6th - 8th Grade Module 10 Concept 1

Cycle 2

How can we use both the fossil record and comparisons of modern organisms in order to construct evolutionary relationships and lines of descent?
Cycle Summary

In this cycle, students consider how the fossil record and studies of modern organism structures are used to figure out how organisms are related to one another, both past and present.

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Session 6
Elicit

Students match organisms based on anatomic similarities and share reasoning with class.

Engage

Students follow the voyage of the Beagle and investigate Darwin’s observations.

Session 7
Explore

Students compare the whales and sharks to identify anatomical similarities and differences and then construct a phylogenetic tree showing relationships among organisms.

Session 8
Explain

Students read about comparative anatomy and answer analysis questions and complete a homologous structures coloring activity.

Session 9
Elaborate

Students work in groups to answer analysis questions on different examples of evolution and transitional fossils.

Session 10
Evaluate

Students compose a letter comparing the evolutionary relationships between whales, humans and sharks.
Students may complete a formative assessment.

Extend
Extend

Students investigate how human features are related to other organisms using video clips from PBS Learning.