Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Making of the Fittest: Got Lactase? The Co-evolution of Genes and Culture
Got milk? Only two cultures have had it long enough to develop the tolerance of lactose as an adult. Learn how the responsible genes evolved along with the cultures that have been consuming milk. This rich film is supplied with a few...
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Evolution: Is It Fact and/or Theory?
Students explore the concepts of evolution. In this biology lesson, students read articles from the internet. They discuss the article within the group and answer their handouts.
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Who Was Charles Darwin?
Students complete two activities to study Charles Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection. They read Darwin's journal from the voyage of the Beagle and look at the scientific ideas that influenced the development of his theory.
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All in the Family: Calculating Cousins
Students view pictures of distant "cousins" to humans. They place them in order by their distance from humans. Students receive a packet of six pages featuring graphics and a cousins summary page. They work in groups to complete 5 cousin...
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The History of Life on Earth
Using meters as years, your class works together to map out the geologic time scale on a football field. Plenty of background information is included in this lesson plan as well as several resource links and a student worksheet. Your...
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Neanderthals
Students study Neanderthals. In this Prehistoric life lesson, students investigate two main theories regarding the relationship between Neanderthals and modern man. Students will conduct research through several provided web sites and...
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Charles Darwin's Hardware Shop
Young scholars construct an evolutionary tree representing specialization, diversity, and selection using easily obtained materials. They use at least twenty pieces of hardware to classify then develop "evolutionary" relationships...
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Bioinformatics
Students are exposed to the tools and databases currently used by researchers in molecular and evolutionary biology. They gain a better understanding of gene analysis, taxonomy, and evolution.
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Building Bodies
Students identify key anatomical similarities and differences between great apes and humans. They infer likely anatomical features in ancient human ancestors and list principal anatomical changes in primates necessary for adaptation to...
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Limiting Factors/ Evolution Game
Pupils will understand the relationship between limiting factors and evolution. They will be able to hypothesize possible evolutionary pathways for modern day organisms.
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PRIMATE CLASSIFICATION: Evolution, Cladograms,
Students transfer examples (names) of primates from their location in an outline hierarchy of primate groups into a set of nested boxes reflecting that same hierarchy. A cladogram can then be drawn illustrating how these groups are...
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The Cytochrome-C Lab
Students examine a method biologists use to try to determine relationships. They examine how amino acid sequences have been determined for a number of proteins, and how scientists can make inferences about DNA based on the amino acid...
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What is the Evidence for Evolution?
Middle schoolers identify one object that would tell the story of their lives. In groups, they determine what can and cannot be told from objects left behind. After watching a video, they compare and contrast chicken bones to human...
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Scavenger Hunt: A Group Collection
Students be complete a collection of living organisms and systems from the school campus.
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Introduction to Natural Selection
Students develop an understanding of natural selection, specifically, how it unfolds from generation to generation. They work in small groups to perform an experiment using beans. They use a worksheet imbedded in this plan to guide their...
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Molecular Sequences & Primate Evolution: Amino Acids, Hemoglobins in Evolution
Students compare differences in amino acids in the beta hemoglobin from representative primates, complete a matrix of those differences, and from these data, construct and interpret cladograms as they reflect relationships and timing of...
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Time Conceptualization
Students use this activity to establish a new mode of reference to the conceptualization of time. To present hominid evolution in terms of millions of years and endosymbiosis of eukaryotes in billions of years carries little meaning to...
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They're more evolved that way
Students explore the notion of local evolution, or genetic selectivity among different continent-based human populations. They consider specific examples of local evolution, such as lactose tolerance, skin color, and cognitive capacity,...
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Spork and Beans
Students examine natural selection, how it works and how it can cause microevolution. In this evolution lesson plan students complete a lab activity that shows the effects that natural selection has on organisms.
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Who was Charles Darwin?
Students trace major developments in the history of evolutionary science. They
discuss the connections between major events in world history and major events in the development of evolutionary thought by creating timelines.
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How do new species form?
Tenth graders conduct a critical analysis of current evolutionary concepts. They describe how scientists continue to investigate theories. Students examine examples with experimental data that suggest alternative methods of species...
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Biology: Natural Selection
Young scholars explore evolutionary processes and theories using the spotted fish applet. They observe what happens to fish in a closed environment with both food and predators. Students run the model several times and answer questions...
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Comparison of Human and Chimpanzee Chromosomes
Students actively engage in the careful analysis of chromosome banding patterns and identify examples of inversion in homologous chromosomes.
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A Peek at the Past: Gradualism vs. Punctuated Equilibria
Learners consider two sets of simulated fossils (caminalcules) that are provided as cutouts. They arrange them on two time scales. One set produces a visual example of gradualism, the other shows punctuated equilibria.