Text Set Lesson Plan Template

Teacher Candidate: Matthew DeBellis

Date: June 5th 2015

Subjects: Biology/ Evolution

Grade Level: 10

Lesson Title
Examining Darwins Observations (Second day exploring evolution)
Context and Class Profile
This lesson is designed for a class in Plattsburgh, NY. The class has 25 students, 10 girls and 15 boys. 22
of the students are white, 1 Korean and one student of African descent. The Korean student is an ELL
student. There are 3 students with disabilities. All three are varying cases of Autism, and there is an
additional faculty member in this period for this reason. Free lunch is given to 50% of the students in
the district.

Content and
Language
Objectives
(align with Blooms
Taxonomy)

Acceptable
Assessment
Evidence

1. Students will describe the interrelatedness between natural selection and

descent with modification.
2. Students will define the following vocabulary found in the text: natural
selection, descent with modification, generation, tree, competition, heritable
variation

1. Evidence that students have achieved objective # 1 will be utilizing a preconstructed concept map with blank spaces. Students will then collaborate,
supporting their reasoning for each word placement, along with describing
trends, definitions and examples.
2. Homework is researching an example in nature of natural selection and another
for descent with modification. Example can be picture, diagram, text or video.
3. Observation as an informal assessment. The teacher should monitor activities
very meticulously, and be moving around the classroom surveying and
providing feedback to students.

Cross-Curriculum
Connections

Science: Biology, evolutionary biology

Social Studies: History, historical figure analysis, historical artifact analysis
ELA: Analyze multiple articles on related topics, practice discussion skills, practice
vocabulary skills, practice decoding skills.

Common
Core/National
Standards
( Only the ones
assessed)

Standard 1
Performance Indicator 1.1b- Learning about the historical development of scientific
concepts or about individuals who have contributed to scientific knowledge provides a
better understanding of scientific inquiry and the relationship between science and
society.
Performance Indicator 1.2a- Inquiry involves asking questions and locating,
interpreting, and processing information from a variety of sources.
Key Idea 3: Explain the mechanisms and patterns of evolution.

Literacy Strategies Turn and Talk, Vocabulary Prediction, Partner Reading, Text Annotation, Sketch the
Used
text
Academic
Vocabulary

Natural selection, descent with modification, generation, tree, competition, heritable

variation

Materials Needed
(including the text
set) and
Technology Used

Game/ Interactive Video

http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/evolution/evolution.html
Current Events Selection Article Sloths are no slouches when it comes to evolution
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140910083846.htm
Darwins First Theory Paper (attached below)
Selection Diagrams and Darwins Finches(attached below)
Page From Darwins Diary
Chart Paper, Markers, Pencil and Paper

Procedure

Intro/ Hook:
-The teacher will recap/briefly summarize the lesson the day before and ask the class
What makes a species become extinct? This process of whether animals thrive or die
out is called SELECTION. Consider this example, if my favorite and only food comes
from the sandwich tree, which holds its fruit this high (point above reach) am I going
to be able to eat? If I dont eat will I survive? And if I dont survive is it likely my
offspring will survive or that I will even have offspring? Lets say Bobby, who is a
little taller than I am also likes to eat from the sandwich tree. Will he survive and pass
on his genes to his offspring? This is called natural selection. And the differences in
generation from offspring to offspring is called DESCENT WITH MODIFICATION.
Charles Darwin observed these processes and was one of the first to make note of them
while on voyage of the Beagle.
Text Set:
-Teacher will introduce text set. Students will go to stations in pairs (groups of 3 or 4 if
a larger classroom).
-Teacher will explain first text set, Interactive video simulation. Students will play
through the simulation on the computer and use the strategy of turn and talk; A
guidance note will be posted on the computer with questions: What was effective or

not effective about this video? What did you understand? What didn't you understand?
-Teacher will make clear that the computer is only for video purposes and should not
leave the video window.
-Teacher will introduce next text set of the article Sloths are no slouches when it
comes to evolution. Students are to use the Vocabulary Prediction strategy. There is a
sheet at the station to fill out predicted definitions to the vocabulary. Students will
share their predictions about the article, read the article and share if their prediction
was correct or not. This station is meant to read independently.
-Teacher will introduce the next text set which is a passage from Darwins Diary. This
passage is more intense and requires Partner reading. Students should follow the
directions at the top of the packet at the station.
-Teacher will explain Darwins journal diagram. This piece is to be taped to chart
paper, and to be used with the text annotation strategy. Remind students to not only ask
questions but to respond to other entries. Observe that they have enough time set aside
to respond before station time is up.
-Teacher will explain selection picture diagram. Students will use the sketch the text
strategy and follow the directions at the top of the page. Summary (read the text,
visualize what you read and then sketch a quick image of what you were visualizingvariation, students will sketch their own example of selection)
Post-Discussion:
-After all students have been to each station gather students back together for the final
discussion. Ask What did you notice to be a common theme among these pieces?
-Teacher will introduce the concept map, already drawn out on the chart paper. The
goal is to match the words correctly, justifying and defining each placement of the
prewritten post-it notes. Define that each line downwards indicates depends on the
next term its connected.
Conclusion:
-Teacher will survey the class. What was difficult to grasp? What do you understand
now that you didnt before encountering the text set? How would you explain (x) term
to someone who is unfamiliar to it? The teacher will then announce the homework.
Homework is researching an example in nature of natural selection and another for
descent with modification. Example can be picture, diagram, text or video. Be ready to
share your example tomorrow.
Accommodations
/Differentiations

Providing materials of different literacy levels. The diagrams have comic book like
simple reading along with a diagram to assist comprehension for students struggling
with reading. Darwins journal entry is very sophisticated text and is a challenge for
skilled readers. Integrated technology for students intimidated by text, with trouble
engaging with text or reading paper passages. Differentiation is to show students how
to work laptop, they may not have one at home. The concept map at the end helps ELL
students because they can see the word up on the page along with hearing the
definition being explained or expressed in different ways by their peers.

50 minutes
Time Required

Reflection:

Partner Reading: Read the highlighted text. Collaborate, decode and

translate what Darwin is describing for each highlighted passage.
(1) It is wonderful what the principle of Selection by Man, can dothat is the
picking out of individuals with any desired quality, & breeding from them, &
again picking out, can do. Even Breeders have been astonished at their own
results. They can act on differences inappreciable to an uneducated eye.
Selection has been methodically followed in Europe for only the last half
century. But it has occasionally & even in some degree methodically been
followed in the most ancient times. There must have been, also, a kind of
unconscious selection from the most ancient times, namely in the preservation
of the most useful individual animals (without any thought of
their breedingoffspring) most useful to each race of man in his particular

circumstances. The "roguing", as nurserymen call the destroying of varieties,

which depart from their type is a kind of selection. I am convinced that
intentional & occasional selection has been the main agent in making our
domestic races. But, however, this may be, its great power of modification has
been indisputably shown in late times. Selection acts only by the accumulation
of very slight or greater variations, caused by external conditions, or by the
mere fact that in generation the child is not
2)
absolutely similar to its parent. Man by this power of accumulating variations
adapts living beings to his wants, may be said to make the wool of one
sheep good for carpet & another for cloth &c.
(2.) Now suppose there was a being, who did not judge by mere external
appearance, but could study the whole internal organization who never was
capricious, who should go on selecting for one end during millions of
generations, who will say what he might not do effect! In nature we have
some slight variation, occasionally in all parts: & I think it can be shown that
changed conditions of existence is the great main cause of the child not
exactly resembling its parents; & in nature geology shows us what changes
have taken place & are taking place. In regard to the number of
generations We have almost unlimited time: no one but a practical geologist
can fully appreciate this: think of the Glacial period, during the whole of
which shells the
3)
same species of shells at least have existed: there must have been during this
period, millions on millions of generations.
(3) I think it can be shown that there is such an unerring power at work
on natural selection (the title of my Book), which selects exclusively for the
good of each organic being. The elder Decandolle, W. Herbert, & Lyell have
written strongly on the struggle for life; but even they have not written
strongly enough. Reflect that every being (even the Elephant) breeds at such a
rate, that in a few years, at most a few centuries or thousands of years the
surface of the earth would hold these the progeny of any one species. I have
found it hard constantly to bear in mind that the increase of every
single being species is checked during some part of its life, or during some
shortly recurrent generation. Only a few of those annually born can live to
propagate their kind. What a trifling difference must often determine which
shall survive & which perish.

[in left margin]

the progeny of any one species wd cover the surface of the earth

(4
(4) Now take the case of a country undergoing some change: & not freely
open to immigration this will tend to cause some of its inhabitants to vary
slightly; not but what I believe most beings vary at all times enough for
selection to act on. Its inhabitants would be exposed to new conditions; Some
of its inhabitants will be exterminated, & the remainder will be exposed to the
mutual action of a different set of inhabitants, ( which I believe to becan be
shown to be more important to the life of each being than mere
climate change. Now Considering the infinitely various ways, beings have to
obtain food by struggling with other beings, to escape danger at various times
of life, to have their eggs or seeds disseminated &c &c, I cannot doubt that
during millions of generations some slight in individuals of a species will be
born with some slight variation profiting profitable to some part of its
economy: such will have a better chance of surviving, propagating its
variety this variation, which will be slowly increased by the accumulative action
of natural selection; and the increasing by accumulation, &
finally [illeg] variety thus formed will either coexisting with coexist with or
more commonly will exterminate its parent form. An organic being like the
woodpecker or missletoe may thus come to be adapted to a score of
contingencies: natural selection, accumulating onlythose slight variations in all
parts of its structure, which are in any way useful to it, during any part of its
life.
(5
(5) Multiform difficulties will occur to everyone on this theory. Most can, I
think, be satisfactorily answered. "Natura non facit saltum" answers some of
the most obvious. The slowness of the change & only a very few undergoing
change at any one time answers others. The extreme imperfection of our
geological records answers others.
(6.) One other principle, which may be called the principle of divergence plays,
I believe, an important part in the origin of species. The same spot will support
more life if occupied by very diverse forms: we see this in the many generic
forms in a square yard of turf (I have counted 20 species belonging to 18
genera) or in the plants & insects on any little uniform islet belonging almost
to as many genera & families as to species.We can understand this with the
higher animals, whose habits we best understand. We know that it has been
experimentally shown that a plot of land will yield a greater weight if cropped
with several species of grasses than with 2 or 3 species. Now every single
organic being, by propagating so rapidly, may be said

(6
to be striving its utmost to increase in numbers. So it will be with the offspring
of any species after it has broken into varieties or sub-species or true species.
And it follows, I think, from thesame area foregoing facts, that the varying
offspring of any oneeach species will try (only few will succeed) to seize on as
many & as diverse places in the economy of nature, as possible. Each new
variety or species, when formed will generally take the place of & so
exterminate its less well-fitted parent. This, I believe, to be the origin of the
classification or arrangement of all organic beings at all times. These
always seem to branch & sub-branch like a tree from a common trunk; the
flourishing twigs destroying the less vigorous,the dead & lost branches
rudely representing extinct forms.- genera & families.
This sketch is most imperfect; but in so short a space I cannot make it better.
Your imagination must fill up very wide blanks. Without some reflexion it will
appear all rubbish; perhaps it will appear so after reflexion. C. Darwin
This was sent about 9 months ago, but I daresay I can get Date
[6v]
Sketch sent to Dr Asa Gray
Sketch sent to Dr Asa Gray
This was sent to A. Gray
8 or 9 months ago
I think October 185

Text annotation: This is a page directly from Charles Darwins journal. What do you notice? What do
you think he was thinking? What questions do you have?

READ FIRST
Analyze these diagrams. What do they illustrate? Do some illustrating of
your own with a different animal example.

When the prey, (the organism

being eaten) adapts to being
eaten, they change. The
predator is then selected for
better fine-tuned capturing
methods! These finches are an
example of this. Think and
illustrate another example of
variation.

VOCABULARY
PREDICTION: Before
read the text, try to
each word. Then, make
prediction about what
article will be about.
to discover
statement.

you
define
a
the
Make a
Evolution

Competition

Diversify

Final Collaboration Concept Map- each line down depend on next term

Evolution

natural
selection

Descent
with
modificati
on

competitio
n
heritable
variation

Generatio
ns