Speciation Worksheets

Evolution from Sea to Land
        Speciation worksheets and extinction and phylogenetic tree lesson plans that are designed for high school, middle school, and elementary school life science teachers. The dinosaur evolution project lets students use their imagination and genetics to create a new dinosaur. NGSS Life Science offers many great lessons. Click the Free Lesson Plan (PDF) link below or become a member to get access to the answer key and editable file. Free speciation curriculum includes:
  • Lab Experiment
    Examining the Fossil Record Lab
    Free Lesson Plan
     
    High School Lab
    Students analyze the characteristics of fossils, organize paper "fossils" to show change over time by developing an evolutionary tree based on the morphology and age of fossils.
    NGSS Standard
    HS-LS4-1
    MS-LS4-1 (Fossils)
    MS-LS4-2 (Anatomical Structures)
    		  
    Published by Shannan Muskopf
  • Worksheet
    Fingerprint Classification Worksheet
    Free Lesson Plan
     
    High School Worksheet
    Students use fingerprints to learn how to create a classification system.
    NGSS Standard
    HS-LS4-1
    HS-LS4-5
    		  
    Published by Shannan Muskopf
  • Worksheet
    Dichotomous Key
    Free Lesson Plan
     
    Middle School Worksheet
    Students practice using keys on an imaginary creature (Norns).
    NGSS Standard
    HS-LS4-5
    MS-LS1-4 (Animal Plant Structures)
    MS-LS4-2 (Anatomical Structures)
    		  
    Published by Shannan Muskopf
  • Project
    Taxonomy Project - YEAR 2525
    Free Lesson Plan
     
    High School Project
    Pretending the students are an alien taxonomists, they are to create a taxonomic scheme for the organisms on planet Earth. Students create a dichotomous key, drawings of the organisms, and a food web.
    NGSS Standard
    HS-LS4-5
    		  
    Published by Shannan Muskopf
  • Worksheet
    Classification Mnemonic Worksheet
    Published by NGSS Life Science. Free Lesson Plan (PDF)

    Lesson Plan (DOCX) & Answer Key with Membership
     
    High School Worksheet
    In this classification worksheet, students will learn the structure of the Linnaeus’s classification system by creating a mnemonic about how organisms are organized, from the kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, the genus to species.
    NGSS Standard
    HS-LS4-1
    HS-LS4-5
    		  
    Published by NGSS Life Science
Dinosaur Fossil


Speciation & Extinction Concepts

  • Sea to Land - plants, fungi, arthropods, amphibians, reptiles, dinosaurs, mass extinction, continental drift.
  • Rate of Evolution - gradualism, punctuated equilibrium.
  • Evolutionary Tree - cladograms, phylogenetic trees
  • 5 Kingdoms - Monera (Eubacteria and Archeobacteria), Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia
  • Taxonomic Rank - domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.
  • Scientific Classification in biology
  • Linnaean Taxonomy - Carl Linnaeus
  • Dichotomous Key
  • Dichotomous Key


Lessons Organized by NGSS Standard