EVOLUTION

 

Think/Discuss:

 

In the absence of intelligent farmers, natural selection does

the selection  in nature. Natural selection is when organisms

with more favourable traits are more likely to reproduce.

Those traits will then be passed on to future organisms.

Eventually, over thousands of years, those traits will be

in every single organism belonging to that species.

Random mutations can lead to diversity because those

mutation may be beneficial and it doesn’t happen in a day,

instead it takes millions of years. Those beneficial mutations

will be passed on to the offspring and that revolves

around the idea of survival of the fittest where organisms

with favourable traits are considered more fit than other organisms. After millions of years organisms will all receive that trait due to evolution and that mutation will result in complexity and diversity. I don’t believe we are too complicated to be an accident because evolution isn't something that took place in 10 years, it is something that took billions of years. There is a lot that happened in those billions of years that lead to the complexity of humans.

 

 

Watch/Make Notes:

 

Evolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdddbYILel0

Common Misconceptions:

• The word theory isn't a personal opinion in science. In science a theory is an explanation that is backed by actual facts. Theories are actually the ultimate goal and achievement.

• Mutation is a misconception, because people think mutations refer to animals with extra limbs or lack of limbs. Mutations are changes in DNA.

• Change in DNA isn’t the only reason for genetic diversity, some genes can be turned off or on

• Most mutations are neutral mutations which in its current state may not affect an organism, however that mutation may be beneficial or be harmful to the organism in later generations.

• People think of evolution as just an accident without realizing that organisms evolve to help them survive in the environment they live in

• The changes in a species take place over millions of years

• Theory of evolution doesn’t say organisms produce offspring of another species for example a caribou giving birth to a cat

• It also doesn’t say that individual organisms change species for example dogs do not become cats

• Humans didn’t evolve from apes instead we share a common ancestor

• Evolution isn't a combination of 2 random species for example a crocoduck

 

How has this video changed your ideas about evolution and about science in general?

This video really helped clear up misconceptions. It answered a lot of the questions I had about evolution such as humans evolving from apes. It also helped reinforce the idea of a theory in science. It is important that people know that a theory in science is the biggest achievement rather than just a guess.

 

Do:

 

 

 

 

 

Reflect/Journal:

So today I was finally exposed to actual evidence of evolution which I thought was cool. The video helped clear up the misconceptions I had. I am constantly amazed by certain scientists devotion to their research, for example Isaac Newton who stuck a needle in his eye. When I learned about Darwin's five year voyage I was amazed at how passionate he was about science. I learned about all of the animals that are unique to the Galapagos Islands which was neat. Learning about the misconceptions of Evolution helped because it finally cleared up question I had about evolution. I always wondered what happens to a species when it undergoes a mutation. When the video explained that entire species don’t have to go extinct when some of the individuals underwent a mutation helped clear up a misconception I had.