A. The scientific theory of evolution is the organizing principle of life science.
B. The scientific theory of evolution is supported by multiple forms of evidence.
C. Natural Selection is a primary mechanism leading to change over time in organisms.
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Item Type(s):
This benchmark may be assessed using:
MC
item(s)
Also Assesses - Clarification :
Students will identify and/or explain ways in which genetic variation and environmental factors contribute to evolution by natural selection and diversity of organisms.
Students will identify and/or explain ways in which fossil evidence is consistent with the scientific theory of evolution.
Students will identify and/or explain how a species’ inability to adapt may contribute to the extinction of that species. - Content Limits :
Items will not address topics such as speciation, genetic drift, or gene pools.
Items will not assess or address hominid evolution or primate fossils.
Items assessing fossil evidence should focus on progressions over time/evolution from earlier species and/or the idea that not all species alive today were alive in the past.
Items will not assess fossils in the context of relative dating or plate tectonics/continental movement. - Stimulus Attributes :
None specified - Response Attributes :
None specified - Prior Knowledge :
Items may require the student to apply science knowledge described in the NGSSS from lower grades. This benchmark requires prerequisite knowledge from SC.5.L.15.1 and SC.5.L.17.1.
SC.7.L.15.1 Recognize that fossil evidence is consistent with the scientific theory of evolution that living things evolved from earlier species.
SC.7.L.15.3 Explore the scientific theory of evolution by relating how the inability of a species to adapt within a changing environment may contribute to the extinction of that species.
- Test Item #: Sample Item 1
- Question: A certain reptile species is a herbivore and exists only on an isolated island. Which of the following would most likely result in the extinction of the reptile species over a period of twenty thousand years?
- Difficulty: N/A
- Type: MC: Multiple Choice
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STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity
In this Model Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will attempt to identify, draw, and describe evolutionary relationships between a collection of reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic Era and that shared a common reptilian ancestor that lived earlier - in the Paleozoic Era. The students will receive images of and facts about each of the reptiles, and will use those images and facts to prepare a cladogram – a tree-shaped diagram illustrating their hypotheses about those evolutionary relationships based on shared derived traits – and describe each of the branch points on the tree they construct.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
Original Student Tutorials Science - Grades K-8
Examine how evolution is influenced by genetic variation, natural selection, and allele frequency through the lens of organism genotype.
Click below to open part 1.
Learn how evolution is influenced by genetic variation, natural selection, and allele frequency in this interactive tutorial.
This is part 1 in a two-part series. After you finish this tutorial, check out .
Student Resources
Original Student Tutorials
Learn how evolution is influenced by genetic variation, natural selection, and allele frequency in this interactive tutorial.
This is part 1 in a two-part series. After you finish this tutorial, check out .
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Examine how evolution is influenced by genetic variation, natural selection, and allele frequency through the lens of organism genotype.
Click below to open part 1.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Virtual Manipulative
Students will explore natural selection by controlling the environment and causing mutations in bunnies. This will demonstrate how natural selection works in nature. They will have the opportunity to throw in different variables to see what will make their species of rabbit survive.
Type: Virtual Manipulative