Gizmo: Rainfall and Bird Beaks

Last updated about 4 years ago

30 questions

Note from the author:

Rainfall and Bird Beaks Gizmo Write Up

Instructions

Complete the Gizmo: https://gizmos.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspView&ResourceID=404&ClassID=5523286 by answering the questions below

General Video Directions: https://www.loom.com/share/5b8140b43a724bec8d5ed37bfab28be4
*There will be more in depth video directions for each section linked into each section.

Study the thickness of birds' beaks over a five-year period as you control the yearly rainfall on an isolated island. As the environmental conditions change, the species must adapt (a real-world consequence) to avoid extinction.

Gizmo: Rainfall and Bird Beaks

Last updated about 4 years ago

30 questions

Note from the author:

Rainfall and Bird Beaks Gizmo Write Up

Instructions

Complete the Gizmo: https://gizmos.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspView&ResourceID=404&ClassID=5523286 by answering the questions below

General Video Directions: https://www.loom.com/share/5b8140b43a724bec8d5ed37bfab28be4
*There will be more in depth video directions for each section linked into each section.

Study the thickness of birds' beaks over a five-year period as you control the yearly rainfall on an isolated island. As the environmental conditions change, the species must adapt (a real-world consequence) to avoid extinction.

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
During the voyage of the HMS Beagle (1831–1836), the young Charles Darwin collected several species of finches from the Galápagos Islands. Two of Darwin’s finches are shown below.

VIDEO DIRECTIONS PRIOR KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS
https://www.loom.com/share/ee87723b75634ccbbcf389b2504d532d

Drag and Drop what you believe to be that species of birds is best adapted to the diet of.

Geospiza Magirostnis
__________________________  


Geospiza Fortis
___________________________  

Other Answer Choices:

small, delicate seeds

large, tough-to-crack

Gizmo Warm-up
Darwin’s finches are one of many types of animals on the Galápagos Islands that have unique adaptations, or traits that help an organism survive in its environment. The Rainfall and Bird Beaks Gizmo™ allows you to explore how rainfall influences the range of beak shapes found in a single finch species.

VIDEO DIRECTIONS FOR GIZMO WARM-UP
https://www.loom.com/share/b3b56ac21c4b4130ac596678a1518468

The beak depth of a finch is the distance from the top of the beak to the bottom, as shown.

A) What is the current average beak depth in the Gizmo? _______ mm

B) Select the HISTOGRAM tab. Do all the finches have the same beak depth? _______ 

Click Play (📷) and let the simulation play for five years with average rainfall (10 inches/yr). Select the GRAPH tab and view the Finches vs time and Beak depth vs time graphs.

A) How does the finch population change? _______ 

B) Does the beak depth change significantly? _______ 

Activity A: Normal Years
 
Introduction: The Galápagos Islands are very dry, with an average rainfall on some islands of only five inches per year. The amount of rainfall has a large impact on the abundance and types of seeds that are available to be eaten by finches. In the process of natural selection, only the finches that are best adapted to the available seed types survive and have offspring.

VIDEO DIRECTIONS FOR ACTIVITY A: NORMAL YEARS

Observe: With the Rain sliders set to 10 inches, click Play, and then Pause (📷) after one year has passed. Select the TABLE tab and look at the Month and Finches columns.

A) How did the finch population change over the course of one year? _______ 

B) The finches have their young during the rainy season. Based on the table, which part of the year do you think is the rainy season? _______ 

Activity B: Drought

Introduction: In years of extreme drought, Galápagos plants don’t produce new seeds. The small, delicate seeds get eaten up quickly, leaving behind only the largest, toughest seeds.

VIDEO DIRECTIONS FOR ACTIVITY B: DROUGHT

Activity C: Rainy Days

Introduction: In years of abundant rainfall, there can be 20 inches or more of rain. In these years, plants produce an enormous number and variety of seeds.

VIDEO DIRECTIONS FOR ACTIVITY C: RAINY DAYS

Gizmo: Rainfall and Bird Beaks

Gizmo: Rainfall and Bird Beaks

Activity A: Normal Years

Activity B: Drought

Activity C: Rainy Days

Activity A: Normal Years

How is the finch population affected by a period of average rainfall?

Activity B: Drought

Form hypothesis: What type of beak do you think will be best for finding food in a drought?

Predict: Select the HISTOGRAM tab.
*Either Recreate the histogram on the left hand side of the "Show Your Work" section or take a screenshot and then put it over the left graph.
On the right hand side create what you believe will happen after 5 years of drought.

Describe: Compare the final histogram to the initial histogram.

Draw conclusions: What do you think caused the changes in the finch population and average beak size during the drought?

Think and discuss: Evolution is the process by which populations of organisms can change over time. How is directional selection related to evolution?

How does drought affect the finch population and average beak depth?

Activity C: Rainy Days

Form hypothesis: What beak shape do you think will be best for finding food in a period of abundant rainfall?

Predict: Select the HISTOGRAM tab.
*Either Recreate the histogram on the left hand side of the "Show Your Work" section or take a screenshot and then put it over the left graph.
On the right hand side create what you believe will happen after 5 years of heavy rain.

Describe: Compare the final histogram to the initial histogram.

Draw conclusions: What do you think caused the changes in finch population and average beak size during the period of abundant rain?

How does plentiful rainfall affect the finch population and average beak depth?

How is the finch population affected by a period of average rainfall?

Form hypothesis: What type of beak do you think will be best for finding food in a drought?

Predict: Select the HISTOGRAM tab.
*Either Recreate the histogram on the left hand side of the "Show Your Work" section or take a screenshot and then put it over the left graph.
On the right hand side create what you believe will happen after 5 years of drought.

Describe: Compare the final histogram to the initial histogram.

Draw conclusions: What do you think caused the changes in the finch population and average beak size during the drought?

Think and discuss: Evolution is the process by which populations of organisms can change over time. How is directional selection related to evolution?

How does drought affect the finch population and average beak depth?

Form hypothesis: What beak shape do you think will be best for finding food in a period of abundant rainfall?

Predict: Select the HISTOGRAM tab.
*Either Recreate the histogram on the left hand side of the "Show Your Work" section or take a screenshot and then put it over the left graph.
On the right hand side create what you believe will happen after 5 years of heavy rain.

Describe: Compare the final histogram to the initial histogram.

Draw conclusions: What do you think caused the changes in finch population and average beak size during the period of abundant rain?

How does plentiful rainfall affect the finch population and average beak depth?

Gizmo: Rainfall and Bird Beaks

Gizmo: Rainfall and Bird Beaks

Activity A: Normal Years

Activity B: Drought

Activity C: Rainy Days

Activity A: Normal Years

How is the finch population affected by a period of average rainfall?

Activity B: Drought

Form hypothesis: What type of beak do you think will be best for finding food in a drought?

Predict: Select the HISTOGRAM tab.*Either Recreate the histogram on the left hand side of the "Show Your Work" section or take a screenshot and then put it over the left graph.On the right hand side create what you believe will happen after 5 years of drought.

Describe: Compare the final histogram to the initial histogram.

Draw conclusions: What do you think caused the changes in the finch population and average beak size during the drought?

Think and discuss: Evolution is the process by which populations of organisms can change over time. How is directional selection related to evolution?

How does drought affect the finch population and average beak depth?

Activity C: Rainy Days

Form hypothesis: What beak shape do you think will be best for finding food in a period of abundant rainfall?

Predict: Select the HISTOGRAM tab.*Either Recreate the histogram on the left hand side of the "Show Your Work" section or take a screenshot and then put it over the left graph.On the right hand side create what you believe will happen after 5 years of heavy rain.

Describe: Compare the final histogram to the initial histogram.

Draw conclusions: What do you think caused the changes in finch population and average beak size during the period of abundant rain?

How does plentiful rainfall affect the finch population and average beak depth?

How is the finch population affected by a period of average rainfall?

Form hypothesis: What type of beak do you think will be best for finding food in a drought?

Predict: Select the HISTOGRAM tab.*Either Recreate the histogram on the left hand side of the "Show Your Work" section or take a screenshot and then put it over the left graph.On the right hand side create what you believe will happen after 5 years of drought.

Describe: Compare the final histogram to the initial histogram.

Draw conclusions: What do you think caused the changes in the finch population and average beak size during the drought?

Think and discuss: Evolution is the process by which populations of organisms can change over time. How is directional selection related to evolution?

How does drought affect the finch population and average beak depth?

Form hypothesis: What beak shape do you think will be best for finding food in a period of abundant rainfall?

Predict: Select the HISTOGRAM tab.*Either Recreate the histogram on the left hand side of the "Show Your Work" section or take a screenshot and then put it over the left graph.On the right hand side create what you believe will happen after 5 years of heavy rain.

Describe: Compare the final histogram to the initial histogram.

Draw conclusions: What do you think caused the changes in finch population and average beak size during the period of abundant rain?

How does plentiful rainfall affect the finch population and average beak depth?

Predict: Select the HISTOGRAM tab.
*Either Recreate the histogram on the left hand side of the "Show Your Work" section or take a screenshot and then put it over the left graph.
On the right hand side create what you believe will happen after 5 years of drought.

Predict: Select the HISTOGRAM tab.
*Either Recreate the histogram on the left hand side of the "Show Your Work" section or take a screenshot and then put it over the left graph.
On the right hand side create what you believe will happen after 5 years of heavy rain.

Predict: Select the HISTOGRAM tab.
*Either Recreate the histogram on the left hand side of the "Show Your Work" section or take a screenshot and then put it over the left graph.
On the right hand side create what you believe will happen after 5 years of drought.

Predict: Select the HISTOGRAM tab.
*Either Recreate the histogram on the left hand side of the "Show Your Work" section or take a screenshot and then put it over the left graph.
On the right hand side create what you believe will happen after 5 years of heavy rain.