Week 10

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 This week, we talked about mutation and what it is. Mutation is changes in genetic material. It can be caused by mutagens radiation, chemicals, and other infectious agents. Evolution and mutation can go hand in hand.  

We did two different activities. The first one was called Preying on Beans. We acted like predators searching for prey with three different traits. The goal was to demonstrate the process of adaptation and selection. Our group used a spoon, a fork, and then two knives. We had thirty seconds to collect as many beans as possible. We then counted each bean and figured out the percentage of beans that were left over. The person that had the least amount of prey(beans) died and then got to pick a new trait(utensil) to use. We ended with three forks and one spoon.  

The final activity was a Peppered Moth Simulation. The goal was for it to simulate changes in moth population due to population and predation, and observe how species can change over time. For this, you have to choose a light or dark forest. I chose the light forest. You then were a bird that was searching for moths. Some moths were darker and others were lighter, and you had to eat as many as you could in a certain amount of time. I had eaten 53 moths in 60 seconds.  

In my future teaching, I can use a fun activity like Preying on Beans to show the process of adaptation and selection. I think it was a fun activity that would help with learning.   


Preying on Beans Materials

Preying on Beans Data Sheet

Peppered Moth Simulation Results  





Comments

  1. IsabelleMarch 27, 2024 at 12:43 PM

    Hi Maggie! I like how you defined mutation; I was a little confused on how it related to natural selection! I also agree that the beans activity would be a good activity for the classroom!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bailie Kroll: Science MethodsMarch 27, 2024 at 7:02 PM

    Hi Maggie! I agree with your comment on using the bean simulation in our future classrooms. This is a great way to model natural selection all while keeping students engaged and having fun!

    ReplyDelete

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