Middle school

Natural Selection


Fossil Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.


Anatomical Evidence of Evolutionary Relationships
Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.


Embryological Evidence of Common Ancestry
Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy.


Natural Selection
Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.


Adaptation of Populations over Time
Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.