Fossil 1 2 3 4 5 6 Protocone Connected Connected/ Connected Isolated Isolated Connected Intermediate Plications Simple Complex Simple Complex/ Complex Complex/ Intermediate Intermediate LESSON THREE: Proposing Changes to Orthogenesis and Communicating Evolution in Museums KEY QUESTION(S): Why are phylogenic trees superior in depicting evolution, as opposed to orthogenetic displays? OVERALL TIME ESTIMATE: One 45 minute class period, with an optional presentation period LEARNING STYLES: Visual, Kinesthetic, Auditory, Cooperative VOCABULARY: Orthogenetic -the hypothesis that life has an innate tendency to evolve in a unilinear fashion due to some internal or external "driving force". Phylogenetic tree- evolutionary tree, a branching diagram or "tree" showing the inferred evolutionary relationships among various biological species based upon similarities and differences in their physical or genetic characteristics LESSON SUMMARY: Students will be presented with a current problem observed in the majority of natural history museums in which orthogenesis is primary used to display the evolution of horses, instead of the widely accepted branching phylogenetic tree, which often leads to misconceptions about evolution amongst visitors of the general public to such exhibits. (MacFadden, et. al. 2012) Teachers can chose to provide students with a fictional letter from the curator of a natural history museum employing their help with this problem or have students complete a close read of the MacFadden paper to explore this issue. Students will then use their fossil data graphs from Lesson One in addition to information about ancestral horse species to complete a hand drawn infographic proposal to summarize how the fossil records clearly show a branching phylogenetic evolution of the horse. STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to differentiate between orthogenetic and phylogenetic evolution and explain the flaws in orthogenesis. Students will be able to construct a phylogenetic tree based on measured fossil data. Students will be able analyze evolutionary relationships and determine common ancestors given a cladogram.
Fossil 1 2 3 4 5 6 Protocone Connected Connected/ Intermediate Connected Isolated Isolated Connected Plications Simple Complex Simple Complex/ Intermediate Complex Complex/ Intermediate LESSON THREE: Proposing Changes to Orthogenesis and Communicating Evolution in Museums KEY QUESTION(S): Why are phylogenic trees superior in depicting evolution, as opposed to orthogenetic displays? OVERALL TIME ESTIMATE: One 45 minute class period, with an optional presentation period LEARNING STYLES: Visual, Kinesthetic, Auditory, Cooperative VOCABULARY: Orthogenetic -the hypothesis that life has an innate tendency to evolve in a unilinear fashion due to some internal or external "driving force". Phylogenetic tree- evolutionary tree, a branching diagram or "tree" showing the inferred evolutionary relationships among various biological species based upon similarities and differences in their physical or genetic characteristics LESSON SUMMARY: Students will be presented with a current problem observed in the majority of natural history museums in which orthogenesis is primary used to display the evolution of horses, instead of the widely accepted branching phylogenetic tree, which often leads to misconceptions about evolution amongst visitors of the general public to such exhibits. (MacFadden, et. al. 2012) Teachers can chose to provide students with a fictional letter from the curator of a natural history museum employing their help with this problem or have students complete a close read of the MacFadden paper to explore this issue. Students will then use their fossil data graphs from Lesson One in addition to information about ancestral horse species to complete a hand drawn infographic proposal to summarize how the fossil records clearly show a branching phylogenetic evolution of the horse. STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to differentiate between orthogenetic and phylogenetic evolution and explain the flaws in orthogenesis. Students will be able to construct a phylogenetic tree based on measured fossil data. Students will be able analyze evolutionary relationships and determine common ancestors given a cladogram.