Evolving Switches, Evolving Bodies

The following classroom-ready resources complement Evolving Switches, Evolving Bodies. This 15-minute film tells the story of the dramatic transformation of stickleback bodies as they adapted to living permanently in freshwater environments drastically different from the ocean. Scientists have studied living stickleback populations and a remarkable fossil record, and identified key gene and genetic switches involved in the evolution of body forms.

At A Glance Film Guide (PDF)
Student Quiz (PDF)
In-Depth Film Guide for Teachers (PDF)

The Stickleback Evolution Virtual Lab
Student Handout—Advanced (PDF) Student Handout—Basic (PDF)
Teacher Materials (PDF)

A worksheet that guides students through The Virtual Stickleback Evolution Lab. The virtual lab lets students learn firsthand the methods for analyzing body structure in stickleback collected from lakes and fossils recovered from a quarry. Students measure, record, and graph their results to discover evolutionary patterns.

Modeling the Regulatory Switches of the Pitx1 Gene in Stickleback Fish
Teacher Materials (PDF) Student Handout (PDF)
A hands-on activity in which students interpret molecular diagrams and build physical models of eukaryotic gene regulation. Students will review eukaryotic gene transcription, explore how changes in gene expression can affect body development, and learn how those changes, with the appropriate selective pressure, play a role in the evolution of a population.
Appropriate for: high school biology (all levels), introductory college biology

Using Genetic Crosses to Analyze a Stickleback Trait
Teacher Materials (PDF) Student Handout (PDF)
F1 Stickleback Cards (PDF) F2 Stickleback Cards (PDF)
A hands-on activity in which students apply the principles of Mendelian genetics to analyze the results of genetic crosses between stickleback fish with different traits. Students use photos of actual research specimens (the F1 and F2 cards) to obtain their data; they will then analyze the data they collected along with additional data from the scientific literature. In the extension activity, students use chi-square analysis to determine the significance of genetic data. 
Appropriate for: high school biology (all levels)