Natural Selection

Background Information
Gene mutations can lead to variations within a population. If mutation results in a structure,
function, or behavior that helps the organisms survive, the gene may be favored and persist
through the process of natural selection.

Materials

• Plastic forks (talons) for mother and father owls. One plastic fork with all the tongs. One
plastic fork with left tong removed. One plastic fork with every other tong removed
(NOTE: Ask an adult to remove the tongs from the forks)
• Paper plate (food sources)
• Dried beans: majority of one type like pinto beans, small sampling of another like
• lima beans (food) (Or, use materials of your choice.)
• 3 different locations identified blue, green and yellow (nest)
• Small plastic cups (baby owl’s mouth)
• Stopwatch or timer

Directions

1. Identify three different locations within a room to represent three nests. Label
them blue, green and yellow nests.
2. Place the forks next to each nest. The blue nest will have the fork with all tongs.
The green nest will have the fork with left tong missing. The yellow nest will have
the fork with every other tong missing.
3. Place three plastic cups next to each nest to represent 3 baby owls.
4. Set up the food source. Fill a paper plate with 100 pinto beans and 5 lima beans.
5. Go to the blue nest location. Pick up the fork. Set your stopwatch or timer for 3
minutes. Use the fork at this location to pick up as many beans and transfer to a
plastic cup back at the nest location. Do not use your hands.
6. At the end of 3 minutes, count how many total beans you collected. Make a note
of any lima beans collected. Record your data for the blue nest. Return your beans to the food
plate before the next round.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the green nest and yellow nest. Record your data for each next.
Questions

1. Which talons were most successful in delivering food to the nests?

2. The tongs.

3. Based on your knowledge of natural selection, explain which owl families are most likely
to survive and why.

4. blue nest

5. Explain how mutations differ from adaptations.

6. A mutation is a naturally occurring variation in the gene sequence.

7. Compare natural selection and extinction.

8. Evolution is a gradual change in the inherited traits of a population over many

generations. Natural selection is a mechanism where the members of a population best
suited to their environment have the best chance of surviving to pass on their genes.

9.