Lesson 11
What Happens When a Group of Harpies Gets Separated?
Big Idea:
We can use the natural selection explanation developed in this unit to make sense of the presence of specialized traits, the emergence of new species, and the concept that all living things are connected.
Activity:
Students view an animated storybook about a real evolutionary story: “How the Harpies Evolved into Juramayas.” In a highly condensed way, it outlines the process by which mammals (e.g. Juramaia sinensis) evolved from an amphibious species (e.g. Procynosuchus delaharpeae). It also focuses on the way fossils provide evidence of evolutionary relatedness between species. Students use the 6 Key Steps tool to depict this speciation story.
Materials to Have Ready
For each student:
Notebook pages 24-26
For the class:
Video - How The Harpies Evolved Into Juramayas