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    Virtual Lab - Natural Selection

    Uploaded by

    Fritz HayBale
    This document provides instructions for a virtual lab simulation about natural selection and peppered moths. Students are asked to play the role of a bird preying on peppered moths and predict how moth populations would change over time based on their camouflage against light or dark tree trunks. The simulation models how industrial pollution in 19th century England caused tree bark to darken, changing selective pressures and causing dark-colored moths to increase in frequency as their camouflage became an advantage.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Virtual Lab - Natural Selection

    Uploaded by

    Fritz HayBale
    110 views4 pages
    This document provides instructions for a virtual lab simulation about natural selection and peppered moths. Students are asked to play the role of a bird preying on peppered moths and predict how moth populations would change over time based on their camouflage against light or dark tree trunks. The simulation models how industrial pollution in 19th century England caused tree bark to darken, changing selective pressures and causing dark-colored moths to increase in frequency as their camouflage became an advantage.

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    Virtual_Lab_-_Natural_Selection (1)

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    This document provides instructions for a virtual lab simulation about natural selection and peppered moths. Students are asked to play the role of a bird preying on peppered moths and predict how moth populations would change over time based on their camouflage against light or dark tree trunks. The simulation models how industrial pollution in 19th century England caused tree bark to darken, changing selective pressures and causing dark-colored moths to increase in frequency as their camouflage became an advantage.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    110 views4 pages

    Virtual Lab - Natural Selection

    Uploaded by

    Fritz HayBale
    This document provides instructions for a virtual lab simulation about natural selection and peppered moths. Students are asked to play the role of a bird preying on peppered moths and predict how moth populations would change over time based on their camouflage against light or dark tree trunks. The simulation models how industrial pollution in 19th century England caused tree bark to darken, changing selective pressures and causing dark-colored moths to increase in frequency as their camouflage became an advantage.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    You are on page 1of 4

    Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________________________

    Virtual Lab (Gizmo): Natural Selection

    Vocabulary: camouflage, natural selection, peppered moth

    Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

    The peppered moth (Biston betularia) is a common moth


    found in Europe, Asia, and North America. It is commonly
    found in two forms, or morphs: a dark morph and a light,
    speckled morph. Birds are a frequent predator of the
    peppered moth.

    1. Which morph do you think would be easier to see on a

    dark tree trunk? _______________________________

    2. Which morph do you think would be easier to see on a

    light tree trunk? _______________________________

    Gizmo Warm-up
    The Natural Selection Gizmo allows you to play the role of a
    bird feeding on peppered moths. The initial population of 40
    moths is scattered over 20 tree trunks. Click on moths to
    capture them. Click the Next tree button (or the spacebar
    on your keyboard) to advance to the next tree.

    1. Check that LIGHT TREES is selected. Click Play ( ),


    and hunt moths for one year.

    A. How many dark moths did you capture? _______

    B. How many light moths did you capture? _______ How many moths can you find?

    C. Camouflage is coloring or patterns that help an organism to blend in with the

    background. Which type of moth is better camouflaged on light bark? ____________

    2. If a forest contained mostly light-colored trees, which type of moth would you expect to be

    most common? ____________________________________________________________

    2019
    Get the Gizmo ready:
    Activity A:
     Click Reset ( ).
    Light trees
     Check that the LIGHT TREES tab is selected.

    Introduction: Before the 19th century in England, the air was very clean. The bark on trees was
    usually light in color. Abundant lichens growing on tree trunks also lightened their appearance.
    Question: How does the color of a peppered moth affect survival?

    1. Predict: Over time, what will to happen to the populations of light and dark moths on light

    trees? ____________________________________________________________________

    2. Experiment: Click Play and hunt peppered moths on light tree trunks for five years. In each
    year, try to capture as many moths as you can. Note: You can use the spacebar on your
    keyboard to quickly advance to the next tree.

    After 5 years, select the TABLE tab and record the percentages of each moth type. (Note:
    The table shows current populations of each moth, not the number of captured moths.)

    Year Dark moths Light moths


    0
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5

    3. Analyze: What do your results show?


    ___________________________________________

    _________________________________________________________________________

    4. Apply: Which type of moth do you think was more common before the 19th century, when

    most trees were light in color? _________________________________________________

    5. Extend your thinking: What strategies did you use to hunt for moths? __________________

    _________________________________________________________________________

    _________________________________________________________________________

    2019
    Get the Gizmo ready:
    Activity B:
     Click Reset.
    Dark trees
     Select the DARK TREES tab.

    Introduction: The 19th century was the time of the Industrial Revolution in England. Most of
    the new industries used coal for energy, and the air was polluted with black soot. In forests near
    factories, the soot coated trees and killed lichens. As a result, tree trunks became darker.

    Question: How did air pollution affect moth populations?

    1. Predict: Over time, what will to happen to the populations of light and dark moths on dark

    trees? ____________________________________________________________________

    2. Experiment: Click Play and hunt peppered moths on dark tree trunks for five years. In each
    year, try to capture as many moths as you can.

    When you are done, select the TABLE tab and record the percentages of each moth type.

    Year Dark moths Light moths


    0
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5

    3. Analyze: What do your results show? ___________________________________________

    _________________________________________________________________________

    4. Apply: Which type of moth do you think was more common during the 19th century? Why?

    _________________________________________________________________________

    _________________________________________________________________________

    _________________________________________________________________________

    (Activity B continued on next page)

    2019
    Activity B (continued from previous page)

    5. Draw conclusions: Natural selection is the process by which favorable traits tend to
    increase in frequency over time. How does this experiment illustrate natural selection?

    _________________________________________________________________________

    _________________________________________________________________________

    _________________________________________________________________________

    _________________________________________________________________________

    _________________________________________________________________________

    2019

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