Unit 8 Reflection

  In unit 8, we learned about the evolution of populations as well as the constant changes that populations go through. The main themes that were taught throughout the unit included: evolution, the part variation has in evolution, the varying causes of change, why change occurs, natural selection (phenotypes included), what specific things evolve, and lastly, artificial selection. Throughout the unit, we used these themes to build on each other. We also demonstrated some of them through labs. An example of a lab includes Hunger Games Lab, which demonstrated how natural selection affected the population. By doing this, we could actually see how the phenotypes, through the genotypes that were passed done, looked more like those that were better adapted to the changing environment. This then led us into the learning of the different changes that can cause a population to separate and change, or just change all together. One of the most important concepts that was taught during the unit was how to know evolution has occurred. This can be done by vestigial structures or even fossils. Before you can learn this, you must first understand that evolution is the change of allele frequency in a population. In summary, through this unit, we were able to learn many different themes that are fundamental to biology, and we were able to understand these concept better through the many labs.

    

   After ending this lab, I would like to learn more about the ways that we can see that evolution occurred. I would like to learn more about the vestigial structures and the fossils. The biggest concept that I do not fully understand is natural selection. Why does natural selection act the ways it does, could it work any other way?

   During the past unit, we were given the ability to be more assertive and apply it to our everyday life. I have trying to do this by speaking for myself. I also try to insert my self in the group settings and contributing in it equally. Recently, we have been assigned to create a timeline in biology in groups of four. I have increased my assertiveness in the project by saying what I feel and also by equally distributing the work among my group members. In conclusion, I feel that I have increased my assertiveness over the past unit, and I plan to keep it this way.