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Darwin, Evolution & Fossils
Topic (31) Apply statistics about advantageous traits being increased in populations with that trait. (HS-LS4-3)
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms from the past. Fossils range in age from 10,000 to 3.48 billion years old. The observation that certain fossils were associated with certain rock strata led 19th century geologists to recognize a geological timescale.
Though the fossil record does not include every plant and animal that ever lived, it provides substantial evidence for the common descent of life via evolution. The fossil record is a remarkable gift for the study of nature.
STUDENT CHALLENGE: What traits did dinosaurs have that worked well (were advantageous) – until some of those same traits no longer worked well. What happened 66 million years ago that changed things for the dinos? (Hint, the 4th video below gives a suggestion).
Material
Day 1 – Introduction
- Student Work Packet – Topic 31
Day 2 – Virtual Textbook
- Read Biology 31 – Fossil
- Read Biology 31 – Evolution
- Read Biology Textbook – pages 336-361
- Read Biology 31 – cK12 Influences-on-Darwin (pdf)
- Read Biology 31 – cK12 Fossils (pdf)
- Read Biology 31 – cK12 Tracing-Evolution (pdf)
Enrichment
- Activity 17 Research “Arbuckle Mountains & Crinoid Stems”
5:49 LS4A – Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
5:23 Evidence of evolution from fossil record
3:41 Fossils and Evidence for Evolution | Biology for All | FuseSchool
Extra Video
2:44 How do we know an asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago?
Instructor Resources
Standard Daily Material
- Day 1 – Standard material – introduction day
- Day 2 – Standard material – reading day
- Day 3 – Standard material – make a presentation
- Day 4 – Standard material – give a presentation
- Extra! – Enrichment and remediation options
Special Notes and Notices
Instructor Emphasis:
- Science & Engineering Practice: Engage in scientific argument from evidence.
- Cross-Cutting Concept: Patterns.
Emphasize HS-LS4-3 Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait.
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