Connor Plumb

Evolution Evidence Lesson 6

Freshman Biology
50 minutes
Evolution

Standards:
HS-LS4-1 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological evolution are
supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.8
Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author's
claim or a recommendation for solving a scientific or technical problem.

Educational Objectives:
● The students will be able to identify lines of evidence that support the theory of evolution
● Students will be able to understand relationships associated with common ancestry and
the fossil record

Assessment on Learning:
● Exit slip listing what they learned is used for evidence to support evolution

Central Focus
● Identifying evidence of evolution

Accommodations for students with specific learning needs:

● Graphic organizer and vocabulary list

Academic Language
Language Function (select 1):

Analyze Compare/Contras Construct Describe Evaluate

t

Examine Identify Interpret Justify Locate

Explain Prove Argue Synthesize

 Identify a learning task from your plan that provides students with opportunities to
practice using the language function identified above:

Justify: that evidence supports the theory of evolution

Additional Language Demands. Given the language function and learning task identified
above, describe the following associated language demands (written or oral) students need to
understand and/or use:
Discourse: Give reasoning to support the theory of evolution

Vocabulary:
Natural Selection
Adaptation
Evolution
Mutation
Fossil Record
Common Ancestor
DNA
Heritability
Homologous Structures
Vestigial Structures

Plus at least one of the following:

Syntax
Discourse

Materials: Writing Utensil

Graphic organizer with fill in the blanks
PowerPoint slides
Notebook
Whiteboard
Anticipatory Set/ Attention Getter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=lIEoO5KdPvg&t=607s

Questions to Ask
1. What lines of evidence support evolution? (5)
2. What is an example of a vestigial structure found in human bodies?
3. What are homologous structures found in humans and other animals?
4. What is unique about the embryos of human beings and other vertebrates?
5. How does our molecular DNA provide evidence for evolution?

Sequence of Events (include time needed):

1. Evidence of Evolution video with discussion (15 minutes)
2. Lecture on vestigial structures and fossil evidence (20 minutes)
3. Comparative embryology examples and DNA comparisons and recap (10 minutes)
4. Exit slip listing the five lines of empirical evidence for evolution (5 minutes)

Conclusion/Summary: In conclusion, the fossil record, related anatomy, comparative

embryology, molecular DNA comparison and biography. It is really interesting how similar
our embryos resemble different organisms embryos. Vestigial structures that no longer
serve purpose in our bodies but had use in previous common ancestors can be seen as
striking evidence in support of evolution. In conclusion, evolution is a theory that is
supported and accepted by scientists worldwide.

*Some lesson plan prompts come from SCALE.

Lesson Plan Guidelines

1. NGSS Standards
▪ Standards provide the focus, foundation for school curriculum and daily lessons
▪ Standards provide the guidance for teachers to create new learning opportunities for
students to meet and exceed the Illinois State Standards
▪ To make standards work, resources need to be carefully targeted toward students’
achievement of the standards
▪ Cite the standards using text and numbers
2. Educational Objective(s)

▪ Always begin with the statement: The student(s) will be able to:
▪ What is the purpose of the lesson?
▪ What do you want the students to learn or accomplish?
▪ What concepts are you attempting to teach?
▪ Have you achieved connection to the standards listed?
▪ What is the intended learning?

3. Assessment On Learning

▪ Reflect on how you will assess the intended learning.

▪ What is the method of assessment?
▪ Include the assessment tool—rubric, test etc..
▪ Describe the assessment plan.
▪ Include any rubric or other assessment plan with the lesson plan.
▪ How will you know if the students achieved the standards, goals, benchmarks and
behavioral objectives listed.

4. Central Focus

▪ What is the central focus of the lesson you are planning?

▪ What are students learning?

5. Academic Language

▪ Identify Language Demands

▪ Support student’s academic language development
▪ Include evidence of language use in the lesson plan

6. Materials Required for the Lesson

▪ List ALL materials needed to teach the lesson
▪ Think about the beginning, middle and end of the lesson

7. Set or Attention Getter

▪ Plan an opening to gain the students’ attention
▪ Engage students in learning
▪ Begin to deepen student learning during instruction
▪ Set the state-of-the-lesson (overview—what can the student expect).
▪ Link new material to previously learned material

8. Sequence of Activities
▪ What are you going to teach?
▪ How are you going to teach it?
▪ When are you going to teach it?
▪ What Academic Language will be used?
▪ Independent work? How? Include materials
 ▪ Cooperative work? How? What roles? Etc..
▪ List each step as if a substitute teacher was teaching the lesson—Do not assume!—be
complete and thorough by writing details
▪ Assessment
✓ Analyze student work
✓ Use feedback to guide further learning
✓ Use assessment to inform instruction

9. Questions to Ask
▪ Use Bloom’s Taxonomy and LABEL each question choosing one of the taxonomy’s labels:
▪ knowledge
▪ comprehension
▪ application
▪ analysis
▪ synthesis
▪ evaluation
▪ Plan questions that demand higher levels of thinking.

9. Conclusion and Summary

▪ Bring the lesson to a close.
▪ Check for student understanding. How will you do this?
▪ Include a transition to the next content area, activity or lesson. How will you accomplish
this?