March 17

Evolution: Mutation & Natural Selection Gizmo 🦗🌱

📅 Lesson Overview:
In this activity, students used a Gizmo simulation to explore how mutations and natural selection drive evolution. By tracking the survival and reproduction of organisms over time, students observed how populations change in response to environmental pressures.

DUE MARCH 18 at the beginning of class. 

📝 What We Covered:

1️⃣ Mutations & Genetic Variation

• Mutation: A random change in DNA that may create new traits.

• Genotype vs. Phenotype: Genetic makeup vs. physical traits.

• Why it matters: Mutations introduce variation, which is essential for evolution.

2️⃣ Survival of the Fittest: Natural Selection in Action

• Organisms with traits best suited for their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.

• Example:

  • Light-colored insects survive better on light backgrounds.

  • Dark-colored insects survive better on dark backgrounds.

  • Over generations, the population shifts toward the most beneficial trait.

3️⃣ Simulating Evolution Over Time

• Students ran the simulation for 300 generations to track how mutations, selection, and survival rates changed the population.

• Factors tested:
  ✅ Different background colors to test camouflage survival.
  ✅ Mutation rates to observe genetic variation effects.
  ✅ Fitness scores to determine which traits were most successful.

4️⃣ Analyzing Data & Drawing Conclusions

• Graphing Evolution Trends:

  • Changes in fitness over time.

  • Changes in dominant traits (color, survival rate).

• CER Analysis (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning):

  • Claim: Did the population evolve?

  • Evidence: Data from the Gizmo (graphs, survival rates).

  • Reasoning: Explained how natural selection caused the population to adapt.

📌 Activity Details:

✅ Gizmo Simulation – Modeled evolution through mutation and selection.
✅ Data Collection & Graphing – Tracked survival, reproduction, and phenotype changes.
✅ Natural Selection Predictions – Tested how different environments impact survival.
✅ CER Writing Assignment – Explained how evolution happens based on evidence.

🌍 Why This Matters:

This activity demonstrated how evolution occurs in real-time and showed why genetic variation is crucial for species survival. These same principles explain how species have adapted over millions of years!

✅ Great job modeling natural selection! Keep thinking about how mutations and survival pressures shape all life on Earth. 🔬✨