Paleoanthropology: A complex career choice
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/17/g68/alemseged1.html
A lesson plan for grade 8 Science
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In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore the field of paleoanthropology. Activities in this lesson engage students in whole class discussion, online learning, collaborative group work, development of information literacy and scientific investigation skills, and creation of a multi-media project.
Students will:
- learn about the life and work of Zeray Alemseged;
- explain how Alemseged’s cultural and life experiences influenced his career choice and locations of study;
- explore different aspects of paleoanthropology through online resources including an interactive documentary; and
- identify relationships between various aspects of paleoanthropology and how gathering information about each aspect (e.g., anatomy, culture, climate) can help scientists understand more about each of the others.
Xpeditions provides extremely detailed directions for completing the lesson, suggestions for assessment and extension activities, discussion questions, and links to necessary web resources.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Science (2005)
Grade 8
- Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
- Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
- Objective 1.05: Analyze evidence to:
- explain observations.
- make inferences and predictions.
- develop the relationship between evidence and explanation.
- Objective 1.08: Use oral and written language to:
- Communicate findings.
- Defend conclusions of scientific investigations.
- Describe strengths and weaknesses of claims, arguments, and/or data.
- Objective 1.09: Use technologies and information systems to:
- Research.
- Gather and analyze data.
- Visualize data.
- Disseminate findings to others.
- Objective 1.10: Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing:
- Scientific text.
- Articles.
- Events in the popular press.
- Goal 5: The learner will conduct investigations and utilize appropriate technologies and information systems to build an understanding of evidence of evolution in organisms and landforms.
- Objective 5.01: Interpret ways in which rocks, fossils, and ice cores record Earth's geologic history and the evolution of life including:
- Geologic Time Scale.
- Index Fossils.
- Law of Superposition.
- Unconformity.
- Evidence for climate change.
- Extinction of species.
- Catastrophic events.
- Objective 5.02: Correlate evolutionary theories and processes:
- Biological.
- Geological.
- Technological.
- Objective 5.03: Examine evidence that the geologic evolution has had significant global impact including:
- Distribution of living things.
- Major geological events.
- Mechanical and chemical weathering.
- Objective 5.01: Interpret ways in which rocks, fossils, and ice cores record Earth's geologic history and the evolution of life including:
