Virginia Standards for High School Language Arts
Oral Language
9.2 The student will make planned oral presentations.
a)Include definitions to increase clarity.
b)Use relevant details to support main ideas.
c)Illustrate main ideas through anecdotes and examples.
d)Cite information sources.
e)Make impromptu responses to questions about presentation.
f)Use grammatically correct language, including vocabulary appropriate to
the topic, audience, and purpose.
Reading Analysis
9.4 The student will read and analyze a variety of informational materials
(manuals, textbooks, business letters, newspapers, brochures, reports,
catalogs) and nonfiction materials, including journals, essays, speeches,
biographies, and autobiographies.
a)Identify a position/argument to be confirmed, disproved, or modified.
b)Evaluate clarity and accuracy of information.
c)Synthesize information from sources and apply it in written and oral
presentations.
d)Identify questions not answered by a selected text.
e)Extend general and specialized vocabulary through speaking, reading, and
writing.
f)Read and follow instructions to complete an assigned project or task.
Writing
9.6 The student will develop narrative, expository, and informational
writings to inform, explain, analyze, or entertain.
a)Generate, gather, and organize ideas for writing.
b)Plan and organize writing to address a specific audience and purpose.
c)Communicate clearly the purpose of the writing.
d)Write clear, varied sentences.
e)Use specific vocabulary and information.
f)Arrange paragraphs into a logical progression.
g)Revise writing for clarity.
h)Proofread and prepare final product for intended audience and purpose.
9.7 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization,
punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing.
a)Use and apply rules for the parts of a sentence, including subject/verb,
direct/indirect object, and predicate nominative/predicate adjective.
b)Use parallel structures across sentences and paragraphs.
c)Use appositives, main clauses, and subordinate clauses.
d)Use commas and semicolons to distinguish and divide main and subordinate
clauses.
Research
9.8 The student will credit the sources of both quoted and paraphrased ideas.
a)Define the meaning and consequences of plagiarism.
b)Distinguish one�s own ideas from information created or discovered by
others.
c)Use a style sheet, such as that of the Modern Language Association (MLA)
or the American Psychological Association (APA), for citing sources.
9.9 The student will use print, electronic databases, and online resources
to access information.
a)Identify key terms specific to research tools and processes.
b)Narrow the focus of a search.
c)Scan and select resources.
d)Distinguish between reliable and questionable Internet sources and apply
responsible use of technology.
Virginia Standards for High School Biology
BIO.8 The student will investigate and understand how populations change
through time. Key concepts include
a)evidence found in fossil records;
b)how genetic variation, reproductive strategies, and environmental
pressures impact the survival of populations;
c)how natural selection leads to adaptations;
d)emergence of new species; and
e)scientific explanations for biological evolution.
Pacing Suggestions for Adaptive Evolution Webquest
This project is meant to take place over two weeks. The students work
individually for the first portion (1st week), and as a group for the second
portion (2nd week). There are many group discussions built into the lesson
so the students can share what they have learned over the course of the
project. Hopefully by the end discussion, the students will have gained a
great deal of knowledge on the subjects of evolution and adaptations.
Prerequisites
Students should know how to use Parenthetical citations for scientific
readings.
Learning Style Alternatives
If a student does not want to work in a group, he/she will have the option
to work alone on the second portion of the project.
Images from:
Encyclopedia Brittanica
www.naturetrek.co.uk
animals.nationalgeographic.com
www.wildbirds.com
www.bbsnews.net
www.swfsc.noaa.gov
marineresearch.ca
www.bottlenose-dolphin.info
