Author/Source: National Academy of Sciences (via Understanding Evolution)

Overview: Students formulate explanations and models that simulate structural and biochemical data as they investigate the misconception that humans evolved from apes.

Concepts: This lesson covers the following concepts:

• Present-day species evolved from earlier species; the relatedness of organisms is the result of common ancestry.
• Similarities among existing organisms provide evidence for evolution.
• Anatomical similarities of living things reflect common ancestry.
• All life forms use the same basic DNA building blocks.
• Scientists pose, test, and revise multiple hypotheses to explain what they observe.
• Our understanding of life through time is based upon multiple lines of evidence.
• Scientists use the similarity of DNA nucleotide sequences to infer the relatedness of taxa.
• Scientists use anatomical evidence to infer the relatedness of taxa.

Grade Level: 9-12
 
Time: Two class periods
 
Teacher Background: Explore these links for additional information on the topics covered in this lesson:

• Phylogenetics
• Nature of Science

Lesson URL:http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5787&page=81