Evolution by Natural Selection
In the lab, Evolution by Natural Selection, principles of natural selection are demonstrated by a simulation involving different color pompoms on different color and texture habitats and student feeders equipped with different types of feeding implement. Students learn how different adaptations contribute to differences in survival and reproductive success, which results in changing frequencies of genotypes in the populations.
Download Student Handout: PDF format or Word format
Download Teacher Preparation Notes: PDF format or Word format
We invite comments on this Hands-On Activity and the accompanying Teacher Preparation Notes, including suggestions for other teachers who are planning to use the activity, useful preparatory or follow-up activities, additional resources or any questions you have related to the activity, or a brief description of any problem you might have encountered. If you have a relevant Word document you would like to have posted on this comments page, such as a version of the protocol you have used in your classroom, or if you would prefer to send your comments or questions in a private message, please write Ingrid Waldron at iwaldron@sas.upenn.edu.
See also a complete list of activities:
Hands-on Activities for Teaching Biology to High School and Middle School Students
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Introduction and Activities Listing
Introduction to Biology
- Is Yeast Alive?
- Alcoholic Fermentation in Yeast
- Moldy Jell-O
- Enzymes Help Us Digest Food
- Starch and Protein Investigation
- Who Took Jerell’s iPod? -- An Organic Compound Mystery
- Diffusion across a Selectively Permeable Membrane
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Cell Division and Genetics
- Mitosis, Meiosis and Fertilization
- Genetics
- Dragon Genetics I
- Dragon Genetics II
- Using Blood Tests to Identify Babies and Criminals
Molecular Biology
Evolution and Diversity
- Evolution by Natural Selection
- Some Similarities between the Spread of An Infectious Disease and Population Growth
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Human Physiology 
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Comments
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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