How have living things changed over time? DNA sequences determine both the unity and diversity found in life on planet earth. The many ways that variation is introduced and maintained in populations of organisms was investigated in previous content progressions. This content progression addresses how groups of organisms respond to changing environmental conditions and biological evolution.
Learning Targets
Teacher Tip This is intended to be an introduction to nongenetic factors such as epigenetics that play a role in trait expression. The intent is exposure, not an in-depth study of biomolecular pathways. Currently, relatively few resources exist that introduce these concepts at an appropriate level for general biology classrooms.
104 I can identify non-genetic factors that may impact expressed traits. (11c)
120 I can identify patterns in embryologic development among diverse organisms and explain how these patterns are used as lines of evidence to support biological evolution. (16) 121 I can describe vestigial structures and explain how these structures are used as lines of evidence to support biological evolution. (16) 122 I can interpret similarities in the genetic code to provide evidence of common descent (genetic conservation). (16) 123 I can create a cladogram of related objects or organisms and interpret cladograms to draw conclusions about the relatedness of organisms. (16) 124 I can evaluate a wide variety of evidence to explain how organisms have changed over geologic time. (16) 125 I can evaluate a wide variety of evidence to draw conclusions regarding the role of natural selection in the formation of new species. (14, 16) 126 I can make inferences about the diversity of life on earth using examples and evidence of co-evolution, divergent, and convergent evolution. (16) 127 I can organize items based on physical characteristics and communicate my reasoning to others. (13) 128 I can create a dichotomous key that will allow others to classify objects. (13) 129 I can use major features to classify unfamiliar organisms using accepted classifica- tion schemes and can justify my classification. (13) 130 I can use binomial nomenclature and tools such as dichotomous keys to classify an unfamiliar organism and determine where it fits into accepted taxonomic schemes. (13) 131 I can distinguish biotic from abiotic materials, using the scientifically accepted characteristics of life. (13a) 132 I can describe viral structures and life cycles and compare these to the structures and life cycles of multicellular or unicellular organisms. (13a) 133 I can compare viruses to other infectious agents such as pathogenic bacteria and prions. (13a) 134 I can create a logical argument, based on evidence and reasoning, to support the premise that viruses are not living things. (13a)
107 I can collect and analyze data to identify patterns in survival and trait frequency in a population of organisms. (14) 108 I can develop an argument about which traits in a population will confer an adaptive advantage while going through changing conditions. (14) 109 I can define variation and categorize the processes (mutation and sexual recombination) that lead to variation. (11,15) 110 I can postulate how an environmental change could influence selection, driving changes in traits in a species that will persist in the population. (14,15) 111 I can describe and provide illustrative examples of the main ideas behind natural selection (overproduction of offspring, competition for limited resources, inherited variation in phenotypes, and differential survival/reproduction). (15) 112 I can use mathematical models to test the concept that organisms with favorable adaptations are more likely to survive and reproduce. (11,15) 113 I can compare and contrast natural and artificial selection and predict how artificial se- lection will impact the traits of an organism. (14) 114 I can analyze and interpret data to evaluate the impact of human intervention in determining the traits of agriculturally important plants and animals. (14) 115 I can develop a logical argument for a proposed mechanism of evolution, including necessary adaptations, mutations, and environmental changes. (15) 116 I can compare historical explanations for the diversity of life on earth to modern explana- tions by placing both in a historical context. (15) 117 I can analyze data, including fossil records, to support the premise that organ- isms have changed over time and that only a small fraction of the species that have previ- ously existed currently survive on earth. (16) 118 I can identify patterns of biogeography that are significant to Darwin’s theory. (16) 119 I can describe homologous structures and explain how these structures are used as lines of evidence to support biological evolution. (16)
Learning Targets
Learning Experiences
Misconception
Students examine genetic crosses that do not fit traditional Mendelian inheritance patterns: • A snapdragon plant with red flowers is crossed to a snapdragon with white flowers. The resulting offspring all have pink flowers. (incomplete dominance) • An individual with Type A blood has a child with an individual who has Type B blood. The child has Type AB blood. (codominance) • A rabbit with the chinchilla fur pattern is mated to a rabbit with the Himalayan fur pattern. 50% of the offspring are chinchilla, 25% are Himalayan, and 25% are albino. (multiple alleles) • A Caucasian man marries a Jamaican woman and they have five children with hair and skin tones that range from red hair and fair skin to black hair and caramel skin. (polygenic alleles) Students must use these results to develop additional models that explain how the allele combinations interact to produce the observed phenotypes. Where possible, Punnett squares should be used to help predict offspring outcomes. V Dominant traits are pre- dominant and are found at high frequencies in the population.
105 I can collect and analyze data on traits within a population to identify patterns within expressed traits in a population. (11) 106 I can mathematically calculate the probability of expressed traits of offspring, given parental traits and an understanding of inheritance patterns. (11)
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The Biology Compendium
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