Funding sponsored by:
www.qad.com
Click here to download the project resources.
Project Description: In this project, students will learn more about the human evolution. They will be assigned a hominid to research. Ultimately, they will use what facts they can find to hypothesize why they think that the hominid went extinct. Students will use the internet to gather data and use PowerPoint to present the data. The students will also use a computer hooked up to an LCD projector to display their PowerPoint presentation to the class.
How it works: The whole point of this project is for students to learn more about human evolution. Students need to read websites and then use critical thinking skills to see what pieces of information are to be put into their PowerPoint. Also, students then need to use oral presentation skills as they tell the class about their hominid. They need to explain why they think that their hominid went extinct based on the scientific evidence. There is no right answer because scientists are debating the same facts today. Students watching the presentation can then compare and contrast between the hominid being presented and their own hominid. Similarities and differences are noted and this helps the students to be able to distinguish among our ancestors.
Assessment: I used a worksheet to practice the information and a quiz to assess their knowledge. I used a rubric to assess the PowerPoint presentations.
Standards: Students know how to analyze fossil evidence with regard to biological diversity, episodic speciation, and mass extinction.
Students know why natural selection acts on the phenotype rather than the genotype of an organism.
Use appropriate software to design and produce professional-quality images, documents, and presentations.
Estimated Number of Class Periods for Students To Complete Unit: 6 periods
Software or Materials Used:
Computer Lab
Microsoft PowerPoint
Internet connection
Internet Explorer or Firefox
LCD projector
Flash drive
VCR/DVD player
NOVA DVD First Steps
Keywords: evolution, hominid, extinction, natural selection, human ancestor, biology, change over time
The Students: The students involved in the project are high school Biology students meeting their Life Science graduation requirement. Most of them are 10th graders and some are 9th and some are 11th graders. Every student works individually on this project. There are no special characteristics of this population.
Overall Value: The best features of this project are that the students were able to use their own creativity to display information that they got to choose while at the same time tackling a complicated topic. Many of the students were excited to learn about human evolution because this topic was very new to them. Teachers would want to try this in their classes because it will be a nice change from the typical notes/textbook/worksheets that are all too commonplace in many classrooms. Students were excited about learning!
Subject Area: Science
Grade Levels: Grades 9-12
Homepage:
Tips for the Teacher: Make sure you tell the kids that scientists are still arguing about a lot of evolutionary finds...remember, the fossils don't come out of the ground with a name tag on them!
