Science Learning Packet Grade 8 Evolutionary History ... · Science Learning Packet Grade 8: Evolutionary History, Lesson 12 Suggested science learning activities for SPS students

Science Learning PacketGrade 8:

Evolutionary History, Lesson 12 Suggested science learning activities for SPS students during the COVID-19 school closure.

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Evolutionary History, Lesson 12 Student Packet, E. Elasky, 4-2020

Grade 8 Science

Evolutionary History Unit Lesson 12

Instructional Materials for Amplify Chapter 3, Lesson 3.3

Student Name: School: Grade Level:__________________________________ Science Teacher: ____

Name: _____________________________________________ Date: ________________________

© 2018 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. Permission granted to photocopy for classroom use.

Evolutionary History Final Explanation Lesson 3.3: Placing the Mystery Fossil

Unit Question

• Why do species, both living and extinct, share similarities and also have differences?

Chapter 3 Question

• How can we tell if the Mystery Fossil is more closely related to wolves or to whales?

Key Concepts

• Among any three species, the two species that separated most recently are the most closely related to each other.

• When two species share a structure that is not shared with a third species, this can be evidence that the first two species are more closely related to each other than to the third species.

Warm-Up Message from the Museum Director

To: Student Paleontologists From: Andre Mosley, Museum Director Subject: Update About Placement of the Mystery Fossil

The day is almost here. We are getting ready to open our new exhibits! The last piece of the puzzle is deciding where to place the Mystery Fossil in the museum, and that is where you come in. Today, you will carefully examine information about body structures in whales, wolves, and the Mystery Fossil. Using this evidence, you will decide where to place the Mystery Fossil in the museum, with the whales or wolves. Remember, the exhibits in our museum are set up so that organisms that are more closely related are grouped together. We are excited to hear where you think the Mystery Fossil should be placed.

In which museum exhibit do you think the Mystery Fossil belongs? (check one)

whales (Cetacea)

wolves (Carnivora)

not sure at this point


Considering Body Structures of Whales and Wolves

Look closely at these pieces of evidence. Is this structure unique to the whale or to the wolf, or is it something they have in common?

Having a backbone is…

□ different between whales and wolves (unique = diagnostic structure) □ shared by whales and wolves (common structure)


Being a mammal is…



Name: _____________________________________________ Date: ________________________


The shape of the skull is…



The shape and spacing of teeth are…




The location of the nostril is…


Examine the images of a whale and a wolf. Using evidence from the card sort above and the pictures below, answer the question below.

What are the diagnostic structures in both whales and wolves? What structures do they not share?

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Evolutionary History—Lesson 3.3—Activity 2

Orca Whale

Gray Wolf Skeleton

Name: _____________________________________________ Date: ________________________


Examining Diagnostic Structures

If both whales and wolves share a structure, they are not useful for figuring out where to place the Mystery Fossil. Scientists use what are known as diagnostic structures and DNA to determine how related two organisms are. Diagnostic means something that can be used for identification or classification. When we talk about diagnostic structures, these are structures that are unique to all organisms in a grouping. The more diagnostic structures shared between two organisms, the more closely related they are, and they have a recent common ancestor. The fewer diagnostic structures shared between two organisms, the further their relation and the more distant the common ancestor. Carefully examine the image below to help you describe some of the structures that the Mystery Fossil shares with either whales or wolves. When you have completed the entire activity, you should be ready to make your claim.

Mystery Fossil Nostrils: Make and record a careful and precise observation about where the nostrils are located on the Mystery Fossil’s skull. Then, compare your observations to cards J and H in the previous section to decide if the nostril of Mystery Fossil is more similar to whales or wolves.

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Mystery Fossil Skull Shape: Make a careful and precise observation about the Mystery Fossil’s skull shape. How would you describe its shape? Then, compare your observations to cards C and F in the previous section to decide if the skull shape of Mystery Fossil is more similar to whales or wolves.

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nostril


Mystery Fossil Teeth: Make a careful and precise observation about the Mystery Fossil’s teeth. What shape are they? Are all the teeth the same shape? Are they the same size? Describe the spacing of the teeth in the jaw. (Are they close together or far apart? Are they evenly or unevenly spaced?) Then, compare your observations to cards E and G in the previous section to decide if the Mystery Fossil’s teeth are more similar to whales or wolves.

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After analyzing the Mystery Fossil’s structures and comparing them to the structures of whales and wolves, which claim do you think is more strongly supported by the evidence? (check one)

Claim 1: The Mystery Fossil belongs with the whales, in the Whale (Cetacea) exhibit.

Claim 2: The Mystery Fossil belongs with the wolves, in the Carnivore (Carnivora) exhibit.


nostril

Name: _____________________________________________ Date: ________________________


Placing the Mystery Fossil on an Evolutionary Tree

Label each question mark as orca whale or gray wolf to model your claim about where the Mystery Fossil belongs on an evolutionary tree.

Do you think the Mystery Fossil shares a more recent common ancestor with whales or with wolves?


mammals

?

?

Key

orca whale (Cetacea)

gray wolf (Carnivora)

Mystery Fossil


Making an Argument About Where in the Museum to Place the Mystery Fossil

Prepare your argument about where to place the Mystery Fossil in the Natural History Museum, based on whether you think the Mystery Fossil is more closely related to whales or wolves.

Use the following resources from class as evidence to support your argument:

• Observing the Mystery Fossil Cards

• Mystery Fossil Evidence Resource

Word Bank

common ancestor population descendant species more closely related

speciation shared structure body structure stable change

Explain how you know that the Mystery Fossil is related to both whales and wolves. Use the following sentence starter to help you get started:

I can tell the Mystery Fossil shares a common ancestor with both whales and wolves because …

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Choose from the options below.

I believe the Mystery Fossil is more closely related to:

whales

wolves

Choose a claim from the options below:

The Mystery Fossil belongs with the whales, in the Whale (Cetacea) exhibit.

The Mystery Fossil belongs with the wolves, in the Carnivore (Carnivora) exhibit.

Evolutionary History—Lesson 3.3—Activity 5 97

Name: _____________________________________________ Date: ________________________


Making an Argument About Where in the

Museum to Place the Mystery Fossil (continued)

Use evidence to write an argument explaining where you think the Mystery Fossil should be placed in the museum.

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Science Learning Packet Grade 8 Evolutionary History ... · Science Learning Packet Grade 8: Evolutionary History, Lesson 12 Suggested science learning activities for SPS students