The Lawrence Hall of Science
The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.
Open Daily 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Animal Discovery Zone 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
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Are you related to a lizard? This Adaptations Activity gives students insights into how very different organisms are actually related (distantly). Students search for two somewhat closely related organisms (like two kinds of insects, or a spider and an insect) to compare, using Venn diagrams. Then they debate which two organisms studied by a team are most closely related, supporting their ideas with evidence and reasoning. Finally, they interpret a “Tree of Life” diagram to see how living things on Earth share common ancestors. This activity helps students develop a foundation for understanding key ideas about evolution. Students will: – Compare and contrast organisms. – Understand that all organisms are related. – Use patterns in body structures to infer relatedness. – Make explanations about how closely related different organisms might be.
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