Battle of the Beaks

Battle of the Beaks 3/24/15 Key Question: Why do some species survive to reproduce while others do not? Initial Thoughts:

Natural Selection For natural selection to occur there must be: Environmental pressure or competition for: land, food, mates, shelter, change in predator or prey, change in climate Variation in the population that increases survival and reproduction, leading to an adaptation over many generations.

Evidence: Battle of the Beaks

Begin Competition You may only grab ONE seed at a time. More than one seed will cause you to choke and regurgitate your food! NO CHEATING

Help has arrived… Another island’s government has finally sent over some relief help! They brought in 2 new food sources! Unfortunately one of them is poisonous! More than one rice grain will cause you to regurgitate now, but you can eat as much of the lima beans at a time as your can scarf down.

Evidence: Table & Graph BEAK TYPE ROUND 1ROUND 2 # OF SEEDS SPOO N TWEEEZERS SPOON WITH HOLES CLOTHESPIN

Analysis Questions 1.A) Which beak was the most successful with the beans, and therefore naturally selected to survive? B) Which beak was the most successful with the rice, and therefore naturally selected to survive? C) What would you expect to see in future generations of birds on this island?

Analysis Questions contd. 2. If the seeds were buried in the sand which type of beak(s) would naturally be selected to survive? Why? 3. What role does variation and competition play in the process of natural selection?

Summary What did you think about why some species survive and others do not before this lesson? What did you learn about why some species survive and others do not from this lesson? (Minimum of 3 sentences!!!) What are some further thoughts or questions you have about why some species survive and others do not ?

Reflection Thinking about the beaks your group used during this activity, what type of seeds/food would have been easy for you to capture, but perhaps difficult for the other types of beaks? Use a picture to help explain why.

Big Idea

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