Got Fitness? or Does SIZE matter? Group 4- Evolution Teachable unit-Fitness Facilitator- Lianna Etchberger Brian, Miles, Devon, Ralph, Jane, Cheryl, Nish

Context Introductory Biology course (freshman) In this same course, students will have already been exposed to: –Inheritance –Genetics –Evolution and Religion (not mutually exclusive) –Scientific processing skills (graphing)

Diversity Hands-on activity in small groups –all students included in learning

Misconceptions There are “good” traits and “bad” traits. Bigger/more/stronger /faster is better.

Learning GoalsLearning OutcomesActivitiesAssessmentBloom's Level 1. Understand the terms: components of relative fitness (survival, ability to reproduce, # and success of offspring, etc.), trait, mutation, environment, phenotype. Appropriately use all the key terms presented in lecture. Clicker questions Online quiz (pre- lecture) Instructor and class review and correct misconceptions. (formative) 2:Comprehension 2. To recognize how fitness depends on the interactions between traits and the environment. Graph and analyze data to demonstrate the relationship between environment and relative fitness. Bill size exercise Homework Discussion after each trial to evaluate results. Graph data in class Homework-analysis and interpretation 3: Application 5: Synthesis 3. Apply recently learned knowledge to real world examples. Make predictions of fitness based on description of trait and environment with new examples (application of concept). Second lecture w/ clicker cases: Darwin’s finches Human Skin Color In class clickers and group discussion Novel example on final exam 4. Analysis 6. Evaluation Thanks Sara Olson! We stole this from you!

Summative Assessment Final exam question: Apply concepts to a new/different example of natural selection. Interpret a brief data set through a set of multiple choice questions. Learning Goal: To recognize how fitness depends on the interactions between traits and the environment

Relative fitness (Objective 1) fitness survival ??? finding a mate reprod uction

Objective 2 Illustrate and interpret the relationship between environment and relative fitness. Activity- bill foraging experiment

Bill experiment Clips= Bill Food source: nuts (3 size classes) Time: 30 seconds/run Groups=3 individuals with each beak size 2 trials, 3 conditions- mixed nuts, all small, all large Record data on each trial on handout Calculate how well each individual did compared to the most successful one in their trial Graph/sketch their own data in class in small groups.

environment 1 (given) beak sizepredictioncountscalculationrelative fitness large medium small environment 2 (based on student hypotheses) beak sizepredictioncountscalculationrelative fitness large medium small environment 3 (based on student hypotheses) beak sizepredictioncountscalculationrelative fitness large medium small 1.Three people, each person must have a different size beak (clip) 2.There will be small, medium or large nuts to pick up with the beaks 3.Can only pick up one nut at a time! It must be collected in your hand 4.30 second time limit 5.Predictions: rank which beak size will get the greatest number of nuts (first=highest, second, third=lowest)

Calculation of frequency Example:# of nutsrelative fitness –Large beak10100% –Medium beak5? –Small beak2?

Env. 1(all nuts present) Beak sizepredictioncounts calculatio n relative fitness Largesecond 6100 Mediumfirst Smallthird 6100 Env. 2 (only large nuts) Beak sizeprediction counts calculati on relative fitness Largefirst Mediumsecond 2 40 Smallthird 0 0 Env. 3 (only small nuts) Beak sizeprediction counts calculati on relative fitness Largethird 8 80 Mediumsecond 8 80 Smallfirst

Homework Students can work in groups or individually. Using the entire class data set, students must be able to: –Articulate research question –Predict results –Identify dependent/independent variables –Calculate relative average fitness values for each beak size in each of the three environments –Graph –Summarize significant findings –Limitations of simulation compared to real life examples

Learning GoalsLearning OutcomesActivitiesAssessmentBloom's Level 2. To recognize how fitness depends on the interactions between traits and the environment. Graph and analyze data to demonstrate the relationship between environment and relative fitness. Bill length exercise Homework Discussion after each trial to evaluate results. Graph data in class Homework-analysis and interpretation 3: Application 5: Synthesis