L.8.4B.2: Construct written and verbal explanations to describe how genetic…
Construct written and verbal explanations to describe how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some organisms’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.
The Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science (2018) outcome L.8.4B.2 (Life Sciences) for Grade 8 says: “Construct written and verbal explanations to describe how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some organisms’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.” This Fieldbook unit teaches it hands-on, with everyday materials and a printable teacher guide and student sheet for every lesson. Official wording: Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science (2018).
Natural Selection: How Living Things Change Over Time Grades 6–8
A peppered moth hunting game over four generations, the Grants' real Galápagos finch data from the 1977 drought, whale fossils in rock-layer order with a forelimb bone comparison, and five case stations on selective breeding and antibiotic resistance. Every lesson runs on printed sheets alone: no materials to buy.
- Why do some animals survive and others don't? 50–60 min
Teams play hungry birds hunting printed light and dark peppered moths on printed clean and sooty bark, over four generations, and graph how the moth population changes. Then they explain the real peppered moth story: variation, survival and reproduction, not moths trying to change.
- What did the Grants find on the Galápagos? 50–60 min
Teams play out a drought on a Galápagos island with printed finch and seed cards, then graph the real data Peter and Rosemary Grant collected when a drought in 1977 killed most of the medium ground finches. Students calculate how much the average beak changed and explain why.
Printable practice for L.8.4B.2
These pages practise a closely related idea; the match to L.8.4B.2 is partial.
- Natural Selection: How Living Things Change Over Time workbook included with the unit
2 English-support pages, 2 practice pages, 2 readings, 1 word wall, 1 unit review, 1 unit test, with answer keys.
Need just this outcome? Build a custom pack from these pages, with its answer key, in about a minute. Custom packs come with All-access and school licences.
Compared with NGSS: MS-LS4-4 (partial).
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