• [History of life: Grades 9-12] Biological evolution accounts for diversity over long periods of time. (LS4.A, LS4.D)
• [History of life: Grades 13-16] Biological evolution accounts for diversity over long periods of time.
• [Evidence of evolution: Grades 9-12] An organism's features reflect its evolutionary history.
• [Evidence of evolution: Grades 9-12] There is a fit between organisms and their environments, though not always a perfect fit. (LS4.C)
• [Evidence of evolution: Grades 9-12] Similarities among existing organisms provide evidence for evolution. (LS4.A)
• [Evidence of evolution: Grades 9-12] All life forms use the same basic DNA building blocks. (LS4.A)
• [Evidence of evolution: Grades 9-12] Not all similar traits are homologous; some are the result of convergent evolution.
• [Evidence of evolution: Grades 13-16] An organism's features reflect its evolutionary history.
• [Evidence of evolution: Grades 13-16] There is a fit between organisms and their environments, though not always a perfect fit.
• [Evidence of evolution: Grades 13-16] Similarities among existing organisms (including morphological, developmental, and molecular similarities) reflect common ancestry and provide evidence for evolution.
• [Evidence of evolution: Grades 13-16] Not all similar traits are homologous; some are the result of convergent evolution.
• [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] Natural selection acts on phenotype as an expression of genotype.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 9-12] New heritable traits can result from recombinations of existing genes or from genetic mutations in reproductive cells. (LS3.B)
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 9-12] Inherited characteristics affect the likelihood of an organism's survival and reproduction. (LS4.B, LS4.C)
• [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] Natural selection is dependent on environmental conditions.
• [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] The number of offspring that survive to reproduce successfully is limited by environmental factors. (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 9-12] Fitness is reproductive success — the number of viable offspring produced by an individual in comparison to other individuals in a population/species.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Evolution results from natural selection acting upon genetic variation within a population.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Natural selection and genetic drift act on the variation that exists in a population.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Natural selection acts on phenotype as an expression of genotype.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Phenotype is a product of both genotype and the organism's interactions with the environment.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Variation of a character within a population may be discrete or continuous.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Continuous characters are generally influenced by many different genes.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] New heritable traits can result from mutations.
• [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] Traits that confer an advantage may persist in the population and are called adaptations.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] The number of offspring that survive to reproduce successfully is limited by environmental factors.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] Depending on environmental conditions, inherited characteristics may be advantageous, neutral, or detrimental.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] An individual's fitness (or relative fitness) is the contribution that individual makes to the gene pool of the next generation relative to other individuals in the population.
• [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] An organism's fitness depends on both its survival and its reproduction.
• [Nature of science: Grades 9-12] A hallmark of science is exposing ideas to testing. (P3, P4, P6, P7)
• [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 9-12] Scientists can test ideas about events and processes long past, very distant, and not directly observable.
• [Nature of science: Grades 13-16] A hallmark of science is exposing ideas to testing.
• [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.
• [Nature of science: Grades 13-16] Scientists can test ideas about events and processes long past, very distant, and not directly observable.
• [Studying evolution: Grades 9-12] Evolutionary trees (i.e. phylogenies or cladograms) portray hypotheses about evolutionary relationships.
• [Studying evolution: Grades 13-16] Evolutionary trees (i.e., phylogenies or cladograms) portray hypotheses about evolutionary relationships.

• Disciplinary Core Idea LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
• Disciplinary Core Idea LS3.B: Variation of Traits
• Disciplinary Core Idea LS4.B: Natural Selection
• Disciplinary Core Idea LS4.C: Adaptation
• Disciplinary Core Idea LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
• 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
• Science and Engineering Practice 7. Engaging in argument from evidence

9-12 teaching tips:
High school teachers may want to pick and choose selected lessons within this sequence to use. Some lessons may be too challenging for a regular high school biology course. The more challenging lessons could be particularly useful in an AP biology course.

13-16 teaching tips:
These lessons were developed for AP biology students, but the level of the material is appropriate for college students.

• Genetic Variation
• Natural Selection