Group 4: Evolution

1. Group 4: Evolution Team members: Miriam Ferzli John Godwin Karsten Hueffer Christa Mulder Curt Daehler Alison Sherwood Facilitator: Peter Armbruster

2. Framework for Teachable Unit:Evolution of species interactions • Course title: Introduction to Evolutionary Biology • Second year course, prerequisite is an introductory biology course • This teaching unit occurs mid-way through the course, following a basic introduction to the mechanisms of evolutionary processes.

3. Learning goals: Students will understand that: • Species influence each other’s evolution, while selection occurs at the individual level • There is a spectrum of species interactions ranging from mutually beneficial, to highly detrimental to at least one member • Relationships between species are conditional upon the environment in which they occur • Evolution of species interactions is important and applicable to real-world problems

4. Today’s Learning Objectives • Infer the costs and benefits to species in an interaction • Critically evaluate the media’s presentation of biology

5. Fig-wasp mutualism

6. The Fig Wasp interaction • Video on the fig wasp mutualism (http://youtube.com/watch?v=JNbMyavunbQ&feature=related)

7. Individual writing exercise • What are the advantages and disadvantages of this interaction for the fig and for the wasp? • Fill in the squares on the handout • Only fill in those squares that you think apply to this interaction fig wasp advantages disadvantages

8. Clicker question • For which of the following did you write advantages? A = fig B = wasp C = fig and wasp D = neither fig wasp advantages disadvantages

9. Clicker question • For which of the following did you write disadvantages? A = fig B = wasp C = fig and wasp D = neither fig wasp advantages disadvantages

10. Group discussion • Within your groups, discuss your evaluation of the fig-wasp interaction and come to a group consensus about advantages and disadvantages for both the fig and the wasp.

11. Clicker question re-vote • For which of the following did you write disadvantages? A = fig B = wasp C = fig and wasp D = neither fig wasp advantages disadvantages

12. Brainstorming • What are the advantages and disadvantages of this interaction to the fig and the wasp?

13. Group assignment (take-home) • How would you modify the video clip shown during class to reflect your understanding of the costs and benefits of the fig-wasp interaction? • Two options: 1) re-write the script of the video clip to include what you think are all the important pieces of information for a viewer to really understand the nature of this interaction 2) create your own video explaining the interaction

14. SI themes addressed by this teachable tidbit • Active Learning / Formative Assessment: • Advantages / disadvantages exercise – written / spatial • Brainstorming • Video assignment (creative or written options) • Summative Assessment: • Homework assignment • Unit exam • Diversity: • Different approaches to the same content (e.g. individual work / group discussions; video clip) • Alternate homework assignments for different learning styles

15. Clicker question • Is the wasp-fig interaction an example of a mutualism? A. Yes B. No C. Don’t have enough information D. No idea…

16. Cost-benefit analyses • Advantages (benefits) and disadvantages (costs) associated with each – the balance determines the type of association • Advantages and disadvantages are weighed against each other

17. Species interactions and human affairs • Interactions have a temporal element • The balance can change over time • The nature of the interaction can change over time • What kinds of impacts could change the nature of an interaction?