The Beaks of the Finches

Adaptation or acclimation? Young ecologists determine which is being exemplified in twenty questions. When teaching about adaptations, make sure to talk about acclimation, a short-term learned response to a change in the surroundings....

A diagram, data table, and reading passage top this resource. Through it, biology beginners are introduced to the concept of natural selection. They answer some questions and then participate in a simulation using fabric as a habitat and...

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...

The peppered moth is featured in a video about natural selection. The narrator tells the story of Darwin's theory and then moves on to the principles behind natural selection and the different ways it works. Concepts covered include...

Selective breeding has resulted in some novel and beautiful or useful dogs over the years. Using the American Foxhound as an example, genetics learners find out how and why they came about. Then, in small groups, they select breeds to...

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...

Sickle cell disease only occurs when both parents contribute the trait, and mostly in those of African descent. Where did it come from? How did it evolve? Tony Allison, a molecular biologist, noticed a connection between sickle cell and...

A video about the impact of climate change on butterfly populations and a PowerPoint about butterfly and bird adaptations warm science learners up for the activity to follow. Using a variety of tools that reprsent unique styles of bird...

Between 1968 and 2002, the total number of peppered moths decreased by almost two thirds, although scientists do now know why. In the 10th video of the series, the instructor defines evolution as any changes to a gene pool. Scholars then...

Viewers explore real-world examples of both evolution and natural selection as the instructor discusses changes to the environment, mutations causing changes in phenotypes and changing the fitness in organisms, and how humans are...