Adaptation and Speciation
Exploring Structure/Function
Lesson plan written by: Lindsey Cascarina (Student Teacher) for a 9th grade Biogebra (Combination Biology
and Algebra) class
Colorado State Secondary Standard 2.9) Evolution occurs as the heritable characteristics of populations
change across generations and can lead populations to become better adapted to their environment.
Student’s Learning objectives:
By the end of today, I will be able to demonstrate my understanding of speciation and adaptation by …
-Identifying examples that I see in nature of instances where an organism’s structure fits its function or is well
adapted to its environment
-Distinguishing between micro and macro-evolution and between gradualism and punctuated equilibrium
-Describing evolutionary theory regarding the process by which speciation, convergent and divergent evolution
occur
-Predicting the evolutionary consequences that might occur if various environmental pressures were applied to
an organism
Materials:
-PowerPoint on Speciation and Adaptation (see instructional planning below)
-Field Notes packet for each student (see below)
-Pencil, notebook and jacket for outdoor portion of the class
-Observation lenses or glass/plastic jars with holes poked in lids (optional) for insect / plant observations
-Nets (optional) to catch insects
Instructional planning:
1. Print out of PowerPoint slides (pre-write students names and place them around the classroom according
to where I want each student to sit)
2. Field Notes Packet
3. Think of a story and/or joke to tell about grizzly bears as a “hook” to engage the class in a discussion
about adaptations, speciation, biological diversity and how those things are relevant to our lives.
4. Pull up a video about the birds of paradise mating rituals before class begins
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Procedure/activity:
Student Activity
Engage
Listen to a story about Grizzly Bears.
Teacher Activity
Tell a story (5 minutes) - “So, as many of
you know- I am a police officer. I started out as a
Park Ranger for Glacier National Park, in
Montana. Part of my job was to caution visitors to
be on the lookout for Grizzly Bears and take precautions to avoid bear encounters. Tourists can be
pretty dumb, you know… walking right up to
animals with your iPhone to take selfies next to a
Grizz is not a great idea. So- I would walk around
and advise hikers to wear little bells on their belts
so they wouldn’t surprise any bears when they
came around a corner (bears don’t appreciate little
sneaky humans). I would also tell them to carry
cans of pepper spray in case a bear approached.
These cans are big, red plastic containers full of a
chemical that smells like spicy peppers. After I
sent hikers on their merry way down the trail, I
would tell them to keep an eye out for piles of
fresh bear poop…so they would know if there had
been any recent bear activity in the area. I asked
them if they knew how to tell the difference
between black bear poop and grizzly bear
poop…Do you guys know?? Black bear poop
comes in smaller plops and is full of berries,
woody bits and tufts of fur. GRIZZLY bear
poop…on the other hand, comes in big fat mounds
and often contains little silver bells and chunks of
red plastic and smells like spicy peppers.”
Explore
Watch/ Listen to a PowerPoint presentation
on Speciation and Adaptation
Brainstorm and discuss:
What are the grizzlies in Yellowstone digging
around for?
What would the world be like if most living
things on this planet were Grizzly Bears?
Talk about Grizzlies in Yellowstone (2-5
minutes) - up on rocky cliffs digging
around for….anyone know? MOTHS! Of
all things a grizzly could eat….they are
eating little frail insects. Why? Resources
are depleted down low, moths are high in
protein, and grizzlies have long claws they
use to dig through the heavy rocks.
Pose the questions:
Why is biological diversity important?
What would the world look like if every
mammal on earth were a grizzly bear? (3
minutes to talk, 2 minutes to share out)
Why might biological diversity be
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important? (5 minutes, class discussion)
Explain
-Write notes during the presentation
-Ask questions
-On the back of your power-point notes
packet, choose one of the following topics
that is most confusing to you:
PowerPoint Presentation on adaptations,
micro vs. macro evolution, natural
selection (clear up misconceptions
revealed in survey monkey review
assignment), gradualism vs. Punctuated
equilibrium, speciation, convergent vs.
divergent evolution (20 minutes)
A) Speciation- how an organism splits off into
Explain task #1 (see “Explain” section to
a different species
the left): help a partner clear up confusion
B) Convergent vs. Divergent Evolution
on a confusing topic. Ask them to help
you. Write a paragraph to explain the topic
C) Gradualism vs. Punctuated Equilibrium
to yourself. (5-10 minutes) Take
-Task #1: With the person sitting next to you, attendance during this time.
help each-other explain the topics that you
find confusing. Write at least 4 sentences in
your explanation. What is it? How does it
happen? In what way is it related to
evolution? Examples?
Elaborate
Look for Examples of adaptations…how
structure matches function, helps an organism
survive and reproduce in its environment
Explain Task #2: We are going outside to
look for examples of how an organism’s
structure has a particular function that
makes it well adapted to survive and
reproduce successfully in its environment.
We are meeting up between the track and
the baseball field. Stay together and
hustle! We need one example filled out in
your filed notes packet THOROUGHLY.
(25 minutes)
Evaluate
(Next Class Period) Predict the process of
evolution that might happen if a particular
environmental pressure were applied to your
organism (this will serve as a warm up for
Friday’s activity).
Circulate and asking guiding questions:
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- What features would your organism need in order
to survive and reproduce in this new environment?
How would those features be acquired and how
long would it take?
Assessment
Informal Formative: Frequent checks for understanding in class discussions, Task #1 assignment requires
students to assist each other by explaining confusing concepts to each other…also requires them to identify gaps
in their own understanding.
Formal Formative: Students will turn in their field notes packets
Anticipated misconceptions/ alternative conceptions
-A few students in this class have showed resistance to talking about Evolution because they believe
their faith system is against it. Continue reassuring students that faith and science are not “against” eachother…we are simply talking about the evidence and logic that scientists use to make sense of the
history of life and the diversity we observe. People are free to hold their own opinions about the
legitimacy of those arguments, but our goal is to equip students with the knowledge, language and
reasoning skills to justify their opinions and have intelligent conversations with those who think
differently.
-One common misconception is that Natural Selection is the “survival of the fittest”....meaning the
strongest or most intelligent. This is confusing because the phrase “survival of the fittest” actually
implies the survival of those organisms that
Accommodations/modifications of activity
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