Transcript Group 4: Evolution - Yale Center for Teaching and Learning

Group 4: Evolution
Team members:
Facilitator:
Miriam Ferzli
John Godwin
Karsten Hueffer
Christa Mulder
Curt Daehler
Alison Sherwood
Peter Armbruster
Framework for Teachable Unit:
Evolution of species interactions
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Course title: Introduction to Evolutionary
Biology
Second year course, prerequisite is an
introductory biology course
This teaching unit occurs mid-way through
the course, following a basic introduction to
the mechanisms of evolutionary processes.
Learning goals:
Students will understand that:
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Species influence each other’s evolution, while
selection occurs at the individual level
There is a spectrum of species interactions ranging
from mutually beneficial, to highly detrimental to at
least one member
Relationships between species are conditional upon
the environment in which they occur
Evolution of species interactions is important and
applicable to real-world problems
Today’s Learning Objectives
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Infer the costs and benefits to species in an
interaction
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Critically evaluate the media’s presentation of
biology
Fig-wasp mutualism
The Fig Wasp interaction
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Video on the fig wasp mutualism
(http://youtube.com/watch?v=JNbMyavunbQ&feature=related)
Individual writing exercise
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What are the advantages and disadvantages
of this interaction for the fig and for the wasp?
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Fill in the squares on the handout
Only fill in those squares that you think apply to
this interaction
fig
advantages
disadvantages
wasp
Clicker question
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For which of the following did you write
advantages?
fig
advantages
A = fig
B = wasp
C = fig and wasp
D = neither
disadvantages
wasp
Clicker question
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For which of the following did you write
disadvantages?
fig
advantages
A = fig
B = wasp
C = fig and wasp
D = neither
disadvantages
wasp
Group discussion
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Within your groups, discuss your evaluation
of the fig-wasp interaction and come to a
group consensus about advantages and
disadvantages for both the fig and the wasp.
Clicker question re-vote
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For which of the following did you write
disadvantages?
fig
advantages
A = fig
B = wasp
C = fig and wasp
D = neither
disadvantages
wasp
Brainstorming
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What are the advantages and disadvantages
of this interaction to the fig and the wasp?
Group assignment (take-home)
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How would you modify the video clip shown
during class to reflect your understanding of
the costs and benefits of the fig-wasp
interaction?
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Two options:
1) re-write the script of the video clip to include what you
think are all the important pieces of information for a
viewer to really understand the nature of this
interaction
2) create your own video explaining the interaction
SI themes addressed by this
teachable tidbit
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Active Learning / Formative Assessment:
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Summative Assessment:
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Advantages / disadvantages exercise – written / spatial
Brainstorming
Video assignment (creative or written options)
Homework assignment
Unit exam
Diversity:
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Different approaches to the same content (e.g. individual work /
group discussions; video clip)
Alternate homework assignments for different learning styles
Clicker question
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Is the wasp-fig interaction an example of a
mutualism?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Don’t have enough information
D. No idea…
Cost-benefit analyses
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Advantages (benefits) and disadvantages (costs)
associated with each – the balance determines the type
of association
Advantages and
disadvantages are weighed
against each other
Species interactions and
human affairs
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Interactions have a temporal element
 The balance can change over time
 The nature of the interaction can change over time
 What kinds of impacts could change the nature of an
interaction?