The Beaks of the Finches

Teens experience natural selection firsthand (or first beak) in an activity that has them act as finches foraging for food. Using different household items  to act as different beak styles, your little finches will collect as much food...

Darwin explained the connection between species of finches 150 years before scientists understood DNA. Technology and progressing science proved he was right, yet many struggle to understand how natural selection happens. Scholars use...

One of the most striking pieces of evidence for Darwin's Evolution of Species was his observations of finches and how their beaks differed from island to island, depending on their primary food sources. So what would happen to the theory...

How does nature select some adaptations over others? Scholars experiment picking up seeds with two different types of tools simulating beaks. After practicing, they experience a drought where one type of seed suddenly isn't available....

Try a twist on the old finch beak and chopsticks activity by using M&Ms on a Twister mat. Spoons, knives, forks, and chopsticks represent beaks and are randomly assigned to your little birds, who must collect as much food as possible...

For this evolution worksheet, students fill in the blank of 20 statements that describe the hypothesis of why finches from the Galapagos Islands have changed over time.

Bird is the word! Young biologists discover how the tiny finch changed the way scientists viewed evolution and changes in species using a fascinating video from Fuse School's Evolution playlist. The narrator describes Darwin's journey to...

You've got to use the right beak for the right job. Viewers of an informative video learn about the evolution of finches on the Galapagos Islands. They learn how different habitats and foods led to an adaptation of beaks, resulting in...

Don't just tell your class about Darwin's finches ... show them! Sort some of science's most famous birds using an interactive lesson. Learners try their hand at classifying finches using song, sonogram, and beak appearance, as well as...

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...