Peppered Moth Simulation
Learning Target
Describe how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.
Success Criteria
Simulate how predators locate prey in different environments.
Explain how natural selection causes populations to change.
Questions to Ponder...
How do some organisms react to changes in their environment?
How might a change in an environment have an impact on offspring?
Peppered Moth Simulation
Objectives
Describe the importance of coloration in avoiding predation
Relate environmental change to changes in organisms
Explain how natural selection causes populations to change
Purpose
In this lab, you will simulate how predators locate prey in different environments. You will analyze how color affects an organism's ability to survive in certain environments.
Three Parts
This experiment is divided up into three parts. Click the links to go directly to them.
Part 1 - Fingers
Materials
1 sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" white paper
1 sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" newspaper
stopwatch
appox. 15 newspaper circles and 15 white circles (made with hole punch)
Procedures
Read all procedures and copy the data table below.
Place a sheet of white paper on the table and have one person spread all of the circles (white and newspaper) over the surface while the other person isn't looking. The person not looking is the "predator."
The "predator" (eyes open now) will then use their fingers to pick up as many of the circles as they can in 15 seconds. Count how many of each circle you collected. Use the data table to record how many of each type of paper circle the people in your group collect.
Repeat this trial on the same white paper background for everyone in the group and then do the same thing using the newspaper background. Record all information on your data table.
Average the trials.
Back to Teams...
How would you explain the results of the experiment?
Were the results what you expected?
We are going to do the same experiment again but with tweezers instead of fingers. Do you expect the data to be any different?
Part 2 - Tweezers
Materials
1 sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" white paper
1 sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" newspaper
tweezers
stopwatch
appox. 15 newspaper circles and 15 white circles (made with hole punch)
Procedures
Read all procedures and copy the data table below.
Place a sheet of white paper on the table and have one person spread all of the circles (white and newspaper) over the surface while the other person isn't looking. The person not looking is the "predator."
Place a container at least 1 meter away from the paper to collect all of the circles. This is the nest.
The "predator" (eyes open now) will then use tweezers to pick up as many of the circles as they can and return them to the nest in 15 seconds.
Count how many of each circle you collected. Use the data table to record how many of each type of paper circle the people in your group collect.
Repeat this trial on the same white paper background for everyone in the group and then do the same thing using the newspaper background. Record all information on your data table.
Average the trials.
Back to Teams...
How do these results compare to the first experiment?
Were the results what you expected?
If you were going to do another experiment how would you change it?
Part 3 - Experiment
Design an Experiment
Your team will now design an experiment to test a hypothesis about other variables involved in picking up the circles.
Procedures
Begin by asking a Question that you will answer by doing this experiment.
Your question must be something that can be answered by completing an experiment.
consider the following examples:
To what extent does the shape of the device picking up circles affect the number of circles picked up?
To what extent does the background affect the number of circles picked up?
Develop a Hypothesis.
What do you think is the answer to the question you asked?
A hypothesis should be written like the following: "I think __________. I think this because ___________________."
Identify the Variables.
Which variable will you manipulate or change in your experiment? This is called the Independent Variable.
What conditions and procedures will you keep the same each time? These are called the Controls or Controlled Variable.
What characteristics will you be observing or measuring? These are called the Dependent Variables.
Design the Procedures.
Write detailed instructions to complete your experiment.
Include...
what you will use to pick up the circles.
how you will measure the results
how many trials
how you will collect the data
Share
Create a Google Doc with your experiment plan and share it with the teacher.
Back to Teams...
How do you explain the change in coloration of the peppered moth population?
How might you use the Peppered Moth lab to explain the change?
Analysis
Go to the following link to answer the questions as a group: Peppered Moth Simulation Questions
Online Simulation
This simulation allows you to see how the environment can influence the offspring of organisms
