Shell Shocked

In this hands-on activity, students study the beautiful shells not as objects of beauty but as artifacts born of an evolutionary arms race.

Lesson Plan Files
Related Handout Materials
Shell Shocked - High School and Middle School Student Editions
Related Scientist
Geerat Vermeij, Evolutionary Biologist
New Standards
Cross Cutting Concepts: Patterns
Cross Cutting Concepts: Structure and Function
MS-LS1.A Structure and Function
MS-LS1.B
MS-LS1.D
MS-LS2.B
MS-LS2.C
MS-LS3.A and B: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
MS-LS4.A Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
MS-LS4.C Adaptation
Nature of Science: Science is a Human Endeavor
Nature of Science: Science, Models, Laws, Mechanisms, and Theories Explain Natural Phenomena
Nature of Science: Scientific Investigations use a variety of methods
Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems
Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence
Nature of Science: Scientific knowledge is open to revision in light of new evidence.

Videos to use with this lesson

Molluscs: The Survival Game
Geerat Vermeij, Evolutionary Biologist: Reading A Shell’s Story
Mollusc Animation: Shell Repair