Natural Selection – Battle of the Beaks

Activity Summary
Students investigate whether inherited structures provide an adaptive advantage in a competitive environment. Students simulate birds competing for various foods by using different utensils to pick up different objects.

Grade Levels
9-12

Learning Objectives
1. Explain how variation among different individuals affects relative fitness
2. Explain how natural selection leads to change in phenotype of a species across generations
3. Describe how evolution works

Lesson Materials (view or download)
Lesson Plan

Keywords
fitness, natural selection, adaptive advantage

Last updated: 3/3/2015