Grade 07 Science - EC: S7.B.2.1.2
Grade 07 Science - EC: S7.B.2.1.2
Continuum of Activities
The list below represents a continuum of activities: resources categorized by Standard/Eligible Content that teachers may use to move students toward proficiency. Using LEA curriculum and available materials and resources, teachers can customize the activity statements/questions for classroom use.
This continuum of activities offers:
- Instructional activities designed to be integrated into planned lessons
- Questions/activities that grow in complexity
- Opportunities for differentiation for each student’s level of performance
Grade Levels
7th Grade
Course, Subject
Science
Related Academic Standards / Eligible Content
Activities
- What is natural selection?
- How does natural selection impact the adaptations seen in a species?
- Pelicans live near the Atlantic Ocean. Some pelicans have a large gular pouch while others have a small pouch. At present, the population size of each type of pelican is similar. How do you think the population size of each pelican will change in the coming years? Explain your thinking.
- How is Natural Selection related to the Theory of Evolution?
Answer Key/Rubric
- Natural selection is the process in which organisms that are better adapted to the environment tend to survive longer and have more offspring than organisms of the same species that have not adapted well to the environment.
- Acceptable responses may include, but are not limited to:
- Adaptations take millions of years to be seen in all members of a species.
- If an organism is better adapted to its environment, then it will survive longer than an organism that is not as well adapted.
- The population of organisms that is well adapted to the environment will increase because they will live longer and produce more offspring.
- There is a higher probability that an organism that is not well adapted to the environment will die because if its weak adaptations.
- The population of the poorly adapted organisms will continue to decrease until the poor adaptations have disappeared from the species.
- Acceptable responses may include, but are not limited to:
- The pelican with the large gular pouch can scoop up more water and fish at the same than the other pelican.
- The pelicans with the large gular pouches will be able to eat more fish.
- The population of pelicans with large pouches will increase because these pelicans will be able to consume large and small fish to help them survive longer and produce more offspring.
- The population of pelicans with small pouches will decrease because many of them will die to lack of food.
- Acceptable responses may include, but are not limited to:
- Evolution is the process through which a species changes over time.
- Natural Selection is a theory that states that the members of a species that are better suited to the environment will survive and reproduce at a higher rate than other members of the species that are less suited to the environment.
- If the better suited members of the species will survive and reproduce more offspring, then over time, the stronger traits will manifest themselves more often in the species.
- After many years, these traits will be found in all of the members of the species.
- This means that the species evolved to be better suited to the environment.
