Essential Question???
Does Evidence
Support the
Theory of Evolution?
Cartoon: members.aol.com/kiekeben/ darwin.gif
What is this???
 Describe this specimen. What do you observe?
 Is this a terrestrial or marine animal?
 What anatomical features support your hypothesis?
 Is this a modern or ancient animal? If ancient, what modern day animal
does it resemble?
What
Is
It?
 Describe this specimen. What do you observe?
 Is this a terrestrial or marine animal?
 What anatomical features support your
hypothesis?
 Is this a modern or ancient animal? If ancient,
what modern day animal does it resemble?
 Describe this specimen.
What do you observe?
 Is this a terrestrial or marine
animal?
 What anatomical features
support your hypothesis?
 Is this a modern or ancient
animal? If ancient, what modern
day animal does it resemble?
What IS it?
What is IT?
 Describe this specimen. What do you observe?
 Is this a terrestrial or marine animal?
 What anatomical features support your hypothesis?
 Is this a modern or ancient animal? If ancient, what modern day animal
does it resemble?
WHAT is it?
 Describe this specimen. What do you observe?
 Is this a terrestrial or marine animal?
 What anatomical features support your
hypothesis?
 Is this a modern or ancient animal? If ancient,
what modern day animal does it resemble?
What is it?
 Describe this specimen. What do you
observe?
 Is this a terrestrial or marine animal?
 What anatomical features support your
hypothesis?
 Is this a modern or ancient animal? If ancient,
what modern day animal does it resemble?
Grand Finale…What is it???
All drawings: www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons/wh.n.mkg.html
Whale Evolution PowerPoint and Cooperative Group Activity
Middle School 6th/7th grade Life Science and 9th grade Biology
Learning Outcomes:
PowerPoint Presentation (P3):
Students will make observations on the skeletal fossils of whale ancestors. They will
hypothesize about the identity of the specimen and its relationship to modern animals based
on anatomical features.
Whale Evolution Group Activity (WEGA):
Students will observe similarities and differences between skeletal drawings of ancestral
whales, and hypothesize about the relationship between the 6 drawings. Students will
understand how fossils and anatomical relationships between organisms are used as
evidence to support the theory of evolution.
Procedure:
P3: With each slide, have students make observations, then use observations to support
their hypothesis of animal identity, habitat, mode of transportation, ancient or modern
species, related species.
WEGA: Groups of 4 students receive all drawings. Goal is to establish relationships
between the species based on observed similar anatomical features. At end of activity,
reveal the whale evolutionary line to whole class.
Follow-up questions:
1. Summarize how anatomy is used as evidence for evolution.
2. Do you think similar anatomical structures are valid data for establishing evolutionary
lines? Why or why not?
3. How is the fossil record used to support evolution?
Suggestions
• QCCs
• Non-anatomical bases for ascribing
phylogeny
• Evidence that fails to support the
hypothesis
• How many similarities, differences?
• Video clip from Evolution (Gingerich, U
Michigan)