Date: 04/01/2022 Teacher’s Name: Sabrina Groth and AJ Medina

Subject: Biology Grade level: 7th

Learning Segment Title: Biodiversity on Earth Number of Lessons: 4
Length of each lesson: 50 mins
Central Focus: This learning segment will focus on introducing students to natural selection and
speciation to move students toward an understanding of biodiversity. Students will also learn how
organisms are classified and the criteria for declaring an organism its own species.
Days 1 & 2: They will use their knowledge of comparative anatomy to decide which organisms are
related. Students will also discuss how populations are affected by natural selection and how they change
over time. Students will also perform a lab about Darwin’s finches to infer how the finches evolved into
distinct species in order to prepare them for the next lesson on speciation. Students will use different
graphic organizers and physical models to demonstrate their learning.
Day 3: Students will be introduced to how new species come about and what it means to be a distinct
species. This lesson will focus on comparing and contrasting different species with a major focus on what
makes them different (lion vs tiger vs liger). Students will be provided with sentence starters, various
graphic organizers, and
Day 4: In this learning segment students will analyze the various ways in which organisms are classified
and examine the models used to organize Earth’s organisms. The primary focus will be on comparing the
various methods of classification used in modern biology, and using the tree of life model to summarize
evolutionary relationships.
Essential Question(s):
How does natural selection lead to evolution?
What role do fossils play in the study of evolution?
How did Darwin help define the theory of evolution?
How can we model the relationships between organisms?
Why is it important that animals are classified correctly?
What is the best way to classify organisms?
Learning Standards:
MS-LS4-1: Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence,
diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption
that natural laws operate today as in the past. [Emphasis is on finding patterns of changes in the level of
complexity of anatomical structures in organisms]
MS-LS4-2: Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and
differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary
relationships.
- LS4-A: The collection of fossils and their placement in chronological order is known as the fossil
record. It documents the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of many life forms
throughout the history of life on Earth.
- LS4-B: Natural selection can lead to an increase in the frequency of some traits and the decrease
in the frequency of other traits.
- Similarities and differences in patterns can be used to sort and classify organisms

6-8.RST.7: Identify and match scientific or technical information present as text with a version of that
information presented visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).

8.SL.4: Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with
relevant evidence, valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume,
and clear enunciation.
Literacy Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media

and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7: Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words

in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph,
or table).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one,

in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others'
ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.5: Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to

clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on

several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.

Differentiation
Special Needs This class has two English Language Learners, Ernesto and Maria, who are both
of Students performing at a level 1 English proficiency according to the NYS ELA test, and
need special support when it comes to reading and writing. They are both able to
converse with other students in fluent English, though they do often converse with
each other in their native language.
 Day 1:

Outcomes Assessments
Students will be able to…
discuss the effects of natural selection to predict what will Formative: Students will fill out two compare/contrast
happen to a population graphic organizers and use them to discuss possible
describe why natural selection causes evolution to happen relationships between the organisms they are
compare/contrast organisms in order to evaluate their comparing.
relationships

Day 2:

Outcomes Assessments
Students will be able to… Formative: students will perform a lab in which they
discuss why natural selection leads to changes in populations act as Darwin’s finches in order to see how certain
identify which beak type works best for different types of food traits are more advantageous. Students will use these
explain the advantages of variation and diversity in observations to infer these traits’ effects on the finch
populations population and their offspring.

Day 3:

Outcomes Assessments
Students will be able to… Formative: Students will complete a worksheet that explains how
Explain how different species evolve similarities don’t also mean animals are the same.
Define a species Students will also use one of four graphic organizers to summarize
Identify real world examples of species isolation an article that covers today’s lesson and provides students with
more examples of the different types of isolation.

Day 4:

Outcomes Assessments
Students will be able to… Formative: Students will invent an organism and
Compare and contrast organisms based on their physical and classify it based on comparisons to real organisms.
behavioral traits Students will also name the organism and defend their
Explain how organisms are named and classified naming choice based on the taxonomic system.
 INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL SELECTION (DAY 1):
Content Differentiation Our two ELLs will be given a powerpoint with pictures
representing the vocabulary words alongside their definitions
to aide them with their K-W-L. If they struggle too much
with the K-W-L, they will then be asked to draw their own
image that will help them remember what the word means
instead.
Process Differentiation Since students will be working in groups, other students may
have to aid Ernesto and Maria with certain vocabulary, or the
instructor may be asked to assist.
Product Differentiation Rather than have them write the differences between the
organisms in the graphic organizers, they may be allowed to
simply circle the similarities and differences (preferably in
different colored pens) if describing them proves difficult.
Since the majority of learning in this segment is oral, there
should not be any other need for product differentiation.

Academic Language
Language Function Students will be able to discuss the effects of natural selection and
predict how populations will change.
Vocabulary Adaptation, Camouflage, Competition, Diversity, Environment,
Extinct, Fossil, Generation, Inherited, Natural Selection, Organism,
Population, Predator, Prey, Resource, Species, Theory of Evolution,
Trait, Variation
Syntax Students will use a venn diagram to compare a frog skeleton and a
fossil of a frog ancestor.
Students will be given sentence starters for their discussions during
lecture (If the mice live in the desert the ___ mice will survive more.
and If one fur color survives more, the population will…).
Students will use a comparison worksheet to compare two animals of
their choice (either a weasel and an otter or a pheasant and a guinea.
Discourse Students will be shown different colored mice living in different
environments. Using specific academic language, they will explain why
they think what mice will survive in which environment. Students will
also use a simulation in which they can directly see for themselves how
a change in the environment affects the population of organisms. They
will discuss their observations in class using academic vocabulary, and
provide reasons as to why a specific environment change caused a shift

Prior to beginning the lesson, students will have turned in the assigned K-W-L chart.
Students will discuss what “survival of the fittest” means to them in order to establish
whether or not students have misconceptions about the phrase (e.g., If an animal is
Pre-assessment &
bigger/stronger they will survive better). Students’ K-W-L charts will be briefly
Student Readiness
reviewed by the instructor in order to determine if there is any prior knowledge lacking.
Depending on students’ overall familiarity with the vocabulary words, lectures may be
altered to assure students have all the required prior knowledge.

Introduction: Anticipatory Set

To get students into the mindset of the lesson being taught, they will be sorted into groups of 2 and asked
what they think the phrase “survival of the fittest” means.Students turn in the K-W-L chart they
completed prior to class, which will be reviewed by the instructor while students discuss to ensure all
students have the required prior knowledge.
Initial Phase Direct Instruction
Students will be shown a powerpoint presentation that introduces the topic of natural selection. In the
presentation there is a short video that discusses Darwin and his finches and how they led to developing
the theory of evolution as we know it today.

Middle Phase
Guided Practice
Students will be shown 2 images of different colored mice living in different environments: snow and
desert. They will be asked which mice do they think will survive better in which environment, and be
asked to explain their reasoning.
Independent Practice
Students will do a simulation in which they can change various environmental and genetic factors of
bunnies. They will observe the differences in the populations as they change factors (why are there fewer
white bunnies in the desert when you introduce wolves to the environment? Why do more bunnies have
long teeth when food is tough?) in order to discuss the changes they made and their effects with the class.

Concluding Phase
Closure/Summary
Students will be shown an image of a T-Rex and be asked “What farm animal is related to this dinosaur?”
They will be allowed to discuss with each other in small groups before each student hands in a post-it
note with their answer.

Follow up: Students will be given a homework assignment in which they will fill out a venn diagram and
identify the similarities and differences between a Triadobatrachus fossil and a frog skeleton. They will
also complete a different comparison chart for the animals of their choice (guinea and pheasant OR
weasel and otter) and they will discuss with their classmates in the next class if they think their animals
are related and why.

Materials: (items, technology, etc.)

Natural Selection Powerpoint
Simulation
Venn Diagram with picture of frog skeleton and fossil
Compare/Contrast Organizer with pictures of weasel/otter and guinea/pheasant
 NATURAL SELECTION LAB (DAY 2):
Introduction: Anticipatory Set
Students will begin this lesson with a short game of snowman. It has the same concept as the game hangman, but
you draw a snowman instead. The phrase students have to figure out is “Charles Darwin.” First the instructor will
ask for volunteers, but if no students volunteer answers (or it’s only two students offering guesses) students will
be cold-called.

Initial Phase Direct Instruction

Following the game of snowman, we will review the students’ discoveries from their comparison assignments.
Students will be asked to split into small groups to discuss whether they think their animals were related to each
other and what traits made them think so. Following the discussions, students will turn in their homework
assignments. Once students return to their seats, there will be a demonstration of the lab techniques students will
use.

Middle Phase
Guided Practice
While students perform the lab, the instructor will walk around the room, answering student questions and
offering guidance and suggestions where needed. It may be necessary to have students walk you through their
thought processes in order to better gauge their understanding.
Independent Practice
Following the hands-on portion of the lab, students will create a graph to illustrate their results. Each group will
have been assigned a different kind of beak so following the lab the class will come together as a whole and share
their results between groups. Once data has been shared, students will analyze all of the results to determine
which beak type worked best with which food. Students will also reflect on what they did in the lab in order to
connect it to natural selection and determine how future generations will evolve.

Concluding Phase
Reflective Beach Ball Activity: On a beach ball, there will be 10 reflection questions. Students will GENTLY toss
the beach ball to a peer and their RIGHT THUMB determines which question written on the ball they have to
answer. The questions on the ball:
1. What are you most proud of from today’s lesson? 7. Were there any obstacles you had to overcome? How
2. How did today’s lesson make you feel? did you do it?
3. What was one thing you learned today? 8. List 3 words to describe today’s lesson.
4. What was one thing you found interesting today? 9. What do you want to learn more about from today’s
5. Is there anything you would do differently? lesson?
6. What part of today’s lesson worked best for you? 10. Explain what you learned today to a 5-year old.

Discourse Students will participate in a lab activity in which they will act as they are Darwin’s Finches.
Using materials such as chopsticks, spoons, and paperclips, they will simulate the different beak
sizes of finches to pick up food. In the post-lab questions, students will use different academic
vocabulary to explain the significance/implications of this simulation, along with defining key
terms and various “what-if” questions, to help them in thinking about how to apply what they did
in the activity to other scenarios.

Follow Up:
Students will fill out one of the two vocabulary graphic organizers for homework in which they define natural
selection by breaking it up into part. This graphic organizer will also prepare them for the upcoming lesson on
speciation.

Materials:
Lab Handout
Beach Ball with reflective questions written on it in sharpie
Both vocabulary graphic organizers
- Organizer 1
- Organizer 2
 WHAT IS A SPECIES? (DAY 3):
Academic Language
Language Function Students will identify examples of speciation and explain why we have
different species and how we know they’re different.
Vocabulary Speciation, Ancestor, Offspring, Sterile, Fertilize, Habitat,
Syntax After reading the article Five Types of Isolation, students will select a
graphic organizer (four choices) to summarize the article. Depending
on the graphic organizer selected, students may summarize key points
from the article and then again in their own words to ensure they
understand the topic, draw what they learned to visualize their learning,
or identify the main idea and structure of the text, with a summary of
the article.
Discourse Students will communicate with their peers to discuss how they think
the “animals” in their stations are different and how/why they think
they became different.

Differentiation
Content Differentiation There is a Spanish translation of the article available (though
the vocabulary is still in english) and the video students will
watch has Spanish closed captions available, should they
have difficulty understanding the video and need clarification
on certain words/phrases. There are also images on each slide
during direct instruction to make the point clearer, even if not
all the words are understood.
Process Differentiation When learning the different methods of isolation this
slideshow allows Ernesto and Maria to read along with the
audio and look at more examples of isolation in action, rather
than just pictures of different species.
Product Differentiation Some of the graphic organizers are broader than others,
giving Maria and Ernesto less words to focus on when
summarizing the article.

When students come into class they will hand in their vocabulary organizers from the
previous lesson (defined what natural selection was and its effects on populations).
Students will then get back their K-W-L charts (turned in at the beginning of the unit)
Pre-assessment &
and, going around the room, students will be asked to list two words that need to be
Student Readiness
moved from one column to another. Should students not have the majority of the
vocabulary in the “What I Learned (L)” column, do a review of natural selection and the
theory of evolution to ensure proper background knowledge.

Introduction: Anticipatory Set

Students will walk into the classroom and sit down in groups based on where they see their names on tables. With
their groups, they will name a ship (something appropriate). Once all of their ships are named, students will go
around the room in their groups and look at different “animals” (skittles). They will be asked to identify how their
groups of animals are different and how they think they became different. Students will spend four minutes at four
stations (2 groups of 5 and 2 groups of 6).
- Station 1: habitat; red skittles in a “tree” and green skittles in a “river”
- Station 2: size; yellow skittle and a green peanut m&m
- Station 3: time; under a sign that says March show only blue skittles in a meadow and under another
that say June show only purple skittles in the same meadow
- Station 4: hybrids; blue and yellow skittles intermixed in a meadow with green skittles along the
outside
Initial Phase Direct Instruction
Following the skittle activity, students will return to their seats and be presented a slideshow that describes the
ways of defining species, splitting them into two categories: before and after mating.
- Students will be told how species are defined through isolation - before and after birth. Isolation in
biology is a process in which two species that could possibly mate and produce offspring are
prevented from doing so through a variety of factors.
- Isolation can occur before mating.
1. Isolation by time (temporal isolation) simply means that the animals are awake at different
times, or have different mating seasons.
a. An example of temporal isolation are 2 orchids who cannot mate and are therefore
different species, as they mate during different times of the year.
2. Isolation by location (ecological isolation) means that the animals live in different areas, so
they will not be able to come into contact with each other to mate.
a. An example of ecological isolation are 2 frogs who live in different environments but
the same location. One lives above ground and one lives underground, causing them
to be classified as different species.
3. Isolation by behavior (behavioral isolation) means that the animals have different ways of
mating, such as mating dances, or an animal may act too weird for another animal’s taste.
a. An example of behavioral isolation are 2 bees who cannot mate since they perform
different mating dances. The mating dance of one bee may scare off the other one.
4. Isolation by size means that the size difference between the animals is too large to effectively
mate. Think of an elephant and a mouse.
a. An example of size isolation are 2 dogs who share the same ancestor but have a large
size difference.
- Isolation can occur after mating.
1. The parents can mate, but the baby may die before birth.
2. The baby can be born, though with several deformities which make it difficult to survive to
adulthood.
3. The baby may make it to adulthood but be unable to produce offspring of their own due to
being sterile.
4. The baby can make it to adulthood and successfully have children, but the children may be
sterile and unable to have children (delayed sterility).

Middle Phase
Guided Practice
To ensure understanding students will discuss their new knowledge in terms of the skittles populations they
viewed. Station 1 should be defined in terms of habitat isolation, station 2 in terms of size, station 3 in terms of
mating times, and station 4 in terms of a new species as a result of the combination of two others, or hybrid
formation.

Concluding Phase
To close out the lesson, toss a stress ball around the room at random, ensuring every student goes once. When a
student receives the ball, they must state one thing they learned today, avoiding repetitions.

Follow Up: Students will be asked to read this article and fill out one of four graphic organizers to review today’s
lesson and ensure proper understanding before beginning the lesson on how different species come about.

Materials:

Powerpoint Graphic Organizer 1

Article w/vocab Graphic Organizer 2
What is a species? Video Graphic Organizer 3
What is a species? worksheet Graphic Organizer 4
 CLASSIFICATION (DAY 4):
Academic Language

Language Function Compare the similarities and differences between various organisms
using different taxonomic methods.
Vocabulary classify, binomial nomenclature, hierarchy, domain, derived traits,
bacteria, archaea, eukarya, kingdom, animalia, plantae, protista, taxon,
taxonomy, genus, tree of life, physical, behavioral, habitat, diet
Syntax Oral discussion and collaboration to sort imaginary organisms. Students
will also research organisms individually to fill out a worksheet and
identify its physical and behavioral traits.
Discourse Students will create an animal, classify it, and give it a name (scientific
and common) and will classify based on the taxonomic system.

Differentiation
All students will participate in a small group activity in which they will work together to
sort buttons based on categories of their choosing to ensure all students have some
understanding of how to classify objects.
Pre-assessment
Following the button activity, students will work in the same groups to organize pictures
& Student
of various animals into categories in the same way they did with the buttons. Students will
Readiness
then be asked to explain their classifications and methods.
Both activities will have a focus on collaboration and oral communication skills so as to
not discourage students with difficulty in english.
Students having difficulty with the pre-assessment will receive a more in-depth
Content explanation regarding classification; i.e: explaining/giving examples of categories, why we
Differentiation classify things, how to identify similarities/differences. The vocabulary for this lesson has
a powerpoint with it that defines the words alongside images/examples of them.
All students will be required to use various graphic organizers to complete the
Process
classification assignments. Ernesto and Maria will be allowed to use pictures alongside a
Differentiation
written description within the graphic organizers.
Product Presentations will be presented orally with the option to use a powerpoint with graphic
Differentiation support.

All students will par cipate in a small group ac vity in which they will work together
to sort bu ons based on categories of their choosing to ensure all students have
some understanding of how to classify objects.
Pre-assessment
Following the bu on ac vity, students will work in the same groups to organize
& Student
pictures of various animals into categories in the same way they did with the bu ons.
Readiness
Students will then be asked to explain their classifica ons and methods.
Both ac vi es will have a focus on collabora on and oral communica on skills so as
to not discourage students with difficulty in english.

Introduction: Anticipatory Set:

Students will be asked to organize made up aliens to practice comparing and contrasting organisms based
on their physical traits. Students will also be asked to explain and defend their groupings to the class.
Initial Phase Direct Instruction
Powerpoint presentation that defines the three domains of life, and explains how scientists compare
organisms in order to sort them into groups. The presentation also briefly explains that these comparisons
are not just physical but also behavioral and genetic.
Middle Phase
Guided Practice
Students will be assigned an organism to research and identify its traits (cell structure, how it eats, and
how it reproduces), taxonomies, and its scientific name. There will also be a challenge question if they
complete the task with time to spare (compare it to another organism in the same genus). These organisms
will then be shared with the class.
Concluding Phase Closure/Summary
To close out the last lesson of the unit, students will do a square-triangle-circle exit ticket on a post-it.

Follow up:
Students will be asked to make up an organism of their own and classify it. They will be asked to come up
with a habitat, diet, lifespan, and specific physical characteristics of the organism. It will be recommended
that their organisms be based on a real life organism to make it easier to classify and complete research.
Next class, students will present their organism to the class and provide a brief explanation of why they
classified it the way they did (comparing it to other similar organisms).
Materials: (items, technology, etc.)
Anticipatory Set
Powerpoint
Picture Vocabulary
Guided Practice
List of Organisms for Guided Practice
Organism Classification (HW)