• [History of life: Grades 9-12] Evolutionary change can sometimes happen rapidly.
• [History of life: Grades 13-16] Rates of speciation vary.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 9-12] Evolution results from selection acting upon genetic variation within a population. (LS4.B)
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 9-12] There is variation within a population. (LS3.B)
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 9-12] Natural selection acts on the variation that exists in a population. (LS4.B, LS4.C)
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 9-12] Mutations are random.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 9-12] Organisms cannot intentionally produce adaptive mutations in response to environmental influences.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 9-12] Populations, not individuals, evolve.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 9-12] Traits that confer an advantage may persist in the population and are called adaptations. (LS4.B, LS4.C)
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 9-12] Over time, the proportion of individuals with advantageous characteristics may increase due to their likelihood of surviving and reproducing. (LS4.B, LS4.C)
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 9-12] Depending on environmental conditions, inherited characteristics may be advantageous, neutral, or detrimental.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Evolution results from natural selection acting upon genetic variation within a population.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Evolution results from mutations.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] New heritable traits can result from mutations.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Mutation is a random process.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Organisms cannot intentionally produce adaptive mutations in response to environmental influences.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Inherited characteristics affect the likelihood of an organism's survival and reproduction.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Over time, the proportion of individuals with advantageous traits may increase (and the proportion with disadvantageous traits may decrease) due to their chances of surviving and reproducing.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Depending on environmental conditions, inherited characteristics may be advantageous, neutral, or detrimental.
• [Nature of science: Grades 9-12] Scientists may explore many different hypotheses to explain their observations. (P7)
• [Nature of science: Grades 13-16] Scientists may explore many different hypotheses to explain their observations.
• [Studying evolution: Grades 9-12] Our knowledge of the evolution of living things is always being refined as we gather more evidence.
• [Studying evolution: Grades 9-12] Scientists use experimental evidence to study evolutionary processes.
• [Studying evolution: Grades 9-12] As with other scientific disciplines, evolutionary biology has applications that factor into everyday life.
• [Studying evolution: Grades 13-16] Our knowledge of the evolution of living things is always being refined as we gather more evidence.
• [Studying evolution: Grades 13-16] Scientists use experimental evidence to study evolutionary processes.
• [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 LS3.B: Variation of Traits
• Disciplinary Core Idea LS4.B: Natural Selection
• Disciplinary Core Idea LS4.C: Adaptation
• Science and Engineering Practice 7. Engaging in argument from evidence

This article encourages students to reason about scientific data. It includes a set of discussion and extension questions for use in class (as well as advanced discussion questions for undergraduates). 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.

Additional teaching tips for 13-16:
Use this resource to relate evolutionary concepts to the topics of mutation, gene expression, or conservation (or get more suggestions for incorporating evolution throughout your biology syllabus). This resource includes a diagram that helps explain the relationship between mutation and gene expression.

• Adaptation
• Genetic Variation
• Natural Selection
• Relevance