Evo-Ed: A Case-based Approach to
Teaching Evolution
Peter White, Merle Heidemann, and Jim Smith
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI USA
Evolution of Toxin Resistance in Clams
Evolution of Toxin Resistance in Clams
1.
2.
3.
4.
Algal blooms affecting marine ecosystems.
Food webs and biomagnification of toxins.
Human interaction with ecosystem.
Different allele frequencies in geographically
isolated populations due to different environmental
conditions.
5. Mendelian genetics, inheritance and dominantrecessive relationships.
6. Single nucleotide substitution mutation that
changes the structure and function of a protein.
7. Action potential transmission through a neuron.
Can you connect any of these topics to the
curriculum you teach? If so, which ones?
Teaching Evolution
Teaching evolution necessitates the teaching of:
1. Natural Selection
2. Genetics
3. Cell biology
4. Central Dogma (DNA  RNA  Proteins)
5. Population Genetics / Biogeography
6. Community Ecology
7. Phylogenetics
8. …and more!
May, 2013
Interdependent Relationships
in Ecosystems
- Ecology
- Biodiversity
- Animal Behavior
Inheritance and
Variation of Traits
- Genetics
- DNA and mutation
- Cell division
- Central Dogma
Structure and
Function
- Cell Biology
- Physiology
May, 2013
Matter and Energy in
Organisms and Ecosystems
- Photosynthesis
- Cellular Respiration
- Species Interactions
Natural Selection and
Evolution
- Natural Selection
- Phylogenetics
- Population Ecology
Interdependent Relationships
in Ecosystems
- Ecology
- Biodiversity
- Animal Behavior
Inheritance and
Variation of Traits
- Genetics
- DNA and mutation
- Cell division
- Central Dogma
Structure and
Function
- Cell Biology
- Physiology
May, 2013
Matter and Energy in
Organisms and Ecosystems
- Photosynthesis
- Cellular Respiration
- Species Interactions
Natural Selection and
Evolution
- Natural Selection
- Phylogenetics
- Population Ecology
Interdependent Relationships
in Ecosystems
- Ecology
- Biodiversity
- Animal Behavior
Structure and
Function
- Cell Biology
- Physiology
May, 2013
Matter and Energy in
Organisms and Ecosystems
- Photosynthesis
- Cellular Respiration
- Species Interactions
Inheritance and
Variation of Traits
- Genetics
- DNA and
mutation
- Cell division
- Central Dogma
Natural Selection and
Evolution
- Natural Selection
- Phylogenetics
- Population Ecology
Interdependent Relationships
in Ecosystems
- Ecology
- Biodiversity
- Animal Behavior
Structure and
Function
- Cell Biology
- Physiology
May, 2013
Matter and Energy in
Organisms and Ecosystems
- Photosynthesis
- Cellular Respiration
- Species Interactions
Inheritance and
Variation of Traits
- Genetics
- DNA and
mutation
- Cell division
- Central Dogma
Natural Selection and
Evolution
- Natural Selection
- Phylogenetics
- Population Ecology
• “[Students] leave schools without fully understanding how
well supported evolutionary theory is.”
• “Many teachers are not scientifically capable of teaching
evolution using modern approaches.”
– Develop cases that promote the learning of
evolution as an integrative biological theory.
– Provide teaching resources for science teachers so
they can teach evolution as an integrative
biological theory.
Trichromatic Vision
Evolution in
Primates
Fur Color Evolution
in Beach Mice
Seed Taste
Evolution in Field
Peas
Toxin Resistance
Evolution in Clams
www.evo-ed.com
“What does a Case look like?”
www.evo-ed.com
Splash Page has brief descriptions of cases and links to resources
www.evo-ed.com
www.evo-ed.com
Case Splash Page has links to different aspects of the biology
www.evo-ed.com
www.evo-ed.com
Intro Bio II (LB145) S12
Minute Paper #1
What is a protein?
Draw a picture.
What does this protein do?
What is a protein?
Draw a picture. What does this protein do?
Student “A”
“A protein is a substance that is made up of amino
acids. DNA is a protein. Proteins are containers for
genetic information to be stored in. This protein
houses material that determines hair color.”
Student “B”
“A protein is a very important concept in cellular
growth. I couldn’t, for the life of me, draw you one
right now but hopefully I will be able to soon
because I honestly have no idea where to even
begin. (Added later) A protein is a chain of amino
acids.”
Students have very crude mental models of proteins
Mouse Fur Color
MC1R protein is
stimulated and
facilitates cAMP
production.
cAMP is used to
regulate gene
expression.
c(tyr)
Tyrp1
Tyrp2
p
Select a Set of Mouse Case PowerPoint Slides
Mouse Case:
A Sample Lesson
https://www.msu.edu/course/lb/145/smith/s13/index.html
Backward Design
(Wiggins & McTighe 2005)
Learning Objectives
Assessment
Exam
Instructional Activities
Instructional Activities
Support for an integrated approach?
The Evo-Ed Project:
– A Case Approach to Evolution Education
– Integrative cases that explore trait evolution across biological scales.
Is there a relationship between the case
approach and learning?
The Assessment Tool for Evaluating Evolution Knowledge
(ATEEK)
- Iterative design process (Anderson and Bishop 1990)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Determine essential concepts important to evolution.
Design an assessment tool that probes for those concepts.
Field test the assessment tool.
Evaluate student responses. Revise a given question if the
pattern of responses differs from the expected pattern.
5. Field test the revised assessment tool.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until satisfied with the pattern of
answers.
The ATEEK
Q1. Jaguars can have an orange coat or a black coat.
Orange jaguars have either two G alleles or one G allele
and one g allele, whereas black jaguars have two g alleles.
When a jaguar has the genotype gg, what happens inside
its cells so that a black coat is produced?
Q2. Toxican mushrooms contain a toxin that causes vomiting when ingested. Recently,
some Toxican mushrooms were found that did not produce the toxin.
Describe in detail what might have happened at the molecular level so that these
mushrooms no longer produce this toxin?
Q3. The non-poisonous Toxican mushroom has become more frequent in mushroom
populations and poisonous Toxican mushrooms have become rare.
Define Natural Selection and use it to explain this scenario.
Q4. Considering genetic mutation –
(i) Describe, at the molecular level, what a mutation is.
(ii)Use your answer from part (i) to describe the process whereby a mutation results in
a change at the phenotype level.
www.evo-ed.com
Scoring the ATEEK
- A response could be scored as 0, 1, or 2.
- 0: Answer is wrong of mostly wrong.
- 1: Answer is partially right.
- 2: Answer is completely correct or mostly correct.
- Average student GAIN calculated for each question
GAIN = Post-Course ATEEK Score – Pre-Course ATEEK Score
(post-course – pre-course)
Gain
Q1: Jaguars can have an orange coat or a black coat. Orange jaguars have
either two G alleles or one G allele and one g allele, whereas black
jaguars have two g alleles.
When a jaguar has the genotype gg, what happens inside its cells so that
a black coat is produced?
Learned
evolution using
integrative cases
Did not learn
evolution using
integrative cases
(post-course – pre-course)
Gain
Q2: Toxican mushrooms contain a toxin that causes vomiting when
ingested. Recently, some Toxican mushrooms were found that did not
produce the toxin.
Describe in detail what might have happened at the molecular level so
that these mushrooms no longer produce this toxin?
Learned
evolution using
integrative cases
Did not learn
evolution using
integrative cases
Q3: The non-poisonous Toxican mushroom has become more frequent in
mushroom populations and poisonous Toxican mushrooms have become
rare.
(post-course – pre-course)
Gain
Define Natural Selection and use it to explain this scenario.
Learned
evolution using
integrative cases
Did not learn
evolution using
integrative cases
(post-course – pre-course)
Gain
Q4i: Considering genetic mutation –
Describe, at the molecular level, what a mutation is.
Learned
evolution using
integrative cases
Did not learn
evolution using
integrative cases
(post-course – pre-course)
Gain
Q4ii: Use your answer from part (i) to describe the process whereby a
mutation results in a change at the phenotype level.
Learned
evolution using
integrative cases
Did not learn
evolution using
integrative cases
The Evo-Ed Project:
• “[Students] leave schools
without fully understanding
how well supported evolutionary theory is.”
 Cases may help students understand how novel
phenotypes arise starting from the most basic
building blocks of life.
 Cases give students concrete examples of
evolution.
 Integrative approach good idea anyways?
(Data seem to support it too)
The Evo-Ed Project:
• “Many teachers are not
scientifically capable of
teaching evolution using
modern approaches.”
• Evo-Ed Website:
http://www.evo-ed.com
• Explanation of cases and
corresponding .ppt
resources.
Questions?
Discussion?
Acknowledgements:
Partial support for this work was provided by
the NSF TUES program under Award
No. 1043876. Any opinions, findings, and
conclusions or recommendations expressed
in this material are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the National Science Foundation.
Thanks to Kathie Ellis, Joe Murray,
Miles Loh, Mark Kauth, Kendra
Cheruvelil, Chuck Elzinga, Gerry
Urquhart, Cheryl Murphy, Andy
Jarosz, Doug Luckie, Richard Lenski,
Craig Nelson and Lyman Briggs
College for their contributions to the
project.
Questions?