Unit Overview
Content Area: Science
Unit Title: Evolution, Diversity, and Fossils
Unit: 3
Target Course/Grade Level: Seventh Grade
Timeline: 6-8 weeks
Unit Summary
This unit provides a means for students to understand the theory of evolution through various
environmental occurrences, geographical location, and genetics. Students first learn about the father of
evolution, Charles Darwin, and his contributions to science. Darwin sets the stage for explaining the
Theory of Evolution using three types of evidence: fossils, patterns of early development, and similarities
in body structures. This information leads to understanding of fossils; their importance in dating the Earth,
aging the organism, and eventually reveling information about Earth’s geologic time scale. Throughout the
10 week period students will participate in experiments, group discussions, and assessments with a goal of
understanding evolution, diversity, fossils, and the interactions connecting the three topics. The entire unit
culminates when these relationships are summarized into one final project where the students become
“paleontologists” and classify an unknown fossil.
Primary interdisciplinary connections: Language Arts, 21st Century Life and Careers, Technology,
Mathematics, Art, and Social Studies
21st century themes and skills: A. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving B. Creativity and Innovation,
C. Collaboration, Teamwork, and Leadership
Unit Rationale
“Today more than ever before, science holds the key to our survival as a planet and our security and
prosperity as a nation” (Obama, 2008).
According to scientists, the first living creature on this Earth was a single-celled organism (bacteria),
found in the ocean, dating back 3.5 billion years ago. The first plants appeared about 1 billion years ago,
and finally the first animal appeared about 600 million years ago. The millions of species that are visible
on Earth today are all descendents from a common ancestor. By studying the Theory of Evolution,
diversity, and fossils scientists were able to identify fossils, classify organisms, and discover new species.
As technology advances, scientists will continue to utilize this foundation of information to help ascertain
knowledge for the future of living species, the environment, and ultimately the Earth.
Learning Targets
Standards
5.1 Science Practices
All students will understand that science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, modelbuilding enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices
strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning skills that students must acquire to be proficient in
science.
A. Understand Scientific Explanations: Students understand core concepts and principals of
science and use measurement and observation tools to assist in categorizing, representing, and
interpreting the natural and designed world.
B. Generating Scientific Evidence Through Active Investigations: Students master the
conceptual, mathematical, physical, and computational tools that need to be applied when
constructing and evaluating claims.
C. Reflect on Scientific Knowledge: Scientific knowledge builds on itself over time.
D. Participate Productively in Science: The growth of scientific knowledge involves critique and
communication, which are social practices that are governed by a core set of values and norms.
5.3 Life Science
All students will understand that life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of
the complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in
accordance with rules that govern the physical world, and the order of natural systems can be modeled and
predicted through the use of mathematics.
E. Evolution and Diversity: Sometimes, differences between organisms of the same kind provide
advantages for surviving and reproducing in different environments. These selective differences
may lead to dramatic changes in characteristics of organisms in a population over extremely long
periods of time.
5.4 Earth Systems Science
All students will understand that Earth operates as a set of complex, dynamic, and interconnected systems,
and is a part of the all-encompassing system of the universe.
B. History of Earth: From the time that Earth formed from a nebula 4.6 billion years ago, it has been
evolving as a result of geologic, biological, physical, and chemical processes.
9.1 21st-Century Life & Career Skills
All students will demonstrate the creative, critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills
needed to function successfully as both global citizens and workers in diverse ethnic and organizational
cultures.
Content Statements:
Related Content Statements for Standard 5.1
 Predictions and explanations are revised based on systematic observations, accurate
measurements, and structured data/evidence.
 Evidence is generated and evaluated as part of building and refining models and explanations.
 Carefully collected evidence is used to construct and defend arguments.
 Scientific models and understandings of fundamental concepts and principles are refined as new
evidence is considered.
 Science involves practicing productive social interactions with peers, such as partner talk, wholegroup discussions, and small-group work.
 In order to determine which arguments and explanations are most persuasive, communities of
learners work collaboratively to pose, refine, and evaluate questions, investigations, models, and
theories (e.g., argumentation, representation, visualization, etc.).
Related Content Statements for Standard 5.3
 Anatomical evidence supports evolution and provides additional detail about the sequence of
branching of various lines of descent.
Related Content Statements for Standard 5.4
 Today’s planet is very different than early Earth. Evidence for one-celled forms of life (bacteria)
extends back more than 3.5 billion years.
 Fossils provide evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed. The principle of
Uniformitarianism makes possible the interpretation of Earth’s history. The same Earth processes
that occurred in the past occur today.
Related Content Statement for Standard 9.1
 The ability to recognize a problem and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to solve
the problem is a lifelong skill that develops over time.
 Gathering and evaluating knowledge and information from a variety of sources, including global
perspectives, fosters creativity and innovative thinking.
 Collaboration and teamwork enable individuals or groups to achieve common goals with greater
efficiency.
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Leadership abilities develop over time through participation in groups and/or teams that are
engaged in challenging or competitive activities.
CPI #
Cumulative Progress Indicator (CPI)
5.1.8.A.3
Use scientific principles and models to frame and synthesize scientific arguments and pose
theories.
5.1.8.B.1
Design investigations and use scientific instrumentation to collect, analyze, and evaluate
evidence as part of building and revising models and explanations.
5.1.8.B.3
Use qualitative and quantitative evidence to develop evidence-based arguments.
5.1.8.C.1
Monitor one’s own thinking as understandings of scientific concepts are refined.
5.1.8.D.1
Engage in multiple forms of discussion in order to process, make sense of, and learn from
others’ ideas, observations, and experiences.
5.1.8.D.2
Engage in productive scientific discussion practices during conversations with peers, both
face-to-face and virtually, in the context of scientific investigations and model-building.
5.3.8.E.2
Compare the anatomical structures of a living species with fossil records to derive a line of
descent.
5.4.8.B.1
Correlate the evolution of organisms and the environmental conditions on Earth as they
changed throughout geologic time.
5.4.8.B.2
Evaluate the appropriateness of increasing the human population in a region (e.g., barrier
islands, Pacific Northwest, Midwest United States) based on the region’s history of
catastrophic events, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and floods.
9.1.8.A.1
Develop strategies to reinforce positive attitudes and productive behaviors that impact
critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
9.1.8.B.1
Use multiple points of view to create alternative solutions.
9.1.8.C.1
Determine an individual’s responsibility for personal actions and contributions to group
activities.
9.1.8.C.2
Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus, and community building strategies for
carrying out different tasks, assignments, and projects.
9.1.8.C.3
Model leadership skills during classroom and extra-curricular activities.
Unit Essential Questions
Unit Enduring Understandings
 What hypothesis did Darwin make to explain the  Charles Darwin was a naturalist on the ship the
differences between similar species?
HMS Beagle that sailed around the world. While
on this ship, Darwin observed relationships among
 What process leads to the evolution and diversity
organisms, such as: diversity, fossils, and
of organisms?
specifically characteristics of organism from the
 How do scientists infer evolutionary
Galapagos Islands. Darwin came up with the
relationships among organisms?
Theory of Evolution by means of natural selection.
 What is the Geologic Time Scale?
Plants and animals are forced to adapt to their
 What is the principle of Uniformitarianism?
environment in order to survive. Species gradually
change over many generations to adapt to Earth’s
 How do we build and refine models that describe
changing conditions. This gradual change is
and explain the natural and designed world?
known as evolution. These species that
 What constitutes useful scientific evidence?
adapt/evolve are more likely to survive and
reproduce; this is known as natural selection.
 Species adaptations, gene variations, and the
environmental conditions allow the process of
natural selection to occur and eventually lead to
the evolution of the species. This enables an
organism to survive and pass its traits on to the
next generation. A new species can form when
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individuals get isolated from the rest of the group.
This isolation can be caused by natural
occurrences, such as: a river, volcano, or
earthquake; or isolation can be caused by human
interaction.
Scientists can find evolutionary relationships by
simply looking at the evidence. Evidence that
supports the Theory of Evolution includes fossils,
patterns of early development, body structures, and
DNA similarities. Using this information,
scientists have determined evolutionary
relationships among species.
Fossils form as an organism dies and becomes
buried in sediment. To determine how species have
changed over time, scientists age fossils. This can
be done in two ways: relative dating or radioactive
dating. From the millions of fossils that have been
discovered, scientists now have an extensive fossil
record which can tell us information about Earth’s
past. Scientists have created a calendar from this
information called the Geologic Time Scale. The
scale is divided into four major eras then each era
is divided into periods. The first life form was
bacteria which eventually evolved into plants and
invertebrates, then fish, then insects and dinosaurs
(amphibians and reptiles), next came birds, and
eventually mammals.
Uniformitarianism is the concept that Earth has
changed/evolved over time through series of
catastrophic events. The geologist James Hutton
came up with the theory. These events in Earth’s
history effected and will continue to affect the
plants and animals that inhabit the Earth; it will
determine how they interrelate, adapt, and evolve.
Measurement and observation tools are used to
categorize, represent and interpret the natural
world.
Evidence is used for building, refining, and/or
critiquing scientific explanations.
Unit Learning Targets
Students will ...
 Describe important observations Darwin made on his voyage.
 State the hypothesis Darwin made to explain differences between similar species.
 Explain how natural selection leads to evolution.
 List and explain the evidence that supports the Theory of Evolution.
 Describe how new species form.
 Describe how most fossils form.
 Explain how scientists determine a fossil’s age.
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Describe what scientist can learn from studying fossils.
State what the Geologic Time Scale is.
Explain the two main reasons why there are gaps in the fossil record.
Describe the principle of Uniformitarianism.
Explain how natural disasters from the past still occur today and affect Earth’s organisms.
Evidence of Learning
Summative Assessment
After learning about Darwin, evolution, and fossils students will be given a sample of an unknown fossil
and will need to identify what the organism is, the era it came from, and provide an explanation as to why
they classified it the way they did (using their knowledge of Linnaeus classification system). Students will
also need to explain how the organism moved and where did it live. A rubric will be used to assess
accuracy in identifying the organism and era, the effectiveness of communicating the organism’s
classification (using Linnaeus system). Lastly students will be assessed on the design, display, and
presentation of the fossil to the class.
Equipment needed: Unknown fossils, Geologic time Scale, Linnaeus’ system of classification, grading
rubric, poster board, tape, scissors
Teacher Instructional Resources: Discovery Education, Science Explorer: Life Science Textbook,
Library books, Internet: various websites, All-In-One Teaching Resources Workbooks
Formative Assessments
 Life Science Guided Reading and Study
Worksheets
 Darwin’s Finch Study (seeds and birds’ beaks)
 Nature At Work: Skills Lab
 Lab Zone Activity: Homologous Structures
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Telltale Molecules: Amino Acid Sequence: Lab
Fruit Preservation in Ice: Lab Zone Activity
Earth’s History as a Clock Poster
Key Terms (Vocabulary) Quiz
Unit Test: Changes Over Time
Integration of Technology:
Students will use Microsoft Office programs, the SMARTBoard and ELMO for project construction and
presentations. They will also use various websites to help engineer their research projects.
Technology Resources:
Click the links below to access additional resources used to design this unit:
Discovery Education: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/
National Geographic: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
Opportunities for Differentiation:
This unit caters to students of all learning styles (i.e., kinesthetic, visual, tactile and auditory instruction).
The students will work individually, in partners, and within groups throughout the unit.
The groups are composed of those that are at a variety of learning levels. Groups change consistently
throughout the unit. They also work in pairs and individually during different activities in the unit.
Students are given the opportunity to use skills such as inferencing while conducting labs and reading
comprehension to answer questions in the text and on worksheets. They will also conduct hands-on labs
and projects to aid in the further understanding of certain scientific concepts being taught.
Teacher Notes: If computer or internet access is not available to students they can use non-fictional texts
to perform research for the summative assessment. If fossil samples aren’t available pictures of fossils can
be used as a replacement.