Big Idea 1: Evolution

The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life

Enduring Understanding 1.A. Change in the genetic makeup of a population over time is evolution

1.A.1: Natural selection is a major mechanism of evolution

1.A.2: Natural selection acts on phenotypic variations in populations

1.A.3: Evolutionary change is also driven by random processes

1.A.4: Biological evolution is supported by scientific evidence from many disciplines, including mathematics

Enduring Understanding 1.B: Organisms are linked by lines of descent from common ancestry

1.B.1: Organisms share many conserved core processes and features that evolved and are widely distributed among organisms today

1.B.2: Phylogenetic trees and cladograms are graphical representations of evolutionary history that can be tested.

Enduring Understanding 1.C: Life continues to evolve within a changing environment

1.C.1: Speciation and extinction have occurred throughout the Earth's history

1.C.2: Speciation may occur when two populations become reproductively isolated from each other

1.C.3: Populations of organisms continue to evolve

Enduring Understanding 1.D: The origin of living systems is explained by natural processes

1.D.1: There are several hypotheses about the natural origin of life on earth, each with supporting evidence

1.D.2: Scientific evidence from many different disciplines supports models of the origin of life

Sample Learning Objectives- What should I be able to do?

• evaluate evidence provided by data to qualitatively and quantitatively investigate the role of natural selection in evolution.
• make predictions about the effects of genetic drift, migration and artificial selection on the genetic makeup of a population.
• pose scientific questions that correctly identify essential properties of shared, core life processes that provide insights into the history of life on Earth
• evaluate evidence provided by a data set in conjunction with a phylogenetic tree or a simple cladogram to determine evolutionary history and speciation
• design a plan to answer scientific questions regarding how organisms have changed over time using information from morphology, biochemistry and geology