Microevolution Game: Experiencing Population Change

Subject: Biology

Prepared by: Brian Nagy

Students will use a computer- or tablet-based simulation game to simulate phenotypic advantages and the change in population appearance based on that advantage.

Educational Standards

● New York State Living Environment : Standard 4, Key Idea 3● AECT Standards : Standard 3.1: Media Utilization

Objectives:By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:● Correctly identify advantageous phenotypes in given ecosystems● Make appropriate predictions as to potential changes in phenotype ration in a population with

explanations that include such terms as reproductive fitness, reproductive advantage, phenotype and genotype.

Materials Needed:● Container with 50 red pom-poms and 50 black pom-poms (1)● Red and black felt, 2’X2’, (1 each color)● Computer (Mac OS X 10.5 or above or Winows XP or above. 1 GB RAM or better preferred.

Internet access required. Safari, Internet Explorer or Firefox) or tablet (Android 2.3 or better, 1GB RAM, 7” (diagonal measurement) minimum). (1 per pair)

● Question Worksheet [link] (1 per student)

Other Resources:● Peppered Moth Simulation website -OR-● Peppered Moth Simulation app (see Notes, below)

Information:

1 Microevolution is defined as the change in appearance of a species over time.2 Certain mutations can give a reproductive advantage to certain individuals because they aid

in survivability.3 Prior to the Industrial Revolution, trees in England, the home of the peppered moth, were light

in color because of lichen that covered the bark. Most peppered moths at the time were light in color, with the occasional dark moth being born. Many did not survive because of predation.

4 After the Industrial Revolution, many lichen-covered trees were covered in soot from near-by coal-burning factories. Light-colored moths became easier to spot by predators and therefore lost their advantage. The number of darker moths increased because they were the ones that survived long enough to reproduce.

Verification:Steps to check for student understanding

1 Students will answer questions on the worksheet as the lesson progresses.2 Class discussion of results after each part (Pom-Poms, light-colored forest, dark-colored forest)3 Bell work reviewing concepts at the beginning of the next class

Activity:

1 Class demonstration: Students will gather around a table. On the table is a piece of red felt covered in 100 pom-poms. One student volunteer will squint and “eat” as many pop-poms as possible in one minute. Only one may be picked up at a time and all must be placed back in the container (representing a predator’s stomach). At the end of the minute, remaining pom-poms will be separated into colors and counted. Students will record the final population on their worksheets and calculate phenotype ratios.

2 Discuss results with class. Which color is most prevalent now? Why? Which is easier to “eat”?

3 Repeat, using the final population from the first round but this time on black felt.4 Discuss again. How has the population of pom-poms changed?5 Students will work in pairs to complete the simulation activity. Both the app and the web

simulation have background information on the life of the peppered moth and the observations made by naturalists about changes in their population. Students will read through the introductory materials and then begin the simulation. One student will control each round. In the first round, the student will be a bird hunting peppered moths in a lichen-covered forest for 3 minutes. The other student will act as the hunting bird in a soot covered forest. The percentage of each phenotype is displayed on the screen during each round.

6 After each round, there will be an opportunity for students to answer questions on the worksheet and for class discussion of the results.

7 After the second round’s discussion, students will have time to finish the worksheet.

Notes

At this time, no mobile app of this simulation/game exists to my knowledge. I am currently in EDTECH 597: Mobile Apps for Teaching and Learning and I plan on developing the app in the near future. At that time, I will post a QR code for downloading the Android App along with this lesson plan on my Learning Log.