Nature of science and evolution

Introduction to Evolution and Nature

of Science

Warm up

Classroom clean up. Your tasks are written on your tables.

Create a Venn Diagram on your own sheet of scratch paper. Compare and contrast similarities between mitosis and meiosis. Use your notes to help you.

FYI: I’m still getting my voice back.

Nature of Science

We will now start our section on evolution. Before we do, we need to understand how science works (nature of science).

What would your definition of science be. Think about it for a minute and then share with your neighbor. Be ready to share out with the class.

Hopefully by the end we will talk about all of your definitions.

Nature of Science

Complete the Nature of Science Survey in the Before column.

Nature of Science

Science can only answer questions that address natural phenomena (things we can see and measure) not questions that are subjective, political, religious, ethical etc.

Science is evidence based: uses standards of evidence and logical ways to answer questions, all of which are based on observations, tests, or other types of data (CAN use the scientific method but not always!)

Nature of Science

Testable and Falsifiable: Can be tested over and over again and can be proven false by evidence

Consistent: A scientific explanation must fit all of the observable facts or it is proved to be untrue.

Practical: The scientific explanation has work in the real world outside of the lab setting.

Nature of Science

Making Explanations: must show a pattern of cause and effect based on observable evidence

Reviewed by Peers: must be open to criticism by other people. Usually other scientists

Self-correcting: Statements are made with caution and scientists always note possible sources of error and degrees of error

Nature of Science

Limitations of Science

Science is not absolute truth: scientific statements are best approximations based on available evidence

Note!: This doesn’t mean it’s not reliable. Take gravity for example.

Science is not Democratic: you cannot vote on science. Science policy and laws may be voted on but science is based only on evidence.

Nature of Science

Limitations of Science:

Confirmation Bias: bad science starts with a belief and then looks for evidence to confirm that belief. Science should start with facts and the beliefs follow after.

Nature of Science

A video: A video of a physics teacher explaining the nature of science. He will probably make more sense than all these notes….

Terms used to Describe Nature of Science

Fact: an observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and for all practical purposes assumed to be true. (Ex: Right now we can see the sun If we walk outside)

Do you feel like your perception of science is

changing? How so?

Nature of Science

Terms used to Describe Nature of Science

Hypothesis: a temporary statement about the natural world that can be tested. Used to build more complex inferences and explanations

Law: A descriptive generalization about how the natural world behaves (Ex: objects tend to fall towards the center of the earth.)

Theory: A well-substantiated (well-tested) explanation of the natural world and can incorporate facts, laws, inferences and tested hypotheses.

Nature of Science

3 Things Scientists DO Acknowledge and estimate possible errors Identify their own assumptions Publicize work and ask for criticisms

Nature of Science

It sometimes can be difficult determining what is a scientific claim and what is not. Let’s have a little practice by taking this survey.

Nature of Science

The Nature of Science – You can’t handle the truth!

Directions: Work in groups of 2-3 Go to the class website (hthbio2012.weebly.com) Under Assignments is a Nature of Science Assignment Page. Pick 5 of the sites and determine whether the sites are stating true facts or not. Find at least one site that is stating true data. After you determine whether the sites are true or not support your statement with 3 different reasons. List 1 to 2 reasons why this site can be deceptive or make a reader uncertain if the content in the website is true or not.

Discussion Rules

As we get into evolution, we might be getting into some sensitive subjects. In order to maintain a safe class environment, we will all abide by the following rules:

Listen and give your full attention to the person who is speaking

Only one person speaks at a time

Raise your hand to be recognized if you want to say something

When you disagree with someone, make sure that you make a difference between criticizing someone’s ideas and the person themselves

Be respectful of everyone in the classroom

Encourage everyone to participate

Any other rules we decide at agree on

Natural Selection/Evolution

SurveyComplete the evolution survey

Nature of Science

“Everything you’ve learned in school as ‘obvious’ becomes less and less obvious as you begin to study the universe. For example, there are no solids in the universe. There’s not even a suggestion of a solid. There are no absolute continuums. There are no surfaces. There are no straight lines”

R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983)

“The truth can sometimes be deceptive.”

- Galileo

Warm Up

Finish the Nature of Science website activity.

When you are done, browse through the other website you haven’t visited yet. We will also go over those websites later.

Honors: Take out SAT Book Page 224-245/Video Notes

Nature of Science

Let’s go over the Nature of Science Survey Again. (After column)

Natural Selection

Natural Selection is theory that explains how evolution works. Rather than take notes on natural selection, we are going to do an activity and you will try to come up with a theory for natural selection.

Take out Your Lab Notebooks Title: Modeling Natural Selection Purpose: To model and define how natural

selection works

Natural Selection

Popcorn Reading: As a field scientist…

Procedure: Popcorn Reading

Cut and Paste the front page into Lab Notebook as the procedure.

Practice using your feeding apparatus. Create a section called pre-lab questions and answer the questions on page 2 of your modeling natural selection handout in your lab notebook.

Warm-UP

Clear the tables of everything except a writing utensil and your lab notebook or data sheet.

Practice using your feeding apparatus. Answer the questions on page 2 of your modeling natural selection handout in your lab notebook.

Results

Create a graph of your data that best shows which type of pretendie was best suited for the environment over time.

Conclusion

Answer the post-lab questions as your conclusion.

Warm Up

Take out your annotations and PD

Discuss the evolution reading packet and take the evolution survey. Use the survey as points of discussion. Be ready to share out.

Turn in the list of things you did for engineering in the inbox

Back to Natural Selection

Create a Graph in your lab notebook that shows how the number of different pretendies changed over time. Then answer the post lab questions. Be ready to discuss answers.

Natural Selection Notes

Take out a sheet of paper.

Natural Selection: The gradual process where biological traits become more or less common.

Facts:

1. Overproduction and competition: the population of species has to produce lots of offspring. Offspring compete with each other for food1. Fitness: How many babies you can have that can have babies

2. Individual Variation: Individuals in a population vary (Ex: People look different)

Warm-Up

How would you define fitness? In other words, when you think of someone who is fit, what comes to mind?

Any questions about evolution?

If evolution is about survival of the fittest, do you think there can ever really be true altruism?


Species organisms that have similar physical features (traits), DNA, and can reproduce to make a fertile offspring. Mules and Ligers are not a species. Why?


Population a group of the same species living in the same location at the same time


Fitness the ability of an organism to produce offspring that survive and can reproduce

What is Evolution

Evolution is a change in population overtime and a change in gene pool in a population over generations

Gene pool: all the genes/DNA in the population


Darwin made two points in the Origin of Species

1 found evidence that new species had evolved from ancestral populations

2 Natural Selection – explains how evolution works


Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection 1 Overproduction: organisms produce more

offspring than are able to survive

2 there are difference in appearance of traits found in individuals of the species or organisms of the same species look different from each other

3 Natural Selection is the mechanism for how evolution works.


Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection 4 In a specific environment, some traits will

help with survival and reproduction (fitness) more than others

5 Over generations, the population will change to have more traits that help survival and reproduction


Jean-Baptiste Lamarck – contemporary of Darwin who proposed an alternate theory of evolution. Thought that organisms strived to be more perfectly suited to their environment


Remember (aka Key Points)

A population is the smallest unit that can evolve. Individuals CAN NOT evolve

Natural Selection diminishes (decreases) or amplifies (increases) existing traits

Natural Selection depends on environment


Why is diversity important in a population?

Increases the likelihood of a species surviving during environmental changes.

Natural Selection

Darwin’s experiment on Natural Selection with Asparagus

Natural Selection

Complete the worksheet to practice explaining how natural selection works in each situation

Warm up

Turn in Introduction to inbox or email the assignment to me. If you already turned it in, that’s fine.

Take out a sheet of paper and title it evidence for evolution. This will be your notes for evidence for evolution.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Treekiller ran out of toner. Please print out work on Chainsaw

Evolution Choice

Evidence for Evolution Watch Darwin’s Dangerous Idea Video: List the

evidence he provides for evolution.

Lab

You can work alone or in groups of 2-3

Finding Homologous Structures Lab Title: Homologous Structures Lab Purpose: To find homologous structures in the same phylum Method: Compare 2 organisms from the same phylum.

Sketch the organisms you are comparing. Label the phylum and the name of the organisms. Look for homologous structures and different structure and list them. (You only need to compare organisms from 6 phylums out of the 9)

Results Conclusion: Are organism in the same phylum more similar

that those from a different phylum? Why or why not?

Technology

Nature of science and evolution