The Natural Selection of Stick-Worms
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OtherDescription:
This lesson teaches students that traits are usually favored by natural selection only when they result in more reproductively successful offspring. Students go out onto the school lawn and play the role of birds, picking up toothpick stick worms which have been previously scattered in equal numbers of green-stained and unstained. Birds are chased away before the worm population drops too low. Back in the classroom, the number of green and non-green worms are compared individually and for the whole class. Discussion relates the experience to the elements of natural selection. As presented here, it does not lend itself to demonstrating the effects of selection over multiple generations.
Subjects:
- Science > General
Education Levels:
- Grade 1
- Grade 2
- Grade 3
- Grade 4
- Grade 5
- Grade 6
- Grade 7
- Grade 8
- Grade 9
- Grade 10
Keywords:
Space Science,oai:nsdl.org:2200/20061003230228007T,Biology,Astronomy,Middle School,NSDL,Science,NSDL_SetSpec_dlese.org,High School,Space sciences,Life Science,History/Policy/Law,History of science,Geoscience,Earth scienceLanguage:
EnglishAccess Privileges:
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This lesson teaches students that traits are usually favored by natural selection only when they result in more reproductively successful offspring. Students go out onto the school lawn and play the role of birds, picking up toothpick stick worms which have been previously scattered in equal numbers of green-stained and unstained. Birds are chased away before the worm population drops too low. Back in the classroom, the number of green and non-green worms are compared individually and for the whole class. Discussion relates the experience to the elements of natural selection. As presented here, it does not lend itself to demonstrating the effects of selection over multiple generations.
