Investigating Natural Selection

By Bethany Vice •

Grade Level	10th
Subject Area	Life Science
Duration	One class session
Setting	Classroom - tables preferred
Background Knowledge	Students will have already learned basic concepts of heredity and diversity of life.
Author	Bethany Vice

Summary
Students investigate the predator-prey relationship as an example of how natural selection occurs in a population. Relate natural selection to antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

Objectives
1. Students will be able to explain natural selection – how certain individuals survived and passed on their genetic information. 2. Students will be able to relate natural selection to current happenings (antibiotic resistance, endangered species).

Materials Required
For each group: One piece of patterned fabric 60 dots of paper (hole punched from construction paper) in 3 different colors – 20 of each color Extra paper dots of each color Colored pencils similar to the color of the paper dots Hand-out with a data table Graph paper Stop watch

Ohio Standards

Science
Life Science - Evolutionary Theory
• Recognize that a change in gene frequency (genetic composition) in a population over time is a foundation of biological evolution.
• Explain that natural selection provides the following mechanism for evolution; undirected variation in inherited characteristics exist within every species. These characteristics may give individuals an advantage or disadvantage compared to others in surviving and reproducing. The advantaged offspring are more likely to survive and reproduce. Therefore, the proportion of individuals that have advantageous characteristics will increase. When an environment changes, the survival value of some inherited characteristics may change.
Life Science - Scientific Inquiry
• Present scientific findings using clear language, accurate data, appropriate graphs, tables, maps and available technology.
• Draw conclusions from inquiries based on scientific knowledge and principles, the use of logic and evidence (data) from investigations.

Documents

Lesson Plan