Evolution: Online Lessons for Students: Lesson 3 Teacher Page

LESSON 3: Teacher Page

Your students may be skeptical of the theory of evolution because it is not something that Darwin could observe directly. Of course, today we can observe the evolution of microorganisms in a matter of days, but the evolution of more complex organisms, such as humans, takes place over a much longer period of time. With the following activities, you can help your class understand how scientists collect and organize evidence for evolution. When students understand how the theory of evolution is supported by facts from many scientific disciplines, they can better appreciate the strength of Darwin's theory.

Activity 1: Evolution and Time

Create a journal entry and a birthday card that describe the geologic ecosystems of particular time periods.

	Learning Goals
	•	Gain a better understanding of the vast scope of geologic time.
	•	Learn about the ecosystem of a particular geologic time period.

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Activity 2: Evidence for Evolution WebQuest

Surf the Web to find evidence for evolution from three different areas of science—paleontology, molecular biology, and anatomy and physiology .

	Learning Goals
	•	Understand how scientists collect and organize evidence from a variety of disciplines to support the theory of evolution
	•	Learn about the evidence for evolution related to the fields of paleontology, molecular biology, and anatomy and physiology

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Additional Activities
See if you can figure out which animals are related. Be careful...looks can be deceiving!

View LESSON 3 Student Page


	DNA

	Evolution

	Genome

	Geologic Time Scale

	Plate Tectonics

	Theory

	Assessment Rubric Guidelines for assessing students' mastery of activity.

	National Science Standards for LESSON 3

	Time to Learn! Each clock icon respresents approximately one 45-minute classroom session (not including homework).