ALEX | Alabama Learning Exchange

Sexual Selection

Classroom Resource Information

Title:

Sexual Selection

URL:

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/sexual-selection/

Content Source:

National Geographic

Type:

Lesson/Unit Plan

Overview:

Through videos and sorting exercises, this lesson delves into the fascinating process and products of sexual selection: the process by which traits become more or less common depending on an individual’s ability to mate with more or better partners.

Content Standard(s):

Science
SC2015 (2015)
Grade: 7
Life Science

10 ) Use evidence and scientific reasoning to explain how characteristic animal behaviors (e.g., building nests to protect young from cold, herding to protect young from predators, attracting mates for breeding by producing special sounds and displaying colorful plumage, transferring pollen or seeds to create conditions for seed germination and growth) and specialized plant structures (e.g., flower brightness, nectar, and odor attracting birds that transfer pollen; hard outer shells on seeds providing protection prior to germination) affect the probability of successful reproduction of both animals and plants.

Unpacked Content

Scientific And Engineering Practices:

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect

Disciplinary Core Idea: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Evidence Of Student Attainment:

Students:

Make a claim to support a given explanation including the idea that characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.

Teacher Vocabulary:

Evidence
Cause and effect
Scientific Reasoning
Characteristics
Behaviors
Specialization
Probability
Reproduction
Validity
Reliability
Relevance

Knowledge:

Students know:

Animals engage in characteristic behaviors that increase the odds of reproduction.
Plants reproduce in a variety of ways, sometimes depending on animal behavior and specialized features for reproduction.

Skills:

Students are able to:

Make a claim to support a given explanation of a phenomenon, including the idea that characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.
dentify the given evidence that supports the claim (e.g., evidence from data and scientific literature).
Evaluate the evidence and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence used to support the claim.
Use reasoning to connect the appropriate evidence to the claim, using oral or written arguments.

Understanding:

Students understand that:

Many characteristics and behaviors of animals and plants increase the likelihood of successful reproduction.
Animal behavior plays a role in the likelihood of successful reproduction in plants.
Because successful reproduction has several causes and contributing factors, the cause and effect relationships between any of these characteristics and reproductive likelihood can be accurately reflected only in terms of probability.

AMSTI Resources:

AMSTI Module:
Investigating Biodiversity and Interdependence
Studying the Development and Reproduction of Organisms

Tags:

mate, reproduce, reproduction, sexual selection

License Type:

Custom Permission Type
See Terms: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/terms-of-service/
For full descriptions of license types and a guide to usage, visit :
https://creativecommons.org/licenses

Accessibility

Text Resources: Content is organized under headings and subheadings

Comments

This resource provided by:

Author:

Stephanie Carver

ALEX Classroom Resource

Sexual Selection