1. Bird Beaks Lab www.campbellcountyschools.
Who will survive?
LT: I can construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how beak shape (trait) can affect the fitness of a bird.

2. Instructions Take out your notebook and a pencil. Clear off your desk.
Follow directions on the following slides to create your lab report.

3. Galapagos Islands

4. Problem?
How did the finches on the Galapagos Islands all end up with different shaped beaks?

5. Skip a few lines to add more information in a minute!
Hypothesis
FINISH THE STATEMENT BELOW.
If the finches on each island all have different beak shapes, then they got that way because…
Skip a few lines to add more information in a minute!

6. Create the data table below in your notebook
Create the data table below in your notebook. Record the amount of food eaten by each beak for trials 1-4.
Beak Type
Lima Beans
Pennies
Tooth
Picks
Rubber bands
Binder clips
Spoon
tweezers
Tongs

7. Hypothesis… What do you think will happen in each trial?
Which beak will be successful?
Use what you know about natural selection
and survival of the fittest to create your
prediction.

8. Procedure Select your beak type. Place plate in center of table.
Wait for “food”.
“Eat” as much as you can in 30 seconds.
Place each item you eat in your cup.
After time, count how much each bird ate.
Record numbers in data table.
Repeat for trials 2-4.

9. Results Create a bar graph showing your results for the trial when you ate the most food.
Success of Bird Beak Adaptations
Amount Eaten X
Tweezers Spoon Tongs Binder Clip

10. Results Create a bar graph with FOUR columns showing results for each trial.Y
Binder Clips
Spoons
Tweezers
Tongs
Amount of Food Eaten X
Tweezers Spoon Tongs Binder Clip
Beak Shape

11. Results Create a bar graph with FOUR columns showing results for each trial.Y
Marbles
Popcorn
Rubber bands
Toothpicks
Amount of Food Eaten X
Tweezers Spoon Tongs Binder Clip
Beak Shape

12. Conclusions The ____ beak is the best adaptation for this experiment.
My evidence is: (use your graphs and data tables).
An adaptation is _____. My evidence supports my claim that the ______ beak is the best adaptation because _________________________________
________________________________________

13. Conclusions
Which type of beak was best adapted to each type of food? Which beak was least adapted to each type of food?
What if the Lima Beans were high-protein beetles that were 4 times more nutritious than any of the other food items? How would your feeding strategy change?
3. If we came back to the island with toothpicks in 50 years, what should we expect to see? (What type of birds will live on the island?) Explain your answer.
4. How are Darwin’s finches an example of natural selection?

14. Materials Tooth Pick Small Binder Clip Binder Clip Spoon Chopsticks
Pencil
Paper Plate
Cups
Marbles
Popcorn
Paper