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Evo in the news: The other green (r)evolution

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • General

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Evo in the News article

Time: 20 minutes

Overview

Though corn is "all-natural" in some ways, in others it is entirely manmade. This news brief from February 2007 explains the evolutionary tools that ancient humans used to engineer modern corn and the tools that scientists are using today to reconstruct corn's evolutionary history.

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  • [Evidence of evolution: Grades 9-12] Artificial selection provides a model for natural selection.
  • [Evidence of evolution: Grades 9-12] People selectively breed domesticated plants and animals to produce offspring with preferred characteristics.
  • [Evidence of evolution: Grades 13-16] Artificial selection provides a model for natural selection.
  • [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 9-12] Evolution results from selection acting upon genetic variation within a population. (LS4.B)
  • [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Evolution results from natural selection acting upon genetic variation within a population.
  • [Nature of science: Grades 9-12] Scientists test their ideas using multiple lines of evidence. (P6, NOS2)
  • [Nature of science: Grades 9-12] Scientists use multiple research methods (experiments, observational research, comparative research, and modeling) to collect data. (P2, P3, P4, NOS1)
  • [Nature of science: Grades 13-16] Scientists test their ideas using multiple lines of evidence.
  • [Nature of science: Grades 13-16] Scientists use multiple research methods (experiments, observational research, comparative research, and modeling) to collect data.
  • [Studying evolution: Grades 9-12] As with other scientific disciplines, evolutionary biology has applications that factor into everyday life.
  • [Studying evolution: Grades 13-16] As with other scientific disciplines, evolutionary biology has applications that factor into everyday life, for example in agriculture, biodiversity and conservation biology, and medicine and health.
  • Disciplinary Core Idea LS4.B: Natural Selection
  • NOS Matrix understanding category 1. Scientific investigations use a variety of methods.
  • NOS Matrix understanding category 2. Scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence.
  • Science and Engineering Practice 2. Developing and using models
  • Science and Engineering Practice 3. Planning and carrying out investigations
  • Science and Engineering Practice 4. Analyzing and interpreting data
  • Science and Engineering Practice 6. Constructing explanations and designing solutions

This article includes a set of discussion and extension questions for use in class. It also includes hints about related lessons that might be used in conjunction with this one. Get more tips for using Evo in the News articles in your classroom.