Evidence: Lesson Plan Natural Selection Model
| 2.1 | Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
Students in a mixed ability Year 10 Science class had been introduced to theory of Natural Selection through a variety of worksheets, YouTube videos and class discussions. Students demonstrated a basic understanding of the theory as I observed their verbal responses but could not outline an example of Natural Selection using their local environment.
My task was to demonstrate the key aspects of natural selection and how it is still a process that occurs in the natural world. To do this I needed to make the theory more meaningful and observable for students.
I designed a natural selection simulation lesson where students acted as different bird species (different ‘beak’ types) competing for same food source (jelly beans). The simulation demonstrated competition and survival of the fittest to students as they modeled this theory. The lesson uses a variety of teaching strategies such as a cloze passage, hands on task and a graphic organizer to develop the knowledge and skill based outcomes of the lesson.
This practical lesson allowed students to develop their scientific observation skills and link content knowledge to the real world. Students were able to use their observations from the model and engage in conversations using appropriate scientific terminology to construct the theory of Natural Selection in their groups.
I learnt that it is important to include students in the process of science and facilitate opportunities for students to discover evidence so that they feel like the innovator of scientific thoughts, which is a key aspect of developing students' scientific inquiry skills.