Evolution
Essential Questions
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Why are all life forms connected through their structure and function?
 Why do organism evolve?
 What evidence is there to support the theory of evolution?
What role does the environment play in organism’s survival and reproduction?
 How do species change over time?
Mastery Objectives
1. Describe the role of the voyage aboard the HMS Beagle had in helping to
shape Darwin’s ideas.
2. Describe the contribution that of each of the following scientists had in relation
to the Theory of Evolution: Lamarck and Malthus
3. Compare Darwin’s theory of natural selection to Lamarck’s theory of acquired
characteristics.
4. Apply Darwin’s views and Lamarck’s views to different scenarios
5. Apply the theory of natural selection to various situations.
6. Define evolution in modern terms.
7. Compare natural selection to artificial selection
8. Describe how each of the following provides evidence for evolution:
homologous body structures, comparative embryology, fossils,
biogeographically distributions of species, comparative biochemical analysis
9. Define and give examples of analogous, homologous and vestigial structures
10. Define fitness and adaptations and how they play a role and natural selection
11. Explain what is meant by the term survival of the fittest
12. Define speciation and give examples
13. Explain the different forms of isolation and how they may lead to speciation
and give examples
14. Define adaptive radiation. Explain why this occurs and give two examples.
15. Compare and understand the terms directional selection, disruptive selection
and stabilizing selection.
16. Define convergent, divergent, and coevolution. Give an example of each.
17. Describe the steps to speciation of Darwin’s finches.
18. Describe the phenomenon known as a genetic drift. Give a hypothetical
example.
19. Define founder effect.
20. Understand how adaptations and variations can help an organism with natural
selection.
21. Explain how natural selection may become a hindrance especially when it
comes to bacteria and antibiotic drugs.