with other groups.
Reasoning and Communicating:
Evaluate information
Argue from evidence
Communicate information
Using a round-robin format, three group members travel to two other groups and evaluate the other
group’s claims by asking questions related to data analysis and appropriate scientific principles. The
remaining group member will defend his/her group’s explanation by arguing from the evidence used and
the group’s rationale for it.
Sample Questions to use in small group argumentation sessions:
 How did you analyze or interpret your data? Why did you decide to do it that way?
 How do you know that your analysis of the data is free from errors?
 Why does your evidence support your claim?
 Why did you decide to use that evidence? Why is your evidence important?
 How does your rationale fit with accepted scientific ideas?
 What are some of the other claims your group discussed before agreeing on your claim, and why
did you reject them?
Reasoning and Communicating:
Evaluate information
Argue from evidence
Communicate information
Traveling group members rejoin their spokesperson and share observations and information from other
groups. Spokesperson shares questions, comments, and rebuttal from other groups. Group members
revise explanation as deemed necessary.
Communicating
Argue from evidence
Students individually write an argument to persuade another biologist that his/her claim is valid and
acceptable. They should connect evidence for how genetic mutations and/or environmental changes
account for changes in populations over time, which can result in reproduction isolation.
Assessment: Score individual student explanations using the rubric for generating arguments.
Science Essentials
Science Practices
Compare data to make sense of and explain
phenomena.
Analyze data
Compare data and use comparisons as evidence.
Developing evidence
Reflect on data in light of others’ data about similar
Construct an explanation from evidence
investigations.
Evaluate information
Analyze and share findings.
Argue from evidence
Explain science phenomena.
Communicate information
Compare multiple explanations of the same science
phenomena.
Explain science observations using evidence.
Evaluate multiple science explanations used to
explain science phenomena.
Share explanations with others.
Work collaboratively to construct science
explanations.
Use evidence to support ideas.
Use evidence to generate and support explanations.
Use evidence to support arguments about science
explanations.
Determine the best evidence for a specific
argument.
Listen to others’ explanations.
Read and understand scientific information.
Use appropriate terminology and descriptions.
Share science information with others through
written and oral reports.
Crosscutting Concepts
Identify the causes of observed patterns in natural
systems.
Cause and effect
Use evidence to support explanations for the
Structure and function
causes of phenomena.
Compare multiple causes contributing to one
phenomena.
Investigate phenomena and describe the
structure/function relationships.
Develop explanations for phenomena based on
structure and function relationships.
Core Ideas
Changes in the physical environment, whether
naturally occurring or human induced, have thus
Adaptation
contributed to the expansion of some species, the
Variation of Traits
Natural Selection
emergence of new and distinct species as
populations diverge under different conditions, and
the decline – and sometimes extinction – of some
species.
Natural selection leads to adaptation, that is, to a
population dominated by organisms that are
anatomically, behaviorally, and physiologically well
suited to survive and reproduce in a specific
environment.
In sexual reproduction, chromosomes can
sometimes swap sections during the process of
meiosis, thereby creating new genetic
combinations and thus more variation. Errors can
occur during DNA replication and result in
mutations, which are also a source of genetic
variation.