A Detailed Lesson Plan in Biology

for Grade 10
by Princess Angelika O. Pisla
December 14, 2016

I. Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to explain how diversity of a species
increases the probability of adaptation and survival of organisms in changing
environments.
II. Subject Matter
A. Topic : Survival, Adaptation and Diversity
B. References:
Acosta, Herma D., Alvarez, Liza., Marcaida, Judith F., and Nilo G. Salazar (2015). Science
Teacher's Guide for Grade 10. Philippines: Department of Education.
http://study.com/academy/lesson/how-gene-pool-diversity-affects-a-groups-survival-
potential.html
https://www.quora.com/How-does-genetic-diversity-play-an-important-role-in-survival-
of-a-species
C. Materials
Visual aids, Illustrations
D. Concept
Diversity of a species is important. If there are sudden changes in environment, the
organisms of the species will be diverse enough that some will be able to adapt and
survive.
E. Science Process Skills
Analyzing
F. Values Integration
Teamwork
 Teacher’s Activity Learner’s Activity

1. Prayer
Everyone please settle down and let’s
start the class with a prayer. Let’s start
with a Christian prayer to be led by
Mary Ann and a Muslim prayer by
Jomailah.
2. Greetings
Good afternoon, mam!
Good afternoon class!
We are fine.
How are you today?
3. Checking of Attendance
Kindly pass this attendance sheet and
write your name with it and signature (Students’ starts to write their names on the
for your attendance. attendance sheet.)

4. Collecting of Assignments Yes, mam.

Did I give any assignments? Okay, mam.
Please pass your assignments
forward.

5. Review of the past lesson (Students raises their hands)

What was our lesson last meeting? Last meeting, we talked about Evolution and
Yes, Nicolas. how it occurs.

So, what is evolution? Evolution is the change in the heritable

characteristics of biological populations over
successive generations.

How does evolution occur? Evolution occurs through four

mechanisms- Migration which is the transfer
of genes from one population to another,
Mutation which is the DNA sequence within
a gene or chromosome of a living organism,
Genetic Drift which consists of random
fluctuation in the frequency appearance of a
gene and Natural Selection where
favourable characteristics of organisms tend
to survive and reproduce.

Very Good! Are there any questions

regarding the past lesson? None? Now, (class) No, mam.
we are going to discuss the next lesson.
6. Drill
 7. Motivation
Line up Game
Before we start, let us first play a game.
Do you like playing games class?
The class will be divided into two groups.
This is Group 1 and this would be Group
2. I want five volunteers from each group
to come here in front.

The game is called line up and the

mechanics of the game is very simple.
Without talking, all of the five volunteers
will line up according to the category that
I will give you. The group members that
worked together more efficiently will win
a prize. Anyone caught talking, mumbling
or make any kind of noise coming from
your mouth will be disqualified.
Understood? Let’s start!

Line up from the tallest person to the

shortest person.
Line up from the person with the darkest
skin tone to the person with lightest.
Line up from the person with smallest
shoe size to the person with the biggest
C. Lesson Proper
Presentation
Could you have done the game if all of you
were exactly the same? Could you have
(class) No, mam.
done the game if all of you have the same
genetic make-up?

No, because all of you are unique

individuals. There are billions of people on
Earth but no one is exactly like the other.
We are all humans and we are of the same
species but we are still diverse. It's the
same with each tree in the forest, each
mosquito biting your arm and each bird
singing in your backyard.

This diversity is no accident. In fact, it's

critical to a species' ability to adapt and
survive through generations of
environmental changes. And this is what
we are going to learn today. (Show
objective for today and make them) For me, mam, survival is the state or fact of
Discussion continuing to live or exist typically in spite of
First, let us define what is Survival and difficult circumstances.
Adaptation. Angel, for you, what is
Survival? What does it mean to survive?
In my opinion, an adaptation is a physical or
Excellent! It’s like being able to overcome behavioural characteristic that has
an obstacle and continuing to live after developed to allow an organism to better
that. Now, what about Adaptation? Any survive in its environment.
ideas? April? Give me an example.

That correct! Adaptation could also mean

is the process by which an organism to
becomes fitted to its environment.

Now, let’s take a look how diversity is

important in survival and adaptation. Even
if a species has been living in an
environment for a long time and seems
well adapted to it, that environment itself
does not necessarily remain stable. Things
like hurricanes, drought, and habitat
destruction can have dramatic effects on
the organisms. When environmental (Class would describe elephants)
changes occur, the organism of a species
has to adjust if it wants to survive.
(Class) Their trunks, mam.
But first, I just want to ask, do you know
what elephants look like?

Yes, In real life, They are very large gray

animals. And what do they use to get food
and water?

Very good! They use their trunks.

I have an illustration here showing a
certain species of elephants living in a
certain forest.
First things first, I just want to clarify some
things. In real forests, there would be a lot (Kimberly) Some elephants have long, short
more trees and elephants than in this trunks while other elephants have trunks
picture. And again, elephants are not this that have about average length.
small. They are large. Same goes with the
trees. This is just a representation. Okay?
Based from the illustration, what have you
noticed about the elephants? Kimberly?

Very Good! In other words, this species of (Nesel) The elephants with the long trunks
elephants living in this forest are diverse and mid-sized trunks can pick leaves off the
in terms of their trunks. In the forest, taller trees, while the elephants with short
there are short and tall trees. And this trunks do fine eating leaves that are closer to
species of elephants would only eat leaves the ground.
off these trees. For now the species is
doing just fine, why do you think so?
Nesel?
(Agnes) All of the elephants with short trunks
are out of luck since they have no food to eat
because they can't reach the leaves in the
tall trees. They won’t be able to survive and
Excellent! But one day, a woodcutter came adapt. Eventually, they will go extinct.
to the forest and decided to cut down all However, the elephants with mid-sized and
the short trees. What would happen now? long trunks are still okay. They can reach the
Agnes? leaves that are mid-way and high up the
trees, and the species continues to thrive.

(Rheza) All of them have short trunks, mam.

That’s correct! I have another illustration

here. Based from the illustration, what (Irish) The whole species of elephants living
have you noticed about the elephants? in that forest would eventually go extinct
How are they different from the first when the short trees were cut down because
illustration? Rheza? they can’t reach the tall trees.

Very good! Now, what would happen if

the woodcutter will come to the forest
and cuts down all the short trees? Irish?
Excellent! In this case, the species of
elephants failed to survive and adapt
because they were not diverse. But in the
first scenario, when there were elephants (Breccia) The adaptation is the size of their
of different lengths in trunks, some of the trunks which is long or mid-sized.
organisms managed to survive. So,
diversity within the species allowed the
organisms to adapt and persist. That is
why diversity is important.
What is their adaptation? Breccia?

Very Good! Also, since they were the

organisms who survived and adapted, the
elephants with long trunks and mid-sized
trunks would be the only ones to
reproduce. As time passes by, the (Fritzie) I think it is Natural Selection, mam,
population among the species of these because the organisms with favourable traits
elephants would be only composed of adapted to the environment and
elephants with long trunks and mid-sized reproduced.
trunks. Theoretically, there would be no
more elephants with short trunks.

Now, what mechanism of evolution played

a key role in that situation? Fritzie?

Very Good! Also, if there is no diversity, (Honey) Natural Selection tends to decrease
there can be no natural selection in the diversity slightly as unfavorable traits
first place because natural selection needs decrease in frequency to the point where
something… it needs a variety of traits to they may be eliminated.
select from.

If you think about it, does Natural

Selection decrease or increase diversity? (class would think and try to answer)
Why or why not? Honey!

(Charleston) Sexual Reproduction, mam.

Excellent! Natural Selection would tend to Sexual reproduction promotes genetic
decrease diversity. But, we, humans have variation by producing different gene
undergone natural selection but we are combinations. During meiosis, the division of
still diverse. Why is this so? sex cells, genetic material in the form of
chromosomes sorts itself randomly between
Diversity within species is caused by cells. In organisms with a large number of
different factors. Give me one factor that chromosomes, this independent assortment
increases diversity or variation among leads to an enormous number of possible
organisms and explain how. gene combinations (which leads to more
diversity).

Crossing over is another product of meiosis

that leads to variation. During meiosis,
chromosomes often sit very close to one
another and even overlap. This overlap
sometimes leads to an exchange of genetic
material, further mixing up the possible
combinations of genes.

(Mitchelle) Mutation, mam. A mutation is a

change in the DNA sequence. It can lead to
variation or diversity when they are
heritable, meaning they pass between
generations from parents to offspring.

That’s correct! Mitch, give me another

factor that increases diversity or variation
among organisms.

(Christine) Gene flow, mam.

Gene Flow, introduces new genes into a
Very Good! But keep in mind that population as organisms migrate into a new
mutations are not always advantageous. environment or mate with another
Some of them are harmful and can cause population. New gene combinations are
certain types of diseases. made possible and can lead to more
diversity.
Christine, give me the last factor that
increases diversity or variation among
organisms.
Excellent! (optional) This is why
inbreeding is not advantageous.
Inbreeding increases the number of genes
that are homozygous. That means the
children of closely related parents are
likely to inherit two copies of the same
gene. If both copies are good than there is
no problem. If both copies are bad, or if
some of the bad copies are sex-linked,
then the likelihood of disease and
developmental problems may be
increased.
Are there any questions and clarifications?
None? Let’s have an activity.

Activity
I will divide the class into three groups.
Let's have a counting from 1-3 starting
from here. Group 1 will be assigned here
while group 2 and 3 would be on these
sides. In 3 seconds, all of you should (Class) Yes, mam.
quietly form a circle with your group
mates. (1, 2, 3).
(Instructions)
Each group will be assigned with a
scenario and you will determine what its
outcome is based on diversity. Then, the
groups will role play the scenarios in front
- together with the outcome that you have
concluded. Do you understand?
(Class) Yes, mam.
Now, I want a volunteer from each group
to come here in front and get their
(Students do the activity)
scenario and rubric.

The presentations will be graded (The groups will present their activity)
according to the rubric provided. (Call
someone to read the rubric.)

I will give you 5 minutes to prepare and

maximum of 3 minutes to present. Did you
understand it class?
Time starts now.
Time is up. Let's have a raffle (draw lots) to
determine the order of presentation.

(After activity)
The first scenario is about the flowering
plants. The original insects that pollinated
them were only attracted to the red color.
So, all of the flowers that grew on those
plants eventually were all red. Their
diversity became low. The invasive insect
species were only attracted to the blue
color. So, the flowering plants were not
pollinated and since they could not
reproduce, they would not survive.

The second scenario is actually a real

event in history. It's called the Irish Potato
Famine that began in 1845. One of the
major causes of it was the vegetative
propagation of potatoes. Vegetative
propagation is a form of asexual
reproduction of a plant. It is a process by
which new organisms arise without
production of seeds or spores. Instead, a
portion of fragment of the plant body
functions as propagates and develops into
a new plant. The new plant is genetically
identical to the parent. There was low
diversity within the potatoes. So, when a
disease affected the potatoes, all of the
potatoes died possibly because all of them
were susceptible to the disease.

The third scenario is about the peppered

moths which also a real event. Peppered
moths are normally white and black and
they camouflage to lightly colored trees
and lichens to escape predators. There are
also few dark peppered moths. In 1840s,
there was a change in the environment.
Industrialisation and domestic coal fires
had caused sooty air pollution which had
killed off lichens and blackened urban tree
 trunks and walls. Now, the pale form of
the moth was more obvious to predators,
while the dark form was better (Mary) Where there is diversity among
camouflaged and more likely to survive species, increased survival is a likely outcome
and produce offspring. As a result, over overall. Since not all the individuals or
successive generations, the black moths organisms of a species are the same, they
came to outnumber the pale forms. Since are not susceptible to the same
there was diversity among the peppered environmental and genetic fates.
moths’ species, some of the organisms
survived and adapted. A particular condition or environmental
hazard may kill some of the organisms, but
D. Generalization those who aren't susceptible to that
Based on the discussion and activity that condition or environmental hazard will live,
we had, how does diversity allows an hopefully reproduce, and so pass on their
increase of probability in survival and genes to their offspring, ensuring the long-
adaptation in a changing environment? term survival of the species - the ultimate
Mary! goal of survival (live long enough to have
kids). You can say that that species has
adapted. This is why diversity, is so
important; it ensures long-term future
success of a species.

(Ivy) The factors that cause diversity are

Mutation. Gene flow and Sexual
Reproduction.

Excellent! What are the factors that cause

this diversity? Ivy!

E. Application (Class) We would all die because of the

Ever since the world began, it has been disease, mam.
constantly changing. And we, humans,
have continuously adapted and survived
 through generations of these
environmental changes. This is what led to
the diversity that we witness today.

And this diversity is not just important

with any other species but it is also the
same to us. For example, if we are all
susceptible to a certain kind of disease,
and suddenly, there will be an outbreak of
this disease all over the world. What
would happen?

Correct! There is a possibility that we

would all die and the human species
would cease to exist. But don’t worry, as
what I’ve said before, we are diverse.
Some may be susceptible to that disease
and other will be immune. The immune
humans will survive and adapt.

Are there any questions and clarifications?

None? Let’s have a quiz.

IV. Evaluation

Answer the question: (10 points)

How does diversity in a species increase the probability of adaptation and survival of organisms
in changing environments?

V. Assignment

In a 1 whole sheet of paper, write the definition of the following terms:

1. Natality
2. Mortality
3. Density-independent limiting factors
4. Density-dependent limiting factors
5. Carrying capacity
6. Exponential population growth
7. Logistic population growth