Technology-Assisted+Assessment+Part+2

Here is a reminder of the focus of this unit.

Target concept - Natural selection produces change in populations, not individuals.

__**Content Standards**__ - based upon the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), which are the teaching standards required under the provisions of the Texas Education Code B.7C - Analyze and evaluate how natural selection produces change in populations, not individuals. Supporting Standard B.7D - Analyze and evaluate how the elements of natural selection, including inherited variation, the potential of a population to produce more offspring than can survive, and a finite supply of environmental resources, result in differential reproductive success.Supporting Standard B.7E - Analyze and evaluate the relationship of natural selection to adaptation and to the development of diversity in and among species. Readiness Standard

__**Goals and Objectives -**__ Students will analyze evidence for evolution and scientific explanations of that evidence. They will also analyze and evaluate the mechanism of natural selection and its results.

This unit was a lot harder to get through than I thought it would be. While the concept is basic and the standards are easy to understand the CScope performance indicator was quite a bit more complicated. As a pre-test/post-test I used the online website - http://file.glpacademy.co.kr/eTAP/biology_files/english/grade7/Lesson7/instruction1tutor.html Students were also instructed to go through the tutorial on this website if they were having trouble in class.

The Performance indicator of a presentation addressing the topic “Natural selection is usually thought of as an agent of change in populations, but it can also act to maintain the status quo.” was quite difficult for students to address. Showing how natural selection removes unfit individuals from the gene population and stabilizing the population was the main point of most presentations.

The results of the post test and pre test showed that students did gain knowledge in the topic with the class average on the pre test being 54 and the post test 78. If I teach this particular unit again I will definitely use the online quizzes and tutorial but probably not the presentations.