Comparativeanalysis

Author:RicardoAmezcua
Datecreated:04/15/20155:39AMPDTDatemodified:04/15/20155:05PMPDT

BASICINFORMATION
Summary

Studenswillrotatethroughseveralstationstoobservedifferentanimals.Studentsmustnameanddescribetheanimals
intheirstations.Theywillworkingroupsof4.

Grade/Level

Grade9,Grade10

TimeFrame

1classperiodof55minutes

Subject(s)

Science

Textbook

STANDARDSANDKEYCONCEPTS
Standards

CANextGenerationScienceStandards(2014)
Grade:Grades912
Standard:HSLS4BiologicalEvolution:UnityandDiversity
Standard:HSLS42.Constructanexplanationbasedonevidencethattheprocessofevolutionprimarilyresultsfromfour
factors:(1)thepotentialforaspeciestoincreaseinnumber,(2)theheritablegeneticvariationofindividualsinaspecies
duetomutationandsexualreproduction,(3)competitionforlimitedresources,and(4)theproliferationofthoseorganisms
thatarebetterabletosurviveandreproduceintheenvironment.
Standard:HSLS44.Constructanexplanationbasedonevidenceforhownaturalselectionleadstoadaptationof
populations.

OverarchingUnderstandings

Studentsunderstandthatanimalsdonohavetoberelatedtolookalike.Furthermore,unrelatedanimalscanhave
similarcharacteristicscalledanalogousstructures.

EssentialQuestions

Howdothesimilaritiesordifferencesintheanimalsinthestationsgivethemancompetitiveadvantageintheprocessof
adaptationtotheirenvironment.

KnowledgeandSkills
(students)

Haveabasicknowledgeofavarietyofcommonanimals.
Knowtheanimal'sbasicphysiologyandanatomy.
Studentshouldknowwheretheanimalsresideandhowtheecosystemarroundthemputsanenvironmentalpressurein
theiradapation.

KnowledgeandSkills
(teacher)

FORMATIVEPERFORMANCETASKSANDASSESSMENT
PerformanceTask

Studentsareaskedtodescribe5anatomicalandphisiolicalsimilaritesthathumanssharewithwildanimals.

PerformancePrompt(doneby
individualstudents)

Studentsareaskedtothinkofanyothercategorythatunitesasetofdifferentanimalsthroughanalogousstructuresof
homologousstructures.

Assessment/Rubrics

Studentsareaskedtoanswer3questionsbasedontheirinvestigation.
1.Nameoftheanimals.
2.Thesimilaritiespresentedinthegroupofanimals.Bothphysiologicalandanatomical.Mustrespondwith13complete
sentences.
3.Explainhowtheadapatationprovidesancompetitiveadvantageintheecosystem.

LEARNINGEXPERIENCESANDRESOURCES
AnticipatorySet

Showavideoofthe"zombieantagainstcordycepsfungi"onyoutube.

SequenceofActivities

Teachershowsthestudentsavideoonyoutube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8.(3min.)
Guidedpracticethroughdisplayof3picturesofdifferentanimalsthatlooksimilarbutarenotrelated.Studentsareasked
toexplainthesimilarityandhowthatsimilarityallowsthe3differentanimalstosurvive.Takeresponsesfromstudents
andshownthemasampleanswerforthequestion.(35min.)
Allowstudentstorotatethroughthe89stations.Studentdiscussandshareideasamongthemselves,butarenot

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allowedtotalktoothergroups.Theactivityisacompetitiontoseewhichgroupscangetthemostaccurateresponses.
Studentsaregiven5minutesperstationandareallowedtotouchandexaminethepreservedanimals.(4050min.)
Studentwillnotgothroughallthestations.Afterthefirst5minutesofactivitytheteachertakesaminutetoexplainthe
rotationalmotionofthegroupsandguidesthem.(1min.)

Accommodations,Adaptations
&DifferentiatedInstruction

Iwillsimplifydirectionsatthebeginningofclass,monitorstudentprogressthroughthestations,andspeciallygivethem
extratimeatsomestationstoidentifysomeoftheanimals.
ELLsandSpecialEdstudentsarepairedwithGiftedlearners.Groupshave4members.
Allstudentsareallowedandencouragedtousetheirphonestolookupthenamesofthedifferentanimals.
Teacherandinstructionalaidwalkaroundtoaidstudentsandaskquestions.
ELLsareallowedtowritethenamesoftheanimalsinspanishiftheyareunfamiliarwiththeenglishname.
Kinestheticandvisuallearnersbenefitbyhavingahandonacitivity.

Resources
Materialsandresources:
Avarietyofpreservedanimalswhichmayinclude,butisnotlimitedto:
armadillo,squirrel,scorpion,pufferfish,frogs,crickets,mantaray,lamprey,humanfetus,brittlestar.
Somewillbepreservedthroughtaxidermywhileotherswillbethroughflaskscontainingpreservingfluid.
Picturesofmanyothercommonanimalsdisplayingsimilarcharacteristics.
Technologyresources:
Firefox

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