Once you are satisfied with the order, complete the table.8. No rubrics or scoring guidelines are included in the materials. Free access - The right to view and/or download material without financial, registration, or excessive advertising barriers.Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.Emphasis is on using simple probability statements and proportional reasoning to construct explanations.This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this performance expectation.At the beginning of the lesson, students place four illustrations showing different numbers of light and dark colored rock pocket mice at two locations (light/dark substrate) in sequence from oldest to most recent.
A ten minute short film, narrated by scientists, showing footage of rock pocket mice in their habitat, their predators, as well explanations of mutations and several short animations, further engages students in the phenomenon. Predators must be able to obtain food and overcome the defenses of prey. Through skillful questioning teachers can make sure that students realize that mutations are random, that variations of traits (fur color in this case) occur normally in populations, and that a change in environmental conditions (the color of the ground) provides a selective advantage to those individuals already possessing these traits.
If your class covers Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, Students are asked to complete a data table with the number of dark and light mice at each of the four illustrations at each of the two locations. The illustrations and short film show that there is natural variation of coat color in the population of rock pocket mice living on the lava flow. The teacher can use that information to provide on-going feedback to students as they are working on the activity. Now that you have watched the video, go back to your set of cards and arrange them in the order you think they happened, starting with the oldest. A typical rock pocket mouse is about 170 millimeters long from its nose to the end of its tail, shorter than an average pencil. The short film explains that mutations can cause a change in coat color, and that these genetic changes are being passed on to offspring. The teacher can include the use of technology and ask students to create the graphs in Excel or a different graphing program. As students answer a series of four open-ended questions, they construct an explanation/make an argument about how natural selection provides a mechanism for the rock pocket mouse populations to adapt to the change in their environment due to dark lava flow, making sense of the disciplinary core idea of how natural selection leads to adaptation, by engaging in the practices of constructing explanations and engaging in argument from evidence. Light-colored mice had a selective advantage because Why do dark-colored rock pocket mice on dark lava flows have white bellies?6. The film is also available as an interactive video with embedded questions, which test students’ understanding as they watch the film. The animations and short film can be streamed or ordered for free as a DVD. What is the obvious difference between the two?2. Genetics revealed what surprising fact about mice in different locations?
The simulation makes the abstract scientific idea that even a small selective advantage can lead to a rapid change of the rock pocket mouse population visible and concrete. Dark pocket mice are found in locations that have dark substrate. This can naturally lead from students constructing written arguments to presenting oral arguments which in turn can lead to counter-arguments. Compare how the graph looks at Location A to how it looks at Location B. At the end of the video, the cumulative results for the quiz are shown (answers selected, and attempts) and can be printed. HHMI Color variation over time in rock pocket mouse populations: Student handout Page 9 of 10 Students analyze data from images of rock pocket mouse populations in different settings and over time. This activity provides an introduction to natural selection and the role of genetic variation by asking students to analyze illustrations of rock pocket mouse populations (dark/light fur) on different color substrates in the Sonoran Desert (light/dark) over time. 423 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<29341E0EC330994DACDBD224BC2ED376><929E581E07BFB14AB250811A9453D456>]/Index[381 106]/Info 380 0 R/Length 174/Prev 335043/Root 382 0 R/Size 487/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream This worksheet was modified from the HHMI Activity on color variation in the rock pocket mouse. • Over time, dark-colored mice became more common at location B because more of their offspring survived toreproduce and pass on their genes, including the gene for fur color. However, the dark-colored phenotype became morecommon once there was a selective advantage for it, which indicates that selection is not random.Write a scientific summary that describes changes in the rock pocket mouse populations at location B. It is the teacher’s responsibility to make sure that students cite evidence from the illustrations, the short film, and the animation when making their arguments and counter- arguments. Evolution Revised October 2018 Page 1 of 3 Color Variation Over Time in Rock Pocket Mouse Populations Activity Student Handout INTRODUCTION A typical rock pocket mouse is about 170 millimeters long from its nose to the end of its tail, shorter than an average pencil. Students collect and analyze data about for coat color in pocket mouse populations on different color substrates over time.
A total of six multiple choice questions are embedded at three points during the film. How does that connect to what you learned from the short film?