How quickly do animals evolve? Can comparing different samples of the same fossil answer timeline questions? Scholars use virtual labs to examine fossils and learn about stickleback evolution. They compare pelvic morphology in lakes geographically close before expanding their fossil searches to include a lake much farther away. To finish, they add another two lake fossil samples to answer many analysis questions including the timeline of pelvic morphology in sticklebacks. 

Concepts

evolution, adaptations, fossils, natural selection

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

science

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Have all pupils start with the first lab and continue through the rest; while many will complete all three labs in three hours, some may only finish the first two, but the entire class can move forward together

Classroom Considerations

• While not required, scholars benefit from watching a short film prior to the lab
• Relies on prior knowledge of traits, survival, reproduction, evolution, and natural selection
• Each pupil requires a computer; up to eight users are allowed per computer, so the same computer works for up to eight different class periods

Pros

• Provides answer keys
• Offers two different levels of worksheets to better fit the variation that exists in academic achievement

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.9-10.3 RST.9-10.4 RST.11-12.3 RST.11-12.4