Phylogeny
At a Glance
Discipline
- Biology
- STEM
Instructional Level
- College & CEGEP
- University
Tasks in Workflow
Social Plane(s)
- Individual
- Group
Type of Tasks
- Solving problems
- Analyzing
- Creating & designing
- Reading
- Taking a quiz & test
Technical Details
Useful Technologies
- Clickers
Class size
- Small (20-49)
Time
- Single class period (< 90 mins)
Instructional Purpose
- Assessment & knowledge refinement
- Application & knowledge building
Overview
In this activity, students learn how to construct phylogenetic trees based on evolutionary traits using three different example scenarios.
Prior to class, students complete pre-assigned readings and watch videos related to the class material. They perform a quiz through Moodle to test their understanding from the readings and videos.
During class, groups of students (2-3) are tasked with designing phylogenetic trees for three different scenarios of increasing difficulty. Groups discuss and compare their trees for each scenario, which allows students to evaluate each other’s work and to also self-correct their own trees. In groups, students answer questions based on the phylogenetic trees they have constructed. These questions help them to think about the process of building trees based on data. Once complete, students individually answer clicker questions that are designed to test their understanding of the material, as well as encourage them to analyze new scenarios and apply the concepts they’ve learned.
Finally, students are given a set of practice questions to use for their own study purposes outside of class.
Instructional Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Describe the evolutionary relationships between animals
- In teams, construct a phylogenic tree
Workflow & Materials
Activity Workflow
Contributor's Notes
Students appreciate the activity because they practice with three different examples (with the first 2 complementing each other) to understand how evolutionary relatedness through phylogenetic traits is used in the construction of phylogenetic trees. Students enjoy building the trees as they learn about phylogeny while also having fun.
Some of the questions accompanying the activity are used to address misconceptions about evolution and the interpretation of phylogenetic trees.
Students in general do not find this activity challenging. However, some students struggle with the interpretation of evolutionary relationships even after successfully completing the activity.
Students feel the need to practice further and often request more practice questions.
Keeping students on task and on time is always a challenge, as some students get overwhelmed with reading and following somewhat lengthy written instructions.
Keep students on task by using a visual timer (e.g., a computer clock on smart board), and by reminding them how much time they have left to complete the activity.
Applied Strategies
Published: 18/09/2018
Copyright: © 2025 Awad. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication on this website is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.