Natural Selection

Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increases some individuals' probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment. (MS-LS4-4)

Vocabulary: natural selection, heritability, evolution, adaptation, reproduce, inherited, mutations, DNA, species, genes, variations, Permian Era.

Google Doc Worksheet

1. What is natural selection?

2. BrainPop: Natural Selection (take the review quiz after movie) Skip if your school does not subscribe to BrainPop.

a. How does natural selection work?

b. What happened back in the 1800's?

c. What did Darwin notice about the different finches on each island?

d. What are environment pressures?

e. What is the Theory of Evolution?

3. Interactive: Is intelligent life inevitable?

a. Is intelligent life an inevitable result of evolution? Why?

b. How many species have existed since the origin of life?

4. Watch the movie and answer the Edpuzzle questions.

5. Watch the movie and answer the following questions

7. Go through the lesson and answer the following questions

a. What does diversity within a species begin with?

b. What does DNA do?

c. What causes eyes to different colors in humans?

d. What are mutations? What are common mutations?

e. What is recombination in genes?

f. What creates variations?

8. Watch the movie and answer the following questions.

6. Complete the interactive quiz, The theory of evolution, and answer the questions.

9. Lesson: Genetic Variation: the Outcome of Mutation

a. Mutation is a process that changes a ____ __________.

b. Which example did you choose?

c. What were the traits, protein, and DNA, of your example?

10. Watch NOVA Mass Extinction over time and answer the following questions: If the video is not working try YouTube

a. What is mass extinction?

b. Based on the fossil record what percent of life was knocked out at the end of the Permian Era?

c. What types of plants and animals lived in the Permian era?

d. What do scientists think killed off life in the Permian era?