Natural Selection
    John Burke, Matt Elrod-Erickson, Sandra 
    Johnson, Troy Nash, Chris Peterson, Mike 
       Rischbieter, Dorset Trapnell
           17 May 2013
 Context of Unit
 • Introductory Biology course for majors
 • Class of 21-50 students, already divided into 
  working groups of 4
 • Foundational knowledge from earlier units
   –Mendelian genetics
   –Mechanisms of heredity
 Unit Learning Goals
 • Students will understand…
   –the definition of natural selection  
   –the source(s) of phenotypic variation
   –how natural selection drives evolution in a 
    population
 Unit Learning Outcomes
 • Students will be able to…
   –define evolutionary fitness (relative v/s absolute)
   –predict the relative importance of fertility & viability 
    differences to overall fitness
   –identify types of selective forces and how they affect 
    fitness
   –explain relationship between random mutation and 
    non-random selective processes
   –predict responses to changing selective pressure
   –compare and contrast outcomes of differing modes 
    of selection (directional, disruptive, stabilizing)
 Tidbit Learning Outcomes
 • Students will be able to…
   –define evolutionary fitness (relative v/s absolute)
   –predict the relative importance of fertility & viability 
    differences to overall fitness
   –identify types of selective forces and how they affect 
    fitness
   –explain relationship between random mutation and 
    non-random selective processes
   –predict responses to changing selective pressure
   –compare and contrast outcomes of differing modes 
    of selection (directional, disruptive, stabilizing)