Lesson Three: The Natural Selection Game
Question
How does an adaptation arise in a population?
Objective
The learner will understand how an adaptation that allows an organism to be more fit in its environment will increase in a population, because individuals with the adaptation will become relatively more numerous in the population.
Materials
For a class of 20 have 20 of each item: forks, spoons, knife, and chopsticks. Have a bowl full of each of the following uncooked rice, cooked pasta, and skittles or M & M's (this may be done one bowl of food each day for three days, or all 3 on one day depending on the age and focus of the students). Students should each have a small cup to gather their food.
Explanation of game
Each utensil represents an adaptation. Students will take turns gathering food with their adaptation. The ones who have significantly less food will die or go extinct if all of members of the group with the same adaptation fail to get enough food. Depending on what the food source is, you might give a food goal for each student or pair of students, for example, "You must collect a full cup of noodles."
Directions
1. Pass out an equal number of each adaptation to students.
2. Take turns gathering food. For larger classes, you may have students work as partners.
3. The adaptations that gather the least amount of food are "dead." Once they step away from the group have them be the next generation born to the organisms whose adaptations are successful. Example: If I am a student who is using the knife to gather M & M's, and I fail to meet the food goal for the round, then I would "die."
4. Continue the game until only one or two adaptations exist.
Discussion
Sit in a circle and discuss what happened during the game. Let students know that this is an example of natural selection. An organism that is better suited to its environment will survive and live to reproduce. The adaptation depends on the demands the environment places on the organism.
Extensions
1. Have students create their own adaptations and surprise them with the food source or have students bring a food source and use the same adaptations.
2. Have students research an adaptation.
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