BSC 307 5-E Model Lesson Plan
Meghan Bagby
Title: “Happy and Sad Bears”
Grade Level:
9
Objectives: TSWBAT…
Explain the factors involved in Natural Selection and their impact on an environment.
Understand the relationship between predator and prey.
Model the effects of Natural Selection on a population.
Analyze through the use of data charts and graphs the impact Natural Selection has a on
a population size and phenotype.
Illinois Learning Standards:
Stage H 12A 3: Apply scientific inquiries or technological designs to compare
evolutionary trends between kingdoms and phyla, exploring natural and applied
hybridization, explaining the increasing sophistication of body systems correlating
embryological, structural, and functional development, or exploring the impact of
environmental factors on these trends.
Engagement:
Students will be told a story of Teddy Graham Land. Teddy Graham land is made up of
Happy Bears and Sad Bears and the students have come along to be predators.
However, happy bears are the only bears that are easy to catch and taste good. Happy
Bears have their hands up and Sad Bears have their hands down.
Students are then asked to make predictions on what they think will happen to the
population of bears.
Exploration:
Students will be partnered up and work through the procedure of the Teddy Graham
activity, where they will go through 6 different generations of Teddy Grahams. While
going through the 6 different generations of Teddy Grahams they will act as the
predator. Once the predator has gone through the population, students will mate the
Teddy Grahams by using the genotypes of hands up and hands down Teddy Grahams.
Then the predator will be reintroduced and the students will continue this for 6
generations.
Explanation:
Students will collect data in a table and make a graph from the data they receive from
the activity. They will answer questions based off of their findings of Natural Selection in
the activity and relate this back to the date they found. Students will be asked to
explain whether their model in Teddy Graham land fit the principles of Natural
Selection.
Elaboration:
Students will then be given a scenario about the predator and what would happen if the
predator were to no longer be present and to describe what would happen to the
population. They will also be given the basic idea of Hardy-Weinberg and be asked to
apply it to their population.
Class discussion would be held after the groups have had time to go through these
questions.
Evaluation(Assessment Strategies):
Students will be evaluated based on the questions answered during the explanation and
elaboration phases. Plus participation in the lab and discussion with the class on the
elaboration phase.
Rationale:
This activity will be a good introduction or extension activity of going over Natural
Selection in class. They are able to investigate the effects of Natural Selection on a
population. Evolution and Natural Selection can be very boring for students and this is
one way to make learning about natural selection more engaging and gives them a
model to work from. This lesson relates to ILS Stage 12 A 3 as it asks to students to use
scientific inquiry to explore an evolutionary trend.
Resources:
Berg, L., Martin, D. W., & Solomon, E. (2007). Biology (8 ed.). New York: Brooks Cole.
Illinois State Board of Education. (1997). Illinois State Learning Standards. [On-line]. Retrieved
on October 10, 2010. Available: http://www.isbe.net/ils/Default.htm.
Index of /staff/larmad/science/Link Files/Biology_Details/Lessons. (n.d.). Salt Lake City School
District - Your Best Choice. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from
http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/staff/larmad/science/Link%20Files/Biology_Details/Lessons
/0501natsel.pdf
Wartski, L. (n.d.). Natural Selection With "Teddy Grahams". Access Excellence @ the National
Health Museum. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from
http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/1995/wartski_natural.php