HIV: Sequencing and Common Ancestry

Lesson Summary

This lesson will help students tie knowledge they have about viruses and genetics to pillars of evolution. In the Bite, students will read about how scientists analyze DNA sequences to generate phylogenetic trees and make inferences about both the origin and future of a deadly virus. Students will get to practice reading complex phylogenetic trees and come to appreciate the stunning speed at which viruses can and do evolve. Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

• interpret phylogenetic tree models and locate common ancestors when given its descendants; and

• compare very short segments of DNA to determine relatedness of samples and infer the sequence of a common ancestor.

Standards

Science and Engineering Practices:

MA Science and Technology/Engineering (2016):

NGSS (2013):

Common Core Math/Language Arts Standards:

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Educator SoundBites

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