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The following instructional plan is part of a GaDOE collection of Unit Frameworks, Performance Tasks, examples of Student Work, and Teacher Commentary.
Many more GaDOE approved instructional plans are available by using the Search Standards feature located on GeorgiaStandards.Org.
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
Unit: Equilibrium
General Task
Have You Eaten Yet?
Overview: The overall outcome of this extension activity is to help students connect that the traits most favorable for survival are
determined by environmental pressures such as parasites, disease, predator prey relationship, and other environmental pressures.
Standards:
SB5. Students will evaluate the role of natural selection in the development of the theory of evolution.
b. Explain the history of life in terms of biodiversity, ancestry, and the rates of evolution.
d. Relate natural selection to changes in organisms.
SB4. Students will assess the dependence of all organisms on one another and the flow of energy and matter within their
ecosystems.
f. Relate animal adaptations, including behaviors, to the ability to survive stressful environmental conditions.
SCSh3. Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.
a. Suggest reasonable hypotheses for identified problems.
b. Develop procedures for solving scientific problems.
c. Collect, organize and record appropriate data.
d. Graphically compare and analyze data points and/or summary statistics.
e. Develop reasonable conclusions based on data collected.
f. Evaluate whether conclusions are reasonable by reviewing the process and checking against other available
information.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 1 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
SCSh4. Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating scientific equipment and
materials.
a. Develop and use systematic procedures for recording and organizing information.
b. Use technology to produce tables and graphs.
SCSh6. Students will communicate scientific investigations and information clearly.
a. Write clear, coherent laboratory reports related to scientific investigations.
c. Use data as evidence to support scientific arguments and claims in written or oral presentations.
SCSh8. Students will understand important features of the process of scientific inquiry.
e. The ultimate goal of science is to develop an understanding of the natural universe which is free of biases.
Enduring Understandings:
•
•
•
•
Natural selection is a primary factor in evolutionary change.
Favorable variations among individuals that increase the chance of survival tend to be passed onto successive generations.
Diversity among organisms is due to adaptations to changing environmental conditions.
Evolution is a consequence of the interactions of
o a finite supply of resources required for life
o the selection by the environment of those offspring better able to survive and leave offspring.
Essential Questions:
1. How is natural selection essential to evolution?
2. How does natural selection drive the adaptations that increase the fitness of an organism for its environment?
3. How do interrelationships and interdependencies of organisms generate survivable adaptations?
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 2 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
Outcome /
Performance
Expectations:
General Teacher
Instructions:
Materials Needed:
Safety Precautions:
Task with Student
Directions:
•
Explain the adaptations of the organism that enable the organism to be successful within the
ecosystem.
• Identify the effects of biodiversity, mutations, natural selection have on the survival rate of the
species based on “fitness”.
• Explain how favorable variations among individuals that increase the chance of survival by
passing on those traits into the next generation.
• Explain how the relationship of predator and prey adaptations leads to the overall survival for
each organism.
Teacher Notes: Background information can be presented with pictured or a video to describe the
predator prey relationships.
Background_info ( click background info- can be printed and laminated for student use)
Extension Activity Sickle_cell: (click to view)
Teacher can use the “Cat Drop” performance task as a follow-up activity to make the activity
more effective when teaching the equilibrium framework.
3 different kinds of dry beans: kidney, split peas, chickpeas, pinto beans, black eyed peas, etc…
(Must be three different colors and sizes.)
One bucket or tray to mix beans.
One paper cup for each student for hunting and gathering.
Hunting Utensils for a group of four: plastic spoon, fork, forceps, 2 chopsticks (substitutions for utensils
could be to have student hunt beans using thumb and pinky fingers in a pinching motion.)
3 Hunting Areas:
1m squared plot of a grassy area, concrete/pavement, color paper or gift-wrapping of a bright color.
Tape, chalk or string.
Data table for each student and stopwatch for timing.
Be careful with use of utensils in lab investigation.
Procedures for: Have you eaten yet? Lab
1. Create 3- 1m2 areas which will be the hunting areas. Tape (string) or chalk-off an area on a concrete
walkway or pavement and an area in the grass. The third area can be a piece of bulletin board paper
of any color except white or green. A colorful piece of gift wrapping paper would do nicely.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 3 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
2. Supply enough beans (about 50) for data collection for 30 second hunting time.
3. Spread a population of beans on the areas. A mixture of at least 3 different kinds of beans (kidney
beans, lentils or split peas, blackeyed peas) will be the prey population.
4. Give each group of 4 students 4 utensils with which they will hunt the prey (a plastic spoon, a plastic
fork, forceps, and chop sticks).
5. Station each group around a hunting area and assign them a hunting utensil. Allow the students 30
seconds to capture as many of the beans as possible with the utensil they were given. NOTE: The
students can only use the hunting utensil they were given. “Caught” prey can be collected in a paper
cup.
6. Count the caught beans that are left and record in CAUGHTBEANS table..
7. The students should count the remaining beans and record in the BEANS_THAT_SURVIVED table.
8. The groups should then rotate to the next hunting area until every group has hunted in each area.
9. The “caught” prey can be dumped into a large bucket where they can be mixed and stored until the
next class.
Analysis & Conclusion Questions:
1. Which of the beans is least adapted to the environment in which it was hunted? What data
supports your answer?
2. Which beans seem to best adapted to the environment in which it was hunted? What data
supports your answer?
3. How did the hunting event affect the genetic variation of the bean population?
4. Does natural selection act on the genotype or phenotype of the individual beans?
5. How do natural selection and predation affect the gene pool of the bean population?
6. What did the experiment show about how prey is selected by predators?
7. How does this simulation model natural selection?
8. Count all the beans that appear to be flawed or damaged. Compare that count to the total
count for each bean its kind. What is the total for flawed beans?
9. Consider the flaws in the beans as phenotypes which result from genetic mutations. Give
reasons for why the flawed phenotype was preserved by natural selection?
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 4 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
Resources:
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx
Teacher Resources:
Adapted from Genetics Education Partnership. A simulation lab could be used from this source to teach
how natural selection shapes allelic frequency.
http://genetics-education-partnership.mbt.washington.edu/class/activities/HS/sickle-bean.htm
July 2007 article on Malaria Malaria: Stopping a Global Killer.
http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0707/feature1/index.html
Homework /
Extension:
Research one predator-prey relationship and describe in a paragraph how coevolution has occurred to
maintain the relationship. You may also bring in a creative drawing or a story that addresses the
adaptations for survival in your chosen relationship.
Instructional Task
Accommodations for
ELL Students:
•
•
•
•
•
Instructional Task
Accommodations for
Students with Specific
Disabilities:
Create a word wall for vocabulary possibly with pictures; a word wall can be an interactive
whereby students use string to make connections with key vocabulary
Modify language requirements for written work/ lab report
Pair with more advanced native language speaking partner ( allow for translation in native
language for comprehension) as needed
For lab report / written work provide paragraph summary template ( fill in the blank format)
Provide native language text books and support material whenever possible
• Review and Implement IEP accommodations for specific student needs
Other accommodations that may be implemented
• Word bank of key vocabulary for written work/ lab report
• Create a word wall for vocabulary; word wall can be an interactive whereby students use string
to make connections with key vocabulary
• Include illustrations with the word wall ( visual learner)
• Use KIM vocabulary strategy ( Key word, Illustration, and Meaning student in students own
words
• Provide a check-list for steps of the experiment
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 5 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
Instructional Task
Accommodations for
Gifted Students:
•
Create graphs from the data charts and include all possible variables that would affect the rate of
predator success and prey success. (i.e. hunting utensil design, camouflage of the beans, and the
environment
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 6 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
Background: Have you eaten yet? (back to general instructions)
Natural selection is the main mechanism for evolution. Interactions of populations in communities drive natural selection and
provide for species adaptations. However, the ultimate population control is the predator-prey relation ship. One relationship is the
cheetah and gazelle predator-prey relationship. The cheetah’s main food source is the gazelle. These animals possess physiological
adaptations that help one hunt and the other flee. It should not be surprising that the cheetah and gazelle are the fastest land animals in
the world. One individual must hunt for survival and the other must flee for survival. Both organisms must survive and reproduce to
send their favorable traits into the next generation. Scientists have determined that these organisms have coevolved in order to sustain
the other population.
Other traits needed for survival within the phenomenon of predator-prey is the art of mimicry:
Mimicry describes a situation where one organism, the mimic, has evolved to share common outward characteristics with another
organism. Mimicry helps organism evade predators and helps them survive in order to pass on surviving traits into the next generation.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 7 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
Spoon
Fork
forceps
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 8 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
Misc. Hunting
Area
Bean 3
Bean 2
(class data-totals)
Bean 3
Bean 2
Bean 1
(class data-totals)
Bean 3
Bean 2
(class data-totals)
Concrete
Hunting Area
Bean 1
Grassy Hunting
Area
Bean 1
Bean 3
Bean 2
Bean 1
Bean 3
(group data)
Bean 2
(group data)
Bean 1
(group data)
Bean 2
Misc. Hunting
Area
Bean 2
Concrete
Hunting Area
Bean 1
Grassy Hunting
Area
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
Bean Types that
survived
Grassy Environment
Concrete Environment
Miscellaneous Environment
Group
Group
Group
Class
Class
Bean Type 1
Bean Type 2
Bean Type 3
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 9 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
Class
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
Extension Activity: Sickle Anemia Genetics & Natural Selection Lab (back to general teacher instructions)
Teacher notes: Use this activity to apply how the environmental pressures of malaria can increase the incidence of sickle cell trait in the human
populations. This activity will review and emphasize the flow of biological information (DNA  RNAProtein  Trait) as well as showing the
mutation responsible for expressing the sickle cell shape. The teacher should use this extension activity as a scaffolding lesson by threading
genetics into natural selection.
Background
Teacher note: Use the pictures to assess prior knowledge of how a mutated trait, such as sickle cell anemia could occur. It is helpful to have
students understand the term anemia to appreciate the magnitude of this trait on health an on survival against malaria. Teachers could use a TChart to address the PROS and CONS of having this disorder. The overall outcome of this extension activity is to help students connect that the
traits most favorable for survival are determined by environmental pressures such as parasites, disease, predator prey relationship, and other
environmental pressures.
Abnormal
Normal
Genetics of Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickle cell anemia was the first genetic disease to be characterized at the molecular level. The mutation responsible for sickle cell
anemia is small? Just ONE nucleotide of DNA out of the three billion in each human cell causes this trait to be expressed. Yet it is
enough to change the chemical properties of hemoglobin, the iron and protein complex that carries oxygen within red blood cells.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 10 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
There are approximately 280 million hemoglobin molecules in each red blood cell (RBC). The protein portion of hemoglobin consists
of four globin subunits (amino acid units): While the binding of oxygen actually occurs at the iron sites, all four globin chains (amino
acid) must work together in order for the process to function well.
Part 1
Research the PROS and CONS of sickle cell anemia: List as many thoughts as possible in the chart below:
Suggested Article: July 2007 article on Malaria Malaria: Stopping a Global Killer.
http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0707/feature1/index.html
What are PROS of having sickle cell
anemia as a disorder?
What are CONS of having sickle cell
anemia as a disorder?
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 11 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
In the United States, about 1 in 500 African-Americans develops sickle cell anemia. In
Africa, about 1 in 100 individuals develops the disease. Why is the frequency of a
potentially fatal disease so much higher in Africa? Answer Below.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 12 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
Part 2: Transcription and Translation of cellular information.
1. What does this word equation mean?
DNA RNA Protein  Trait
2. Sickle Cell at the Molecular Level (please use a genetic code chart to decode the biological information from DNA to trait)
In sickle cell anemia, there is a mutation in the gene that encodes the  chain of hemoglobin. Within this gene (located on
Chromosome 11), ONE BASE in the DNA is replaced with another base, and this mutation causes the normal amino acid #6 to be
replaced by another amino acid.
A: Making a Normal Beta Chain of Hemoglobin
The sequence below is the first part of the DNA sequence for a chain of normal hemoglobin. Fill in the complementary DNA
strand using the base-pairing rules for making DNA (A pairs with T, C pairs with G).
Parent Strand
DNA:
GTG
CAC
CTG
ACT
CCT
GAG
GAG
New
Complementary
Strand
Fill in the correct
sequence.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 13 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
Now make the messenger RNA from the new complementary strand of DNA that you just wrote down. Use the RNA basepairing rules (same as DNA but use U instead of T).
mRNA Strand
Now, using the Genetic Code chart in your textbook, translate this mRNA into a sequence of amino acids.
Amino acid
chain
B. Making Sickle Cell Hemoglobin
In sickle cell anemia, there is a mutation at the seventeenth nucleotide of DNA in this gene; the nucleotide is changed from A
to T. Fill in the complementary DNA strand, mRNA, and amino acid sequence in the hemoglobin protein to simulate the
seventeenth mutation.
Parent Strand
GTG
CAC
CTG
ACT
CCT
GTG
New
Complementary
Strand
mRNA Strand
Amino acid
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 14 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
GAG
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Biology 9-12
3. Problem Based Learning Questions:
A: Mice that have been genetically engineered to contain a defective human hemoglobin gene have symptoms typical of sickle cell
anemia, making them an ideal model for laboratory experimentation. In 2000, these mice were mated to another genetically
engineered mouse line expressing human fetal hemoglobin. When compared to their sickle cell parents, the offspring had greatly
reduced numbers of abnormal and sickled RBCs, increased numbers of RBCs overall (reduced anemia), and longer lifespans.
What basic principles of genetics would scientist need to understand the outcome of this particular experiment? How
would this experiment best help scientist understand the mechanism of natural selection on genetic traits in the
environment?
B: Indian and Saudi Arabian people have a milder variation of sickle cell anemia, sometimes with no symptoms. In this
population twenty-five percent of each person’s hemoglobin is the fetal kind. Similarly, the blood of adults with an inherited
condition called "hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin" also contains fetal hemoglobin and these individuals are healthy.
Some people with this condition completely lack adult hemoglobin and still show no ill effects. Biochemical experiments have
demonstrated that, in a test tube, fetal hemoglobin inhibits polymerization (linking of amino acid chains) of sickle cell
hemoglobin. Using this word equation ( the biological flow of cellular information): DNARNAProteinTrait why is it that
some adults in India and Saudi Arabia continue to express fetal hemoglobin? Explain why some symptoms of sickle cell
anemia are exhibited in these individuals?
Teacher Resources:
Adapted from Genetics Education Partnership. A simulation lab could be used from this source to teach how natural selection shapes allelic
frequency. The background and PBL questions in this task were modified from this resource.
http://genetics-education-partnership.mbt.washington.edu/class/activities/HS/sickle-bean.htm
July 2007 article on Malaria Malaria: Stopping a Global Killer.
http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0707/feature1/index.html
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Biology  9-12  Equilibrium
August 17, 2007  Page 15 of 15
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved