LS4 - Standard
Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
High School · Next Generation Science Standards · NGSS Lead States 2013
Standard Unwrapping
AI-generated as a starting point — sign in to edit.Vocabulary
common ancestrybiological evolutionempirical evidenceevolutionspeciesheritable genetic variationmutationsexual reproductionlimited resourcesadaptationpopulationsenvironmentadvantageous heritable traitextinctionsimulationbiodiversityenvironmental conditionsclaimsevidence
Skills
- communicate (scientific information about common ancestry and biological evolution) #dok2
- construct (explanations based on evidence for factors driving evolution and adaptation) #dok3
- apply (statistics and probability to support explanations for changes in populations) #dok2
- evaluate (evidence supporting claims about effects of environmental changes on species) #dok3
- create or revise (a simulation to test solutions for biodiversity impacts) #dok4
Learning Targets
- I can recognize multiple lines of empirical evidence for common ancestry and evolution. #dok1
- I can describe the four primary factors contributing to evolutionary processes. #dok1
- I can identify advantageous traits within a population. #dok1
- I can summarize how environmental changes can affect species populations. #dok1
- I can explain how diverse lines of empirical evidence corroborate the theory of evolution. #dok2
- I can compare and contrast the effects of heritable variation and limited resources on evolution. #dok2
- I can use statistics and probability to support explanations about trait distribution within populations. #dok2
- I can analyze the outcomes of environmental changes on species survival and adaptation. #dok2
- I can construct a detailed explanation based on evidence for how natural selection and adaptation occur. #dok3
- I can evaluate scientific claims about extinction, emergence of new species, or changes in population size due to environmental shifts. #dok3
- I can defend claims about the proliferation of advantageous traits using probability and statistical evidence. #dok3
- I can create or revise a simulation to model and test solutions that mitigate human impacts on biodiversity. #dok4
Big Ideas
- Evolutionary processes, driven by genetic variation, competition, and environmental change, shape the diversity and adaptation of populations.
- Multiple forms of empirical evidence—including fossils, genetic information, and comparative anatomy—consistently support the theory of common ancestry and biological evolution.
Essential Questions
- What evidence supports the idea that all life shares a common ancestry?
- How do genetic variations and environmental changes contribute to the evolution and adaptation of populations?
- Why do some traits increase in a population over time while others disappear?
- How does natural selection drive the adaptation of species in changing environments?
- What strategies or solutions might reduce or reverse human impacts on biodiversity?
