If you’re looking for an engaging activity to help your students understand the evidence to support the theory of evolution, you have come to the right place! This EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION WEBQUEST is just what you need. First I’ll introduce you to some fabulous, time-tested resources that I’ve already prepared to make lesson planning, tutoring, or homework time a whole lot easier.
Next, I’ll give you some ideas on ways to use the Evidence for Evolution WebQuest and the other Darwin, Natural Selection, and Evolution resources below. These resources will increase engagement in your classroom and make learning fun for you and your students.
In this Darwin, Natural Selection, & Evolution Webquest, students will explore Darwin’s voyage using a Khan Academy article. Questions are related to the reading to ensure comprehension and deeper thinking. Next, students play a game where they select adaptations for a species and then try to ensure its survival for 1,000,000 years through a variety of environmental changes. This resource comes with both print and Google versions of the file for your convenience to use in the classroom or through Google Classroom (or other online learning platforms).
Are you looking for an extension activity for your evolution unit? Need a way to bring natural selection to life? Then you should give your students the chance to be real scientists! In this virtual lab, students will compare live stickleback fish from two different lakes. One with predators and one without. Students will then compare fossilized fish from two rock layers in order to make predictions about the kinds of environmental conditions. Lastly, students investigate the activation of various genes and how they relate to the expression of pelvic spines.
This set of digital and print guided reading activities will serve as a great anchor for student learning. In this set, students will read about natural selection, competition, adaptation, and Darwin himself. Paired with comprehension activities and answer keys, this resource is a quick and easy lesson plan with high levels of student learning promised!
Let me try to convince you that the products I’m offering are worth your hard earned cash. (Or you can always apply for reimbursement through your school.)
I work hard so you don’t have to. Finding useful resources for your lesson is a lot of work. Making them is even more work. Whenever I can, I always trade money for time. A couple dollars to reimburse another classroom teacher for their efforts in creating valuable resources is seen as a fair trade according to thousands of positive reviews.
My resources are high quality. Most of my resources come in both PDF and digital format to support you in face to face, virtual, or hybrid learning models. Having multiple representations is always useful for differentiation. My resources also include an easy to use answer key and high quality image, graphics, and explanations where needed.
All of my resources are guaranteed. That means that if you’re unhappy with your purchase, I will fully refund you. My email is listed on the last page of every resource. All you have to do is send me a quick note about your experience and I can resolve the issue or refund you..
If you’re feeling a little sick and need a day to rest, the EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION WEBQUEST would be an excellent way to allow students to work on their own (either digitally or on paper) without a lot of speaking required on your part. To make things even better, you’ll be supporting literacy in the classroom too!
Stations are a great way to make a long class feel shorter or a large class feels smaller. With this intention, split your class into groups based on the number of stations you have. One of your stations can be a setting that allows you to work closely with some students, and other groups should have work that can be completed independently. This will give you the opportunity to give the students who need support your full attention. Don’t forget that you can do stations online too!
Close reading is an essential skill that must be taught in all classrooms. Time and time again, students are showing that they are not prepared to read college level texts. Spoon feeding them isn’t going to solve this issue. We absolutely must increase the rigor in our classrooms when it comes to literacy, and teaching reading strategies is the path that will take our students where they need to be.
Differentiation can feel like a huge burden for teachers. How are we supposed to create several different variations of the same lesson or activity? In reality, we probably can’t. What we can do, though, is provide independent work packets for students who are not able to be present for direct instruction. We can make choice boards in which students will most likely differentiate for themselves, we can provide extension activities for early finishers, and we can provide extra practice for students who aren’t showing mastery.
I know as teachers we hear a lot about the benefits and drawbacks of homework. Whether or not you’re in support of homework, I’d just like to point out that it’s there as an option. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Interactive notebooks are unmatched in their ability to keep students organized and work in one place. I’m a huge fan of shrinking my worksheets down to fit in an interactive notebook. Sometimes I print 2 in one, cut them in half and just glue the sheets directly into pages of a notebook. Other times I transform multi-page PDFs into mini books (use these simple instructions if you’d like to try it) and insert the entire thing into a notebook.
Whether summative or formative, consider using these resources as an option for assessment
Continue the discussion in my Facebook Group for Middle School Science Teachers or my Classroom Management Facebook Group.
Or get free science resources delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for my newsletter! I promise to never be spammy. I’m just a regular teacher who likes helping teachers teach and students learn.
