Q1W1 (8/12-8/16)

Welcome to 8th grade, I am so excited to get to know your student better and will do all that I can to give them my best each day. I am not sure who gets more restless the night before school starts, the teacher, the student, or the parent?!? This year will prove to be an exciting year full of high school prep. Together will work to build critical thinking skills through the application of science.  This class is very rigorous, and it is imperative that you do not fall behind and stay current.

This week we will dive right into learning and becoming familiar with classroom expectations and procedures.  A syllabus and lab contract will come home to be returned by Friday of this week. Here is quick overview of the week but please remember that plans are subject to change.

Monday (8/12)- Welcome back. Review of PBIS with the 8th grade team

Tuesday- Classroom expectations, folder and composition set up, and syllabus sent home.

Wednesday- Evidence of Common Ancestry

Thursday- Cladograms and Phylogenetic Trees

Friday (8/16)- Critical thinking activity

Standard(s) Addressed:

8.LS4.2 Construct an explanation addressing the similarities and differences of the anatomical structures and genetic information between extinct and extant organisms using evidence of common ancestry and patterns between taxa.

Learning Targets

DOK 1:

  1. Recognize the use of embryonic development, anatomical structures, and genetic information as evidence used to trace common ancestry of modern-day organisms.

DOK 2:

  1. Interpret cladograms and phylogenetic trees to determine the relatedness of species.
  2. Construct an explanation how embryonic development, anatomical structures, and genetic information is used to link related organisms.
  3. Compare the embryonic development, anatomical structures, and genetic information to infer relatedness of various species.

DOK 3:

  1. Construct a cladogram or phylogenetic tree from a group of given organisms to support an argument about the relatedness of the organisms.

DOK 4:

  1. Critique other cladograms or phylogenetic trees and provide alternative solutions based on logical arguments.
  2. Create arguments and synthesize possible relationships between a group of ten or more organisms using graphs and current scientific reasoning.