Barbellus lab Lesson Plan Format
1. Lesson title: Barbellus: evolution lab
2. Lesson length: 90 min
3. Grade level(s) 9
4. Science course
biology
5. Overview:
 The students will be given a lab that shows a river bank cut with fossils in different
levels. The students are given pictures of all the fossils that are in the river bank and
must show the two species lines that evolved from the primitive common ancestor by
pasting the pictures from the common ancestor through the two most recent species.
 This lab is placed in the evolution unit during the discussion of how scientists find the
age of fossils. It incorporates relative dating and evolution of similar characteristics
within the two separate species lines that come from the common ancestor.
 The students will have to show evidence for their arrangement of the fossil specimens.
6.- List which state science standards and indicators are addressed by this lesson.
 SCIENCE AS INQUIRY – The student will develop the abilities necessary to do
scientific inquiry and develop an understanding of scientific inquiry.
Benchmark 1: The student will demonstrate the abilities necessary to do
scientific inquiry
 LIFE SCIENCE – The student will develop an understanding of the cell, molecular basis
of heredity, biological evolution, interdependence of organisms, matter, energy, and
organization in living systems, and the behavior of organisms.
Benchmark 3: The student will understand biological evolution
▲understands biological evolution, descent with modification, is a
scientific explanation for the history of the diversification of organisms
from common ancestors
 HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE – The student will develop understanding of
science as a human endeavor, the nature of scientific knowledge, and historical
perspectives.
Benchmark 1: The student will develop an understanding that science is a human
endeavor that uses models to describe and explain the physical universe
understands scientific knowledge describes and explains the physical
world in terms of matter, energy, and forces. Scientific knowledge is
provisional and is subject to change as new evidence becomes available.
7. Student Outcomes:
 Students will practice evaluating claims in written articles.
 Students will practice communicating their opinions and defending their position.
 Students will understand that species evolve through modification of a common
ancestors’ traits.
 Students will understand that fossils can be dated from the strata of rock in which they
are found (relative dating)
8. Content Overview
 Students will be given an activity that combines relative dating and descent through
modification. They will be asked to create an evolutionary family tree from a diagram of
layers of a river bank that have fossils embedded within them. They will have pictures of
all the fossils and will put them into two branches of a family tree based on what layer the
fossil was in and the fossils’ particular characteristics.
 They will create an AEG based on their results.
 The AEG’s will be presented to the class for discussion.
9. Instructional plan:
 CUE: Today we are going to model how scientists evaluate the age of fossils and their
relationships to one another. After you have finished with the lab, you will fill out an
AEG on your findings.
 DO: The students will complete the laboratory and fill out an AEG form.
 REVIEW: Students will discuss their reasoning behind their AEG answers.
10. Assessment plan
 The students will self- assess their AEG based on the rubric.
11. Safety Plan Regular classroom rules.