The pocket mouse can be light brown like the sands of the desert, or dark brown like the volcanic lava flows that are interspersed throughout New Mexico's Valley of Fire. It seems that predators have weeded out light colored mice in this...

Using origami paper birds, your biology class will experiment with mutations and natural selection to determine wing position, length, and width. It would be helpful to provide a worksheet to go with the activity that includes a...

Rotating through five stations, evolutionary biologists explore the question of how changes in DNA facilitate the changes in a population over time. High-quality, colorful cards of animals, skeletons, skulls, and DNA sequences can all be...

Students view video showing recent field work on a twenty two-year study of finch beaks on a small island in the Galapagos, showing natural selection clearly operating in the wild.

In the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, some tiny creatures show just how quickly natural selection can turn a mutation into an advantageous adaptation. Watch a video about rock pocket mice, who show that one small change can make all...

High schoolers define the concept of classification. In groups, they categorize a series of objects into categories they identify. As a class, they participate in a variety of activities to examine the concept of natural selection. To...

Got milk? Only two cultures have had it long enough to develop the tolerance of lactose as an adult. Learn how the responsible genes evolved along with the cultures that have been consuming milk. This rich film is supplied with a few...

Students solve the following problem concerning the evolution of seed color in pinto bean plants: "How does natural selection change the frequency of genes or traits over many generations?" They use the constructivist approach to...

Skin color is controlled by at least six genes. Young scientists learn about skin colors through a documentary. They discuss the topics of pigment, natural selection, and vitamin D absorption. They apply their knowledge to higher order...

Does the early bird really get the worm? If so, which color of worm does it prefer? In an exciting and easy week-long field investigation, young field biologists set up a one square meter feeding area for birds. If you have a webcam,...

How do genetic mutations within a population lead to future variations? Provide your class with the resources to answer this question and more upon completing an activity on natural selection. The entire class participates in a...

Do you have what it takes to survive as a fit predator or will elusive prey lead to your extinction? Find out in a creative natural selection activity. Using different colors and shapes of grains to represent different species and...

Students examine and identify examples of species that developed as a result of immigration, genetic drift, and adaptive radiation. They conduct Internet research and define key vocabulary terms, and use their species example on their...

Students research examples of Natural Selection on a website provided by the teacher. They experiment in groups, different processes of Natural Selection and list them on a chart provided in this lesson plan

Students simulate natural selection using pinto beans. In this biology lesson, students identify the factors affecting organism evolution. They record data from the experiment and formulate a conclusion.

Eighth graders define natural selection and adaptation. They simulate natural selection within a species and relate the elements of natural selection to the simulation. They analyze the results of natural selection in terms of...

Seventh graders investigate the concept of natural selection and it relation to the theory of evolution. They create a definition for classification based upon looking at other subjects that are similar. The variation of species is...

Young scholars construct a working definition of the word "evolution," and list the key points of Darwin's theory of natural selection. They create paper moths to help them explain the importance of camouflage and how it relates to...

Students participate in a discussion about the three types of natural selection. In groups, they identify examples of adaptations from photographs. To end the lesson, they analyze results of natural selection in adaptation, behaviors...

Students investigate the concept of evolution and how natural selection is used as an indicator that evolution has happened. They recognize the three effects it has on diversity and how adaptations can develop. Diversity is explained as...

Students use discussion questions, handout information and research topics to explore several issues related to natural selection and evolution. They examine Darwin's research on the finch and antibiotic resistance.

Students working in pairs attempt to produce a full sequence of 13 cards of one suit (ace - to king). This must be done by shuffling the suit of cards for each round, then checking the cards.

Students estimate how many different species of organisms inhabit the Earth. In groups, they match the pictures of embryos at the different stages of development. They compare and contrast animals from the sky, land, and water and...

This seventh grade life science quiz has a professional appearance and well-written multiple-choice questions. However, it seems to cover too broad a variety of biology topics for only 15 questions to fully assess. There is one question...