Lesson 8
What Happens When a Group of Piloses Gets Separated?
Big Idea:
A group of animals can be divided by a large environmental change. Over many generations, the traits in the now-isolated populations may change so much that they are very different from each other (speciation). Groups of animals that look very different from each other are related if they have the same ancestor. Speciation is very similar to the process by which living organisms develop specialized traits (adaptation).
Activity:
Students discuss the similarities and differences between a story about adaptation – the evolution of a specialized trait (piloses) versus a story about speciation – the evolution of a new species (miroungas).
Materials to Have Ready
For each student:
Notebook pages 17-18
For the class:
Video - How Piloses Evolved Into Miroungas
A paper 6 Key Steps for the class to complete in the lesson. Keep and post after completion.