Gizmo: Natural Selection

Last updated about 4 years ago

16 questions

Note from the author:

Gizmo Natural Selection Lab

Instructions

https://gizmos.explorelearning.com/

Gizmo: Natural Selection

Last updated about 4 years ago

16 questions

Note from the author:

Gizmo Natural Selection Lab

Instructions

https://gizmos.explorelearning.com/

Vocabulary:

___________  – a combination of two primitive organisms, a fungus and green algae. Lichen forms a thin “crust” on rocks and tree trunks.

__________________  – a common moth found in Europe, Asia, and North America.

__________  – a distinct form of a given species.

_________________________  – change in the inherited traits of a population of organisms that occurs over many generations.

_______________  – coloring or markings that help an organism blend in with its surroundings.

___________________________  – period of industrialization that began in the late 18th century and continued through the 19th century

______________________  – the process by which favorable inherited traits become more common over time. Darwin proposed that natural selection was the primary mechanism of biological evolution.

Other Answer Choices:

Natural Selection

Camouflage

Biological Evolution

Industrial Revolution

Peppered Moth

Morph

Lichen

The peppered moth (Biston betularia) is a common moth found in Europe, Asia, and North America. It is commonly found in two forms, or morphs: a dark morph and a light, speckled morph. Birds are a frequent predator of the peppered moth.

Which morph do you think would be easier to see on a dark tree trunk __________

Which morph do you think would be easier to see on a light tree trunk __________

The Natural Selection Gizmo allows you to play the role of a bird feeding on peppered moths. The initial population of 40 moths is scattered over 20 tree trunks. Click on moths to capture them. Click the Next tree button (or the spacebar on your keyboard) to advance to the next tree.

Check that LIGHT TREES is selected. Click Play (📷), and hunt moths for one year.
*Make sure you push the NEXT TREE button below the screen to look for moths when you see none on your screen

a) How many dark moths did you capture? _______ 

b) How many light moths did you capture? _______ 

c) Camouflage is coloring or patterns that help an organism to blend in with the background. Which type of moth is better camouflaged on light bark? _______ 

If a forest contained mostly light-colored trees, which type of moth would you expect to be most common? __________

Introduction: Before the 19th century in England, the air was very clean. The bark on trees was usually light in color. Abundant lichens growing on tree trunks also lightened their appearance.

Question: How does the color of a peppered moth affect survival?

Predict: Over time, what will to happen to the populations of light and dark moths on light trees?

The light-colored moths will __________ on light trees
The dark-colored moths will __________ on light trees

Experiment: Click Play and hunt peppered moths on light tree trunks for five years. In each year, try to capture as many moths as you can. Note: You can use the spacebar on your keyboard to quickly advance to the next tree. 

After 5 years, select the TABLE tab and record the percentages of each moth type. (Note: The table shows the current populations of each moth, not the number of captured moths.)
*Make sure you push the NEXT TREE button below the screen to look for moths when you see none on your screen

Year 0
Dark Moths: _______%    Light Moths: _______% 

Year 1
Dark Moths: _______%    Light Moths: _______% 

Year 2
Dark Moths: _______%    Light Moths: _______% 

Year 3
Dark Moths: _______%    Light Moths: _______% 

Year 4
Dark Moths: _______%    Light Moths: _______%

Year 5
Dark Moths: _______%    Light Moths: _______%

Analyze: What do your results show?

Apply: Which type of moth do you think was more common before the 19th century, when most trees were light in color?

Extend your thinking: What strategies did you use to hunt for moths?

Introduction: The 19th century was the time of the Industrial Revolution in England. Most of the new industries used coal for energy, and the air was polluted with black soot. In forests near factories, the soot coated trees and killed lichens. As a result, tree trunks became darker.

Question: How did air pollution affect moth populations?

Predict: Over time, what will to happen to the populations of light and dark moths on dark trees?

The light-colored moths will __________ on dark trees
The dark-colored moths will __________ on dark trees

Experiment: Click Play and hunt peppered moths on dark tree trunks for five years. In each year, try to capture as many moths as you can.

When you are done, select the TABLE tab and record the percentages of each moth type.
*Make sure you push the NEXT TREE button below the screen to look for moths when you see none on your screen

Year 0
Dark Moths: _______ %  Light Moths: _______ %

Year 1
Dark Moths: _______ %    Light Moths: _______ %

Year 2
Dark Moths: _______ %    Light Moths: _______ %

Year 3
Dark Moths: _______ %    Light Moths: _______ %

Year 4
Dark Moths: _______ %    Light Moths: _______ %

Year 5
Dark Moths: _______ %    Light Moths: _______ %

Analyze: What do your results show?

Apply: Which type of moth do you think was more common during the 19th century when most trees were dark in color? Why?

Draw conclusions: Natural selection is the process by which favorable traits tend to increase in frequency over time. How does this experiment illustrate natural selection?

Think and discuss: Did the changes you observed in the moth populations result from individual moths changing colors? Or did they occur because the best-hidden moths survived and reproduced, passing on their colors to their offspring? Explain your answer.

Extend your thinking: Biological evolution is the process by which populations of organisms change over time. How could natural selection lead to evolution?
Explain.

Gizmo: Natural Selection

Gizmo: Natural Selection

Analyze: What do your results show?

Apply: Which type of moth do you think was more common before the 19th century, when most trees were light in color?

Extend your thinking: What strategies did you use to hunt for moths?

Analyze: What do your results show?

Apply: Which type of moth do you think was more common during the 19th century when most trees were dark in color? Why?

Draw conclusions: Natural selection is the process by which favorable traits tend to increase in frequency over time. How does this experiment illustrate natural selection?

Think and discuss: Did the changes you observed in the moth populations result from individual moths changing colors? Or did they occur because the best-hidden moths survived and reproduced, passing on their colors to their offspring? Explain your answer.

Extend your thinking: Biological evolution is the process by which populations of organisms change over time. How could natural selection lead to evolution? Explain.

Analyze: What do your results show?

Apply: Which type of moth do you think was more common before the 19th century, when most trees were light in color?

Extend your thinking: What strategies did you use to hunt for moths?

Analyze: What do your results show?

Apply: Which type of moth do you think was more common during the 19th century when most trees were dark in color? Why?

Draw conclusions: Natural selection is the process by which favorable traits tend to increase in frequency over time. How does this experiment illustrate natural selection?

Think and discuss: Did the changes you observed in the moth populations result from individual moths changing colors? Or did they occur because the best-hidden moths survived and reproduced, passing on their colors to their offspring? Explain your answer.

Extend your thinking: Biological evolution is the process by which populations of organisms change over time. How could natural selection lead to evolution? Explain.

Extend your thinking: Biological evolution is the process by which populations of organisms change over time. How could natural selection lead to evolution?
Explain.

Extend your thinking: Biological evolution is the process by which populations of organisms change over time. How could natural selection lead to evolution?
Explain.