This activity can be used to introduce and review Evolution concepts. If you like this activity, there are some other "workout" activities on different topics that can be found in this blog at these links:
The Evolution Workout Worksheet and Answer Key can be printed out from here:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=16ol4f4llxwN8Wb2Is13HTDNYYpUFc--j
I am posting the directions here so that you can read through them and get an idea about how the activity works. I got some great comments from administrators who observed my classroom because the activity engages every student. Even the students who didn't want to participate were engaged because classmates were seeking them out to get the answers on the worksheet.
SUGGESTED RULES ~ OR HOW THE GAME WORKS
Explain
to students that this is a cooperative learning activity, which requires all to
participate. By participating in this
process, students will have some feeling for how a scientific community of
experts works together to produce solutions to problems, and a body of
scientific knowledge. Each student will
become an expert in an area of biology, and will be given an opportunity to
share their knowledge with every other member of the class. When students participate in this activity at
the beginning of a course, the activity also serves as an “ice-breaker” and
allows students to get to know each other and learn names. As a role model, the teacher should also
participate in this activity.
Each
student needs: Evolution Workout sheet, his or her textbook, classroom
references, notebook paper, and pencil.
Instruct students to number their paper 1. through 25., leaving enough
room to write the answers to each question.
Behavior
Expectations ~ for some groups of students, the teacher should explain that
this activity requires some movement around the room and sharing of
answers. That this is an activity for
serious learning and cooperation, and that students are to behave as
professionals. Disruptive students
should not be allowed to ruin this activity and will be responsible for
answering all the questions by themselves, if they choose to be removed from
participation because of their disruptive behavior.
1. The teacher writes a number
on each of twenty-five pieces of paper or index cards. The numbers are mixed up and distributed to
the students so that each student gets a number.
2. The number, that each
student receives, tells which question on the Evolution Workout sheet that
he/she is responsible for answering. The
answers are expected to be clear and understandable enough to be shared with
other students. Students are to be
instructed that they should take care to make sure the answer is correct
because their answer is going to be used by every other student in the
class. Check their work.
3. After students are given
some time to research their answer, the teacher will instruct the students to
move around the room collecting answers from other students. They are to write the answers on their
notebook paper; they may gather the answers in any order (but on the paper they
hand in, the answers must be in order!).
After each answer is collected, the student who provided the answer to
the question must write his/her name in the question square. The goal is to have a classmate’s name in
every square and the answer to every question.
4. The time given to complete
this activity can be flexible. This can
be completed during one class period or in short segments over several
days. The teacher can determine a due
date that corresponds to the time it takes the class produce a completed
worksheet. Answers and worksheets can be
turned in for a grade. A shorter version
of this activity is to have each student stand, in order, to share their answer
with the class (some of the learning experience will be lost). This activity can be used as an introduction,
or a review of material.
If you find any links on my blog that do not work, please let me know by leaving a comment. I would like to keep my blog up-to-date and relevant.
