Grade Level(s):
- 9-12
Source:
- Carolina
Resource type:
- Classroom activity
Time: 30 minutes
Overview
Students create three-dimensional trees in the form of mobiles so that the branching nodes pivot. Students can manipulate the mobile to see the relationships more clearly and combat common misconceptions about trees.
![](https://evolution.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/11692_evo_resources_resource_image_514_small.jpg)
- [History of life: Grades 9-12] Present-day species evolved from earlier species; the relatedness of organisms is the result of common ancestry. (LS4.A)
- [Studying evolution: Grades 9-12] Evolutionary trees (i.e. phylogenies or cladograms) portray hypotheses about evolutionary relationships.
- Disciplinary Core Idea LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
This is a simple introductions to cladistics, but should be followed up with more in-depth activities on tree thinking.