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Evolution by Natural Selection
In this minds-on, hands-on activity, students develop their understanding of natural selection by analyzing specific examples and carrying out a simulation. The questions in the first section introduce students to the basic process of natural selection, including key concepts and vocabulary.
The second section includes a simulation activity, data analysis, and questions to deepen students' understanding of natural selection, including the conditions that are required for natural selection to occur.
In the third section, students interpret evidence concerning natural selection in the peppered moth and answer questions to consolidate a scientifically accurate understanding of the process of natural selection, including the role of changes in allele frequency.
Download Student Handout: PDF format or Word format
Download Teacher Preparation Notes: PDF format or Word format
The Teacher Preparation Notes provide instructional suggestions and background information and explain how this activity is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. (Analysis and discussion versions of the first and third sections are available at https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/bioactivities/NaturalSelectionIntro and https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/bioactivities/NaturalSelectionMoth.)
We invite comments on this activity, including suggestions for other teachers who are planning to use the activity and any questions you have. If you would prefer to send your comments or questions in a private message, please write Ingrid Waldron at iwaldron@sas.upenn.edu
Download Minds-On Activities for Teaching Biology
Introduction and Activities Listing
Intro and Biological Molecules
- Characteristics of Life
- Levels of Organization in Biology (NGSS)
- Introduction to Proteins and DNA (NGSS)
- Enzymes Help Us Digest Food (NGSS; hands-on)
- A Scientific Investigation – What types of food contain starch and protein? (NGSS; hands-on)
- Coronaviruses – Introduction (NGSS)
- Who Took Jerell’s iPod? -- An Organic Compound Mystery (hands-on)
- Is Yeast Alive? (hands-on)
- Macromolecules Jeopardy
Cell Structure and Function
- Cell Structure and Function – Major Concepts and Learning Activities
- Introduction to Cells (NGSS)
- Structure and Function of Cells, Organs and Organ Systems (NGSS)
- Why do some plants grow in odd shapes? (NGSS)
- Introduction to Osmosis (NGSS; hands-on)
- Cell Membrane Structure and Function (NGSS; hands-on)
- Cell Vocabulary Review Game
Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis
- Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis - Key Concepts and Activities
- How do organisms use energy? (NGSS)
- Using Models to Understand Cellular Respiration (NGSS)
- Using Models to Understand Photosynthesis (NGSS)
- Photosynthesis, Cellular Respiration and Plant Growth (NGSS; hands-on)
- Food, Energy and Body Weight (NGSS)
- How do muscles get the energy they need for athletic activity? (NGSS)
- Alcoholic Fermentation in Yeast – A Bioengineering Design Challenge (NGSS; hands-on)
- Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration (NGSS)
- Where does a tree’s mass come from? (NGSS)
- Photosynthesis Investigation (NGSS; hands-on)
Cell Division
- Mitosis and the Cell Cycle (NGSS; hands-on)
- Mitosis and the Cell Cycle (NGSS)
- Meiosis and Fertilization – Understanding How Genes Are Inherited (NGSS; hands-on)
- Understanding How Genes are Inherited via Meiosis and Fertilization (NGSS)
- Comparing Mitosis and Meiosis
- What causes melanoma and other types of cancer? (NGSS)
- Mistakes in Meiosis – Down Syndrome or Embryo Death (NGSS)
- Mitosis, Meiosis and Fertilization Vocabulary Review Game
Genetics
- Genetics Concepts and Activities (NGSS)
- Genetics (NGSS; hands-on)
- Genetics Intro – Family Members (NGSS)
- Genetics Sickle Cell Anemia and Trait (NGSS)
- Genetics Probability – Sex Ratios (NGSS)
- Mistake in copying DNA & Dwarfism (NGSS)
- Soap Opera Genetics (NGSS)
- Were the babies switched? The Genetics of Blood Types (NGSS; hands-on)
- Dragon Genetics I (hands-on)
- Dragon Genetics II (hands-on)
- Learning about Genetic Disorders
- Genetics Vocabulary Review Game
- Genetics Jeopardy
Molecular Biology
- Molecular Biology: Major Concepts and Learning Activities (NGSS)
- DNA (NGSS; hands-on)
- DNA Function, Structure and Replication (NGSS)
- How Genes Can Cause Disease - Introduction to Transcription and Translation (NGSS; hands-on)
- How Genes Can Cause Disease - Understanding Transcription and Translation (NGSS)
- UV, Mutations and DNA Repair (NGSS; hands-on)
- What types of mutations cause more vs. less severe muscular dystrophy? (NGSS)
- Cell Differentiation and Epigenetics (NGSS)
- Genetic Engineering Challenge – Preventing Vitamin A Deficiency (NGSS)
- Gene Editing with CRISPR-Cas – Potential Sickle Cell Anemia Cure (NGSS)
- Molecular Biology Vocabulary Review Game
Evolution
- Resources for Teaching and Learning about Evolution
- Evolution by Natural Selection (NGSS; hands-on)
- What is natural selection? (NGSS)
- Natural Selection and the Peppered Moth (NGSS)
- How have mutations and natural selection affected fur color in mice? (NGSS)
- How Whales Evolved (NGSS)
- How Eyes Evolved – Analyzing the Evidence (NGSS)
- How does evolution result in similarities and differences? (NGSS; hands-on)
- What is a species? (NGSS)
- Coronavirus Evolution and the COVID-19 Pandemic (NGSS)
- Evolution and Adaptations (NGSS)
Ecology
- Ecology Concepts and Learning Activities (NGSS)
- Exponential and Logistic Population Growth Models vs. Complex Reality (NGSS)
- Some Similarities between the Spread of Infectious Disease and Population Growth (NGSS; hands-on)
- Stability and Change in Biological Communities (NGSS)
- Food Webs, Energy Flow, Carbon Cycle and Trophic Pyramids (NGSS)
- Food Webs (NGSS)
- Carbon Cycles and Energy Flow through Ecosystems (NGSS)
- Trophic Pyramids (NGSS)
- Introduction to Global Warming (NGSS)
- Food and Climate Change – How can we feed a growing world population without increasing global warming? (NGSS)
- Resources for Teaching about Climate Change
- The Ecology of Lyme Disease (NGSS)
Human Physiology and Health
- Negative Feedback, Homeostasis, and Positive Feedback – Examples and Concepts (NGSS; hands-on)
- Homeostasis, Negative Feedback, and Positive Feedback (NGSS)
- How do we Sense the Flavors of Food? (NGSS; hands-on)
- COVID-19 Vaccines (NGSS)
- How to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19 (NGSS)
- Molecular and Evolutionary Biology of HIV/AIDS and Treatment (NGSS)
- Resources for Teaching Cancer Biology
- Carbohydrate Consumption, Athletics, Health – Using Science Process Skills
- Vitamins and Health – Why Experts Disagree
- Regulation of Human Heart Rate (hands-on)
- Should You Drink Sports Drinks? When? Why?
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Comments
2022 revision
The Student Handout has been revised to improve clarity and student understanding of natural selection. The Teacher Preparation Notes have been revised and streamlined to improve clarity.
Ingrid
simulation Help
I am interested in using this activity with my High School Biology class however I can not find the simulation itself. Am I missing something?
Simulation Instructions
The instructions for the simulation are on pages 4-5 of the Student Handout and pages 5-7 of the Teacher Preparation Notes. An alternative version of the simulation is also provided in the Teacher Preparation Notes.
Ingrid
2018 revision
The Student Handout for Evolution by Natural Selection has been substantially revised to improve clarity and to incorporate more challenges for students to think critically and creatively. The section on peppered moths has been expanded to include student analysis of trends in allele frequencies. In addition, we now offer a small group version of the simulation of natural selection that engages students more actively in understanding the simulation and natural selection. Revisions of the Teacher Preparation Notes clarify the instructions and provide additional background information.
2017 revision
This revision includes improvements in the procedure for the simulation and improved logical flow and questions in the Student Handout (e.g. on pages 2-3). I’m grateful to Brad String for helpful suggestions and comments.
2016 revision
The Student Handout has been extensively revised to help students develop a better understanding of natural selection, with an emphasis on clearer explanations. We have added several diagrams and stimulating questions to enhance student understanding. The Teacher Preparation Notes have also been revised, with special attention to improving the simulation instructions to facilitate smooth execution of the simulation in your classroom.
Is there an awnser key?
Is there an awnser key?
Answer key
Please see page 4 of the Teacher Preparation Notes available at the link above.
2015 revision of Evolution by Natural Selection
This hands-on, minds-on activity has been substantially revised to implement Modeling Instruction; specifically students develop and revise a mental model of the process of natural selection based on analyzing specific examples and a simulation. Our goal is to actively engage students in developing a scientifically accurate understanding of natural selection by a sequence of increasingly sophisticated analyses. We have revised and reorganized the questions in the Student Handout and we have added analysis of evidence for natural selection in the peppered moth in order to help students consolidate a scientifically accurate understanding of natural selection.
I will try this!
Hi, I am looking for an activity for natural selection to field test with my students and share to my colleagues. This is perfect lesson for me to start with. I will let you now how it works. I might tweak some parts to fit with my students.
Thanks!!!!!
2013 revision of Evolution by Natural Selection
The major changes in our new version of Evolution by Natural Selection include:
2012 revision
In this revision of the Student Handout we have made a variety of changes to improve flow and clarity. One major change is that we have reduced the number of colors of pom-poms and the number of types of feeding implements in order to reduce the time spent in carrying out the simulation and data analysis and increase the proportion of time devoted to understanding natural selection. In addition, we have clarified the Teacher Preparation Notes and added a section with Suggestions for Discussion.
Biology
Thank you for posting these handouts. My high school students enjoyed this activity. I used felt covered with feathers for the habitat. I have a small class, so the "hunter" element had to be altered. I gave one student 10sec. to use each tool and then added the second generation based on her results.
The additional examples on the handout were also helpful.
Biology Lab Experiement regarding Natural Selection
Can you explain in detail how the following experiment should be done:
In this experiment the deck of cards represents a school of fish. The number on the cards indicates the weight of each fish. These fish live happily together until a new predator (the teacher) is introduced to their school. This particular predator weighs 20 pounds. As most predators are, this fish is fairly cautious and will not eat any fish greater than or equal to 1/2 its body weight. Also, any of the small fish in the school (defined as being less than 1/4 the weights of the predator) are able to hide from the predatory fish.
Using this information, go through your school of fish (deck of cards) and remove all of the fish eaten by the predator.
1. Describe the composition of the final deck and explain the results based on NUMBER - % - POPULATION.
Questions:
1. What are the 5 componet of natural selection?
2. Define the 3 types of natural selection demonstrated in the lab experiments.
3. What form of natural selectin did experiment 3 demonstrate? Explan
Thank you for your timely response.
2010 revisions
We have improved the questions and logical flow in the Student Handout and the instructions for carrying out the activity in the Teacher Preparation Notes.
Ingrid Waldron
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